Thanksgiving

We went to New York to see ARLO after they had their Thanksgiving.  For the first time ever they had their own celebration.  Generally they had gone to families - either ours (before they were married) or since then, to Rachel's extended family which was centered around her mother's very good college friends and had grown voluminously over the years  They chose to make the holiday theirs this year, eliminating a lot of traveling and stress.

In the morning Rachel and her father took the boys to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  It was a glorious day - warm and bright.  All those terrorists had to take a back seat to the beauty of the day and the staunchness of New York City residents.

Alex stayed home and made the meal.  He roasted a turkey, which I think is pretty good for a vegetarian. The boys love it - and Ollie could eat all the time anyway - and it's Rachel's favorite meat.  Next year Bob will teach him how to make a tofurkey.  I was so proud of him, and of them, to start their own holiday tradition.  (Of course, if they try to do that with Christmas I won't like it at all!)

We came on Friday and by that time the boys were exhausted.  We played around with them in the apartment and then watched the SU basketball game.  Sweet and simple, with the high of the team winning the tournament!

Saturday we drove up to Rachel's parents house in Dutchess County for a Thanksgiving brunch with family members; in-laws like us, aunts cousins...  A lovely tradition, one I appreciated far more than I had in the past.  This is our family now, in sickness and in health.

This has been a difficult year, health-wise, for so many people.  There are so many people I miss already who passed on, and others who are struggling but overcoming huge obstacles.  Rachel's aunt has Parkinson's, but just recently had the surgery that put her back able to care for herself and her husband, has given her her life back to a great degree.  It was marvelous seeing her and her exuberance over being able to live again.

So I am very thankful for my families - Bob's, who shared our dinner and our after-dinner pie tradition, Rachel's open-arms extended family, Alex's stepmother and brother who enrich our lives from a distance, and all my friends who care for us.  And so much more...but this year family has meant a great deal.

P.S.  The photo above - That's Nancy, our niece, who participated in the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day!