A Moment of Thanks...

Back in November, so many things popped up here and there, I didn't realize I was in social overload.  The holidays can be a non-stop party train that leads up to New Year's Eve.  Luckily, Thanksgiving helps keep you centered with family.  I'm realizing now, how much these holidays bring those you don't see very often together in one place.  This year, we were doing things differently in my household.
My aunt usually hosts Thanksgiving dinner at her house.  It's big and allows more people to sit more comfortably.  But this year my family were all doing their own thing.  My mom's husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness earlier in the year, and has been in hospice care for months.  My mom did not want to leave him alone to be with family on Thanksgiving, so she opted not to go to my aunt's.  I couldn't bear the thought of the two of them hosting their own little dinner, so I invited myself over to join them.  Hey, sometimes you have to push your way into people's hearts to let them know you're there for them.  That move made my two brothers follow as well, and our step brother joined us, too.  We all had Thanksgiving dinner together.  A smaller and more intimate group, but bitter sweet for all of us.  Luckily, after dinner, the rest of my family made pit stops to my mom's to wish us happy Thanksgiving, and to participate in our annual Christmas grab bag.  Every year we add our names to a bag and each randomly pick a name out of a family member to splurge on for a gift.  It has helped us save money and the hassle out of figuring out what to get everyone.  I am blessed we managed to see one another in the end.     

 LOVE my mom's cooking...

Me and my cousin...

 Just us enjoying our time together...

Me and my brother.  He's my rock...