Giving Thanks

I have pies baking in the oven in preparation for tomorrow. For the last 3 years I've cooked the entire Thanksgiving (and Christmas) meal myself. And I LOVE doing it!! As cheesy as this may sound, I put a lot of love and thought into cooking this meal, making sure every dish is especially good and that everyone's favorite is laid out on the table. I can't wait to get started super early in the morning!

This year I am especially thankful to have my husband home. But this year I'm also feeling especially emotional. As I'm getting the pies baking, I'm having flashbacks of the last few years of festivities. And...I miss my family. Since Mike and I have been married, Thanksgiving has sort of been our holiday to spend with our dads. I miss hearing all the snoring coming from every room in the house. :) This year my dad is in Afghanistan and I miss his chattiness. This is also the first year of holidays without Mike's dad. They always say its always hardest around the holidays and this is the first time in my life its hit me so hard. I've never lost someone so close to me and I really miss him.

And I miss my mom. I think this is the longest I've gone in my entire life without seeing her (almost a whole year) and I miss her busy body and bossy self :) Pushing me out of the kitchen to show me how its really done.

I'm gonna miss setting the food out with the sound of the guys watching football in the background, my dad asking mike's dad ridiculous questions that have nothing to actually do with the GAME. And listening to them carry the same conversations over and over again.

We'll still have a really good homemade meal with good company. But I guess this is the time of year you realize how truly thankful you are for your family and miss them the most.