Thankful for Thanksgiving!

Although Thanksgiving was different this covid year, we could at least recognize the holiday--and for that we're truly thankful. And to be honest, our outdoor Thanksgiving was seriously amazing!

Of course, Thanksgiving is really all about the attitude. Fortunately, our "trying-to-be-positive-no-matter-what-even-if-just-for-the-kids" mindset and our actual circumstances collided in pleasant ways, so that our regular dose of gratitude was only amplified by the uncertainty of it all.

[Note: kids really do have a way of bringing out the best in all of us, if only because if we so much as nudge the complaining train, it caravans into the next continent and no one has a good time for hours afterward.]

The girls did this without my
knowing. Pretty amazing!

Thanksgiving preparations started back in October, with a million little conversations initiated by, "What do you think we should do for Thanksgiving?" I may have spent as much time mulling over plans and possibilities as I did actually celebrating, but I'm accepting this as just part of the holiday this year. And I'm grateful that we were at least faced with real options to mull over. 

Ten days out, we began checking the long-term forecast daily, and this is when we realized that our best option--spending the day outdoors but doing most of our usual stuff--might actually happen. Usually, the forecast reverses itself as the day approaches, but this time it didn't.

I went ahead and purchased a 20-pound bird. (Partly hopeful thinking, and partly because I got a killer deal.)

A big part of our plans this year included a two-week mini-lockdown for everyone planning to attend, so we made our excuses for a few activities, found lots of good reasons for Matt to work from home, and began the process of getting our groceries via pickup, something we hadn't done since spring.

Of these, the shopping was the hardest task. Websites don't usually let you specify, "please choose pears that are mostly ripe, and definitely not rock-hard," or, "please don't tip the fresh pizza on its end." Bummer. And from what I hear, they're letting just anyone teach, nurse, and grocery shop nowadays, so our grocery cart occasionally needed a little in-person editing. But fortunately only a little.

And of course, we did our usual crafts, decorating, story-reading, and all the rest, so we barely missed going out in public. I'm pretty sure several of us would prefer to do all of our holidays this way. And life.

We prepared the girls that things would be a bit different, and they happily rolled with all the arrangements except the ones that included not seeing people they really wanted to see. "Is anyone coming?" they'd wonder, sometimes through a disappointed puppy lip and other times an exasperated eye roll. We made no promises, other than that there would be pie.

But we were able to assure them that Grandpa, Marianne, and Aunt Nancy were doing their very best, and that we were glad everyone else would be safe at home.

We counted the days, each one becoming more hopeful that this might actually happen. We even planned arrival times. That was big.

Cooking Day arrived, and the girls joyfully helped make a double batch of the cranberry sauce they love, as well as a couple desserts. Elise insisted that we were doing cooking class for school, while I was pretty sure we all had the day off. Naomi, the sweetheart, actually asked if we were going to do school on Thanksgiving. The part of me that didn't want to seize the opportunity ("Don't worry, only a little school and then you'll have the rest of the day off!") felt a bit ashamed that she'd even have to ask. At least we're instilling a work ethic.

And pretty soon we were doing all kinds of strange things like setting up the tent for Aunt Nancy, sewing Christmas face masks, collecting firewood and deciding which portion of the yard we'd eat our meal in. Text messages flew. We passed around a thermometer, and when everyone's temperature came out relatively normal (or a bit chilly, in Kalina's case), the countdown began. Aunt Nancy was on her way, and only harrowing holiday traffic and an evening stood between us and our holiday plans. She would arrive after midnight, unless she decided to stop somewhere.

We all felt like we were waiting for Santa--and we might as well have been, looking at the joy on everyone's faces.

I woke up all the time that night, each time wondering if there were a way I could peek out the window to see if her car was in the driveway without waking the cats. There wasn't. 

On Thanksgiving morning, the girls were dressed and out the door lightning fast after I mentioned that, "Aunt Nancy is going to want a fire in a few minutes." And just like that, Thanksgiving was here!

With all of the laughing, catching up, and general silliness. There was less snitcheting of food, and no showing everyone the various pets and all corners of the house (I was good with that). 

Since we were eating outside and downstairs from the kitchen, Kalina made a menu so people could check the boxes for their preferences. This was so fun I would almost do it in a non-Covid year.

Other than eating Thanksgiving dinner, our day consisted of several walks and lots of fire tending, plus masking up for our limited food prep (but at least we had Christmas masks!). And lots of traditions, like:

Takeaway Bingo! With Uncle Tom and Clarissa participating from afar, it was still a great chance to say hello (including to Uncle David, Aunt Debbie, and Kurt and Joy & family) and to keep some of the fun of the day. 

While we were hampered a bit being outside--balancing lots of things on our knees and trying to point a laptop--we muddled through and it seems as though everyone actually ended up with items they wanted. We had forgotten to bring scissors outside, but managed thanks to a potentially 1000+-year-old arrowhead I'd had on hand to be evaluated by Grandpa. Appreciate the help, native Kansan! Your tool has withstood the test of time--something my scissors might not do.

Pie came along with dark, and we noticed that in the encroaching darkness and chill, the party dwindled. Still, there was plenty of time for just chatting around the fire until the last holdouts (Nancy and I) literally did burn every last bit of firewood we could safely stick in the pit. 

The next day we enjoyed more firewood, a raucous game of burrito-throwing (don't worry, the burritos were fake and up to the challenge), and launching rockets into trees (and occasionally not into trees) before pulling out the leftovers.

Short and sweet, but still my favorite holiday.