My husband and I just got home from a trip to his hometown. We were there to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family, and celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. Growing up Thanksgiving was a pretty big deal in our house. My mom begins baking days before and gets up in the wee ours of the morning to start the turkey. We always get up just in time to groggily watch the Macy’s parade. And then we wait. Smelling the wonderful turkey and hoping that the timer would soon go off signaling dinner time.
My family loves traditions and no one really likes it when those traditions are changed even the slightest bit. This year, Daniel and I are embarking on a new journey—taking two families worth of traditions and making some our own. Becoming one is, in one way, melding traditions and making them your own—your family’s. And it is bittersweet in some ways. I wasn’t with my family this year. I was with my husband’s family. He won’t be with his family at Christmas. He will be with my family. And each instance is a reminder that things will never be the same again. Neither of us will ever go back to the way it once was. And that is a good thing.
Every Thanksgiving night my family watches Miracle on 34th Street (the old one). I can’t even remember how long we have been watching it. But Daniel and I didn’t do that this year. But we did continue a tradition of his side of the family. We went shopping on Black Friday (and bought Miracle on 34th Street for $9!) and we went to a movie that night (we saw Blind Side—great movie, another post coming on that). Each holiday in these first few years will provide new traditions and experiences for us that draw us closer to one another and make our family our own.
We had a great time with his side of the family. We played games, watched football, ate food, talked, looked at pictures, and enjoyed each other. It was a good time.
The picture above is of Daniel’s family. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the nursing home where Grandma is staying. In order to be accepted in the family, each new member must eat a dessert called Date Nut Loaf. And they have to like it. Somehow, I got in without ever eating it. So after dinner I had to try it and decide whether or not I liked it. My husband captured it on film as evidence. I think the video will speak for itself.
My family loves traditions and no one really likes it when those traditions are changed even the slightest bit. This year, Daniel and I are embarking on a new journey—taking two families worth of traditions and making some our own. Becoming one is, in one way, melding traditions and making them your own—your family’s. And it is bittersweet in some ways. I wasn’t with my family this year. I was with my husband’s family. He won’t be with his family at Christmas. He will be with my family. And each instance is a reminder that things will never be the same again. Neither of us will ever go back to the way it once was. And that is a good thing.
Every Thanksgiving night my family watches Miracle on 34th Street (the old one). I can’t even remember how long we have been watching it. But Daniel and I didn’t do that this year. But we did continue a tradition of his side of the family. We went shopping on Black Friday (and bought Miracle on 34th Street for $9!) and we went to a movie that night (we saw Blind Side—great movie, another post coming on that). Each holiday in these first few years will provide new traditions and experiences for us that draw us closer to one another and make our family our own.
We had a great time with his side of the family. We played games, watched football, ate food, talked, looked at pictures, and enjoyed each other. It was a good time.
The picture above is of Daniel’s family. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the nursing home where Grandma is staying. In order to be accepted in the family, each new member must eat a dessert called Date Nut Loaf. And they have to like it. Somehow, I got in without ever eating it. So after dinner I had to try it and decide whether or not I liked it. My husband captured it on film as evidence. I think the video will speak for itself.
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