Monday, November 30, 2009

Traditons. Celebrating Once Again As We Did Before. Perfect.

We are creatures of habit and I think I really love it.

Thanksgiving has generally been the same around the "Faithful House" for the past 10 years. The in-laws come from Chicago on Wednesday, we pack up the sweet potato and green bean casseroles along with a plate of Norwegian Christmas Cookies, and head 10 minutes to my parents for Thanksgiving Lunch with the family.

Following lunch, we watch the traditional cousin "Play" written and directed this year by Miss M and performed by all the kids. It's comical, heartwarming, and fun to see them all "act" and ham it up for the parents and grands. Miss A announced earlier this fall that she was beyond being "Plymouth Rock", a part with no lines or movement. Instead, she did a great job "reading" her part with her favorite big cousin helping out!

It's wonderful! It is full of laughter. Our celebration is a big enough gathering to feel like a holiday, but no stress of the weird relatives from Cleveland. Not that we have relatives from Ohio. In fact, my entire immediate family counts up to 12 these days and we all live within a mile of each other. Thankfully, my husband's family adds another 6! Do you sense the crowd!

We joke that we hold a family reunion every weekend we are together in the summer at the Lake House. That's how small we are.

We have a great relaxing day watching football and working on the Christmas puzzle. I get to knit away without distraction. Perfect!

Friday, we learned to make Norwegian Krumkake Cookies with Bestemor's Krumkake Iron and, while they were not perfect, we did it and now can keep this tradition alive. They also tested quite good!

That evening, it was off to the Train Museum for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and visit with Santa. C joked that he was going to ask Santa to make him taller and faster! Guess when you are 12, what else do you need. There were cookies with lots of frosting, fake snow falling everywhere, and a beautiful tree. It was perfect!

Saturday, we enjoyed a yummy lunch out at Texas Roadhouse and a visit to a quaint Scandinavian Gift Store not to far away. The girls brought along their American Girl Dolls in the Norwegian Bunard Outfits that Bestemor had made for them and the shop owner was quite impressed with them.

We didn't venture too far off course this Thanksgiving. It was pretty much a repeat of Thanksgiving's past. You know what though, it was perfect. We had much to thankful for and we were able to celebrate around the table with all those who mean so much to us.

That in itself is reason to celebrate and give thanks!

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