Thanksgiving... Better Late Than Never!

SO I have the most wonderful family.  My Grammie and Papa had 7 amazing children, and throughout the years, these children got married, had kids, and even several of those kids have kids.  (We are up to 50+ people.)  Our Thanksgiving holiday is exploding with an abundance of aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousins-once-removed.  (It took us awhile to figure out what the terminology was for your cousins' children...)  It is such a blessing to be around such Godly people who continue this tradition long after Grammie and Papa have passed. 

I am such a tradition kind of girl, and I think a lot of that is due to our family and the traditions we have.  I can almost lay out the extended weekend in detail.  AND I LOVE EVERY MINUTE.


Around September/October, the family e-mail starts filling up our inbox as we begin to verify who is and isn't coming and what each person will be bringing/baking/etc. for the festivities.

Wednesday: The family arrives at the location (which changes due to the expanding size of our family).  Currently we meet at the Wawasee Episcopal Conference Center in Indiana.  As we arrive, the wonderful aroma of Grammie's vegetable soup fills the air.  I long for this ALL YEAR LONG.  We exchange hugs and conversation and maybe insert a few board games before we collapse after a day of traveling.

Thursday: We come together in one gigantic circle and have family share time.  This is usually to unload the blessings of the year that God has given.  It usually involves the struggles and how God has carried us through them.  This also means that this time is highly emotional.  And the Waggoner men are the biggest criers.  Tissues all around.

After share time, we are all drooling as the smells are coming in from the kitchen(s).  Turkey, stuffing, corn casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, sweet potato casserole, salads, rutabaga... I could go on...

 



A little time for napping and exploding of stomachs is inserted, but then it is ROOK TOURNAMENT time!  Now, I have never been a fan of the Rook Tournament.  My family is serious.  And I don't mean that in a gentle way.  I mean, we have trophies.  There are RULES people, and they must be followed.  No table talk!  Don't even LOOK at your partner like you're giving them a hint!  You BETTER play a card in the right suit or RENIG on you! Subtract all your points!!!  No second chances!!!!! 

It's scary.  Idunlikeit.  I normally stay away from the tournament because I AM competitive, but I hate letting people down.  So partners games are not my thing.  However, I realized over the years that if I don't participate, then I am bored, because everyone else is playing rook.  And that trumps all.  I'm alright.  But I get nervous.  Sometimes my partner and I win a couple of the games.

Later on, we have leftovers and pies.  Lots of pies.  Many of my family members watch football.  I do not.

Friday: It's CHRISTMAS!  Yes, we celebrate both holidays since we only get together once a year.  Sometime in the morning, we have a program.  This started out as a tradition from my Grammie and Papa so that they could see all of the talents their little grandchildren had.  I remember my Papa being SO SERIOUS as we sang "Away in a Manger" as little tots.  We were embarrassed and giggled, but Papa made us start over until we gave appropriate respect to the meaning of the words.  I miss him.  Now it's turned into the grandchildren's children quoting verses and playing piano and being cute... and then me and my cousin Felicia singing/playing piano together.  I don't think we are so "cute" anymore, and I've started feeling a little embarrassed because we are the only adults participating in this event.  So this year was the first year we didn't do it.  SHOCK.  HORROR.  I know.  I kinda feel bad because it was my decision to break the tradition.  I'm just looking forward to the day when I have children who can do the performing instead of me!

Then it's on again.... Christmas dinner- Ham, cheesy potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn casserole, salads, rolls, etc... 

And then we are bloated again.

After our stomachs have calmed, we engage in the scariest time of all: the gift exchange.  We play Dirty Santa style where you can steal gifts.  There are rules.  Again.  And rulemaster Aaron is very serious!!!  People (and presents) get hurt.  Physically.  Emotionally.  But in the end, we have always had an abundance of laughs and end up with some awesome presents.

We end the day by finishing tournaments (Rook and otherwise... sometimes pingpong, sometimes corn hole) and playing other games.  We are a gaming family.

Saturday: This used to be "go see the latest Disney movie" day, but as we got older, the tradition wore off, and now it's become the "go shopping in the Amish village" day.  Those who don't go shopping watch football.  But we all enjoy Aunt Robin's potato soup!  Then, we pack up, clean up, and go home.

Some of my favorite moments are with the kids.  There are so many tiny tots roaming around, and there is never a dull moment.  D and I have learned that when your room is on the same floor as theirs, you WILL be woken up at 6 or 7am to running feet and banging on doors and crying over toys not being shared.  You WILL have to tell the kids your room is not a place for hide and seek.  But it's worth it.  I love them all.  I love them SO much that I couldn't choose between them when it came time for our wedding, so that is why we had 17 flower girls and ring bearers!


They did this by themselves!!!




And then they pummeled cousin Aaron.


I love this family.  Thanksgiving has become my absolute favorite time of the year.  My heart aches to think that one day, we will not be able to meet this way anymore.  Families will start breaking off into their own celebrations.  But until that day comes, I will relish the moments I have with each and every one of them!

Merry Thanksmas!
(Thanks to Katie for teaching me the proper term for our celebration!)