Thanksgiving 2012

My favorite holiday.

This was a very different year, but was still a lot of fun.  Unlike every year since my existence, the big family gathering was at our house.  We figured this year would be too much to have Baba and Jedo host the meal, and we are the closest to their place.

But traditions still had to be maintained, and the most important one of those is the annual Thanksgiving Day Walk.  Normally, we all go to the S Country Club near Baba and Jedo's house, and hike there.  However, this year it was obviously impossible.  SH Park did quite nicely.  There was a lot of talk that it wouldn't be any fun, because we would be on trails, and it wouldn't be the same, but we had a great time.  We arrived, took the trails that went down the big hill to the stream, and about halfway down we split up into two groups and played hide and seek.

I was in the seeking group with Uncle R, L, and K.  Hiding was Uncle R, J, A, V, A, E, and R.  Uncle R was found first, he had not enough sufficient time to find a hiding place, we would learn why later.  Then, I heard so much noise coming from one section across the stream that I had to check it out.  A and V were easily found.  When I returned, I learned that A was literally buried, and Uncle R had almost stepped on him.  Uncle R had so little time to hide because he was burying her.  For the next 20 minutes or so, we were looking for J, E, and R.  We heard a strange bird calling.  We learned via incoming text messages that it was E and R making the sounds, and not real birds.  On our way to find them, we stumbled across J.  I soon located E and R, and they were declared co-champions.

The dinner was great.  The food was good, and the fellowship was superb.  At the table, we seemed to just keep telling anti-jokes.  Somehow, we got to A showing us this funny Youtube video.  Warning: It is extremely racist, but that's okay in our family.  After sharing it among the kids, the adults viewed it, and got a kick out of it too.  Then came a ping pong tournament among me, A, J, and R.  I won the whole tournament, even though J finally beat me.  Then came a mini-show by V, A, me, and K.  Then more ping pong, and when half the group left for S, the rest of us settled down and watched some football.

I love thanksgiving.  My favorite holiday, by far.  Some people complain about seeing all their family members, but I never really understood that.  I love my family.  We have such a good time together.  How could anyone not like that?

-NM