Thanksgiving Without My Family...

So this year for Thanksgiving my family is going to be spread out pretty much everywhere! My parents just left today for Maine. They get to spend the holiday with Kate and her family, as well as visit with my dad's family. My other sister will be with friends, while Josh is staying home in Michigan. Don will be heading to California with his family and Crockett will be down here in Vegas. And then there is me...heading to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with my close friend, celebrating what they call a "Texas Thanksgiving" complete with a deep fried turkey and chili!

As excited as I am to be with friends and enjoy the holiday, I am realizing I will really miss my family. I don't like us being spread so far apart, and I don't remember any holiday that I have spent without some sort of family. Initially, I was excited...relaxing at my friend's house, enjoying the holiday without any familial obligations. I have joked around about having no schedules to follow, no appointments to meet. But now I am not so sure! I am already missing my parents, as I just got off the phone with them since they just off the plane. They were in Kate's car driving back to her house to see my Lexi, Livi and Maddie. It's an interesting feeling to be homesick while still at home! But that's exactly what I would call it.

As crazy busy and chaotic as our family get-togethers tend to get it, I think that is what I love most about them! It will be an adjustment to have a cozy Thanksgiving dinner with only 5 people.

My family is the best on the entire planet. I am the baby of 6 children and have a great connection with every single one of my siblings and their spouses, and all of my nieces and nephews. Sure, we have our typical disagreements or arguments, but as we grown older, those stupid little disagreements mean absolutely nothing in the scheme of things and hold less and less importance. Just the other day my brother and I were having a great little texting banter back and forth about the BYU - Utah football game. We cheer for different teams and love giving each other a hard time, but in the end, it's all in good fun.

Just last week I paid for my graduation and found out the specific date. I immediately texted all my siblings to let them know the date, and all but one will be here! It brought tears to my eyes as I received responses from them about how they will definitely save the date and be there to support me on my special day that has been a LONG time coming. I realized how supportive and loving my family has been through my entire college career. It may have taken me longer than others, but the point is that I am getting there and it IS going to actually happen! It was the cutest thing when Hannah, my 11 year old niece, asked me if I would be walking at graduation to get my diploma. When I told her I absolutely would be, she asked if she could come. It was the cutest thing ever! It would make my graduation to have my little nieces there for support.

I get more and more excited for Christmas this year where I will at least get to be with 3 of my 5 siblings and their families. We will get to open presents together, enjoy the snow and sledding for a few days, and fully get into the spirit of what Christmas is truly about. Throughout my life my family has been nothing but loving and supportive of me and I know that back-up strength is what has helped me through. Sometimes I get excited when my parents leave town for 3 or 4 days. But this time they will be gone for 10 days and I'm thinking it's going to get a little lonely. Sure, some look at me as a sad little 29 year old still living off her parents. But I aboslutely can NOT complain! My parents and I have an amazing relationship. We have learned to set boundaries with each other so I still have my life, but I have gotten used to coming home and having discussions with my parents about class or tests or grades I have received.

My parents are the most amazing, inspiring people ever. Next year they will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and we will have a very large celebration for them and their life. They only get cuter with age...in my opinion a very distinguished and accomplished couple. They are constantly working at having a stronger marriage and love spending time with each other. It's so comforting for me to watch them and see the strength in their marriage, but yet also being able to distinguish their separate personalities. If there is any truth to the saying, "opposites attract", my parents should become the poster couple! But the ways in which they compliment each other are so successful and productive and now they spend their time making sure to travel the country as often as possible to spend quality time with their children and grandchildren.

So, as much fun as I will have in Utah with friends, I will also terribly miss my family. I will miss every single one of them! Hopefully I will get to see a few siblings in passing, but we will not be together on the actual day of Thanksgiving. As I watch the pictures flash by on the digital picture frame, I am reminded of family get-togethers in the past and long for those reunions once again. They say friends come and go, but family is always there. My family is ALWAYS there! No matter what the issue may be, I know I have at least one sibling to call on to help with the situation.

Here's to my family...HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you! I will miss you all terribly, but will think of you and hope that where ever you may be, you are having an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!