Thanksgiving...thru the years...

Kelby here....for those of you who do not know us personally, I think it is safe to say that Burgess and I are holiday-aholics. It's true. We love holidays. All holidays. Any holiday. I think it probably has something to do with our birthdays--Burg was born near Memorial Day and I was born near Labor Day...so we are used to days off to celebrate "us"!! But I believe that this time of year is our absolute favorite! With Thanksgiving just a day away, and Christmas right around the corner, the Hicks Girls are in holiday heaven!!

Given that Turkey Day is this week, I've been doing some reflecting, laughing, crying, just whatever at some of my favorite Thanksgiving memories. We've had some doozies in the Hicks fam, but they have all made some fantastic memories. So we're going to do this Dave Letterman style...TOP TEN (well actually 11) baby!!

11. Thanksgiving 2006. Surprise road trip to B-water, Virginia. Surprise meaning that Mom was in Virginia because my granddaddy had just had major lung surgery and was not doing well. Surprise meaning that two days before Thanksgiving, my pregnant sister and I decided to drive the 12 hours from Cincinnati to Virginia to surprise my mom...but that meant leaving Adam and Dad behind. It was definitely a difficult holiday...Thanksgiving dinner was thrown together. Granddaddy was not doing well. Our family was kind of a mess. But seeing the look on Mom's face when Burg and I rang the doorbell at our aunt and uncle's made it all worth it.

10. Dad's Holiday breakfast. Nothing beats waking up on any major holiday, but especially Thanksgiving, to the smell of coffee brewing, hot wassail, and seeing Dad in the kitchen making sausage pinwheels. It's definitely a Hicks family tradition. One that I cannot wait to start with my own family, and one that Burgess, Adam and Wyatt have started too.

9. Parade and Football. Oh gosh, just the idea of this makes me so happy. Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is definitely a Hicks family tradition. And then after dinner, curling up with my Dad on the love seat to watch football...nothing beats this!!

8. Washington D.C. Thanksgiving. Oh gosh. This is just one of my favorite memories. I cannot remember the year, but I think I was still in elementary school. Dad was going to be in D.C. working over Thanksgiving, so Mom, Burg and I drove out there to be with him. We drove through the night in Haans, our old Volkswagon Gulf. And we got lost. In downtown Washington D.C. Mom and two young girls got lost. Good news--I got to see the Iwo Jima statue all light up at 2:00am. The even funnier news--Dad was sitting on his hotel balcony waiting for us to arrive, and saw us driving back in forth on the highway in front of his hotel. But it was a great Thanksgiving. I remember watching the parade in Dad's really nice hotel room, going to the White House with my Mom and Grandma, and Thanksgiving dinner with a bunch of my Mom's relatives...some of whom I still forget who they are every time I see them!

7. Mom's Feast. Ok. There are six people in my family. Dad, Mom, me, Burg, Adam and Wyatt (who is still a "baby"). Seriously. Six people. I think though that Mom has trouble with this number. Because every year, it never fails...she makes enough food for 50. We have soooo much food, it's ridiculous. Here is a sample menu...and I'm not making this up: deep-fried turkeys (mulitple), ham, shrimp cocktail, salads, noodles (for Adam), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, cheeseballs (again, mulitple), stuffing...seriously, the list goes on and on. And again, there are 6 people in my family.

6. Christmas Spode. This means nothing to anyone besides me and Burg. But Christmas Spode comes out after Thanksgiving dinner. And nothing says "Merry Christmas" than Christmas Spode.

5. Quality friend time. This holiday, more than any other one, is the best for spending time with friends. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, in Indy, is the busiest bar night of the year...and my friends and I contribute to that. Going to Broad Ripple, going to Classified Concerts at 8 Seconds, whatever. Everyone's home for Thanksgiving. Everyone's in town. Everyone's in a good mood. This is the time of year for quality friend time!

4. Thanksgiving 2003. Another tough holiday. And, if I remember correctly, the only holiday without Burgess and Adam (but I could be wrong). We lost my great-grandma, my beloved G.G., the day before. Mom and Dad were already in Nashville, Tennessee to be with G.G. I was at home in New Pal. I got the call that she had died very very early in the morning. Couldn't sleep, so I packed up what I could and hit the road for Tennessee. It was kind of surreal actually. We all knew this was going to happen, but it doesn't make it any easier. G.G. was 96 when she died. She had buried two husbands and her only child, my Poppie, just months earlier. But I don't remember the loss so much as I remember the family. No one was prepared for Thanksgiving or had much motivation to do anything about it. But my Aunt Becky's family came all the way up from Mississippi just to make our families Thanksgiving. It wasn't the traditional food that I was used to, but it was fantastic. And it was such a selfless sacrifice for them to do that. They literally kicked us out of the kitchen while they cooked. It was so nice. And even though we were in the midst of grieving, it was such a great time to be around family.

3. Black Friday. Going shopping the day after Thanksgiving is a recent tradition. I remember one year, Mom and I went to the four major malls in Indy all in one day: I believe we started in Castleton, hit Keystone soon after, headed downtown to Circle Centre and then ended the day in Greenwood. Even when Burg and I were in Virginia two years ago for Thanksgiving, we made sure to get up extra early to be at WalMart at 5:00am. It was complete insanity, but you honestly do find the best deals!

2. Decorating for Christmas. After the early morning shopping and the nap mid-morning to make up for some sleep, the Christmas decorations come out the day after Thanksgiving. I love this day!! I love helping my Mom decorate our house for Christmas. From hanging the garland and the big red bows along the balcony, to putting up our 9 foot Christmas tree, to putting out the candles on the front porch...this is one of my favorite days of the year.

1. My family around Thanksgiving. I know this is probably everyone's favorite memory or what they are most likely to be thankful for, but I am truly blessed to have the family that I have. Last year was Wyatt's first Thanksgiving, and I honestly do not remember what holidays were like without him. I love coming to my Mom and Dad's house from Cincinnati, because the minute I pull into the driveway, I feel at home. I feel comfort and peace. I love hearing Dad pray before Thanksgiving dinner. I love that we are always too stuffed to actually eat Thanksgiving dinner because we have been eating appetizers all day. I love seeing Adam and Burgess pull up in the driveway. I love the constant banter back and forth between Burg, Dad and I. I love that even though there are only 6 of us, it never feels empty or lonely.

I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving. Eat your weight in delicious goodness. I will.