Thanksgiving

Welcome to my place at Thanksgiving. I'm so glad you could be here. Now pull up a chair, grab some coffee and let's talk. You don't mind that I'm working away furiously in the kitchen, right?

I got up to my parent's late. By late, I mean I still hadn't left the office by the time I normally have my sleeves rolled up and am up to my elbows in batter. So it's now 9:30 and I'm officially on my face and still have a couple hours of cooking to do before morning. But the bread's in the oven and the cranberries are chilling, so I have a couple minutes to relax before I start in on the sweet potatoes. (You know the irony of this is that everything I've made so far, I'm technically not allowed to eat...)

Anyway, I've been thinking what a difference a year makes. Last year this time, Andrew was barely out of the hospital and still recovering from the kidney infection that scared the hell out of all of us. I think we all were still trying to get over what happened. I mean, one minute the kid was fine, happy as a clam, cruising around daycare like the king of the classroom. And the next minute, he had a raging fever that wouldn't go down no matter what we did... The week long stint in the hospital was a nightmare but right around Thanksgiving, after more tests, bloodwork, MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds than a kid should ever have to deal with in a LIFETIME, we got word that whatever was wrong with Andrew, it wasn't cancer. We all breathed a little easier around the Thanksgiving table after getting that news.

I'm so happy that the family is going to be together. That my grandpa is doing well enough to make the trip out from Long Island with my grandma. That my uncle, his wife and kids will all be here. That my sister's in from Florida this week and I can enjoy this time we have together, now that we arent' constantly trying to rip each other's heads off every second, like we did when we were little. I get to try to sneak stuffing with my dad in the morning, while my mom somehow manages to catch us, no matter where she is in the house. And, of course, if he isn't snoozing on the couch all weekend, I actually get to spend some time with hubby. With how crazed things have been for us both at work, those moments have been too few recently...

Unfortunately, hubby's family is down in Florida this year - but rumor has it next year we'll all be together. Yeah, I said it. Holidays turn me sappy, what can I say?

Okay...break's over and there's a mountain of sweet potatoes calling my name. Hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving (and to anyone who doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving - have a great weekend).