What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Lil

Well-Known Member
Sorry for excluding anyone not in the USA.

I have been so DOWN lately. Just SAD all the time, for no particular reason. I know it's mostly my son; I miss him. Mostly, I miss the holidays - not the ones we've had the last 3 to 5 years - they've been pretty sucky - but I miss when he was little and excited. It all started with Halloween I guess...There's the big 3 family holidays in a row after all. But anyway...

I love to feed people. It's just kinda my thing. I like to cook and I like to make people happy and my cooking tends to make people happy. I also really like Thanksgiving food; turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes and fresh baked rolls...I should probably be paying more attention to the other thread on obesity, huh? But it's only once a year. Growing up, even though there was just 4 of us, my Mom would be up at 4 a.m. on Thanksgiving, making her Turkey with all the trimmings. We'd eat left-overs for a week and still put some in the freezer! I kept it up with Jabber and our son. I've always made a Thanksgiving dinner. Kid didn't like turkey? Too bad!

This year though, it's just the two of us and it's just been bothering me. We'll do the family thing at Jabber's mom and dad's on Saturday...but Thursday there was nothing planed. So I talked to Jabber last night and we've decided to make an announcement at church Sunday that, if there's any other people like us, just one or two people in the house and they aren't wanting to cook, that they are invited to our house! It's short notice and I don't know that we'll get any takers, but I really, really, hope we do!

Wish I could invite all of you!
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
This year sucks. I will see my son, and hopefully he will not spend the time being a jerk. I am so not in the mood. My daughter is going else where, and middle son is going to his girlfriends. If I am not careful, I will be sitting at home in the dark drinking my turkey.

I usually ok not being a part of a couple but the holidays do get to me.
 

Tanya M

Living with an attitude of gratitude
Staff member
So I talked to Jabber last night and we've decided to make an announcement at church Sunday that, if there's any other people like us, just one or two people in the house and they aren't wanting to cook, that they are invited to our house! It's short notice and I don't know that we'll get any takers, but I really, really, hope we do!
This is exactly what I was going to suggest.

I think one of the best things we can do when we are having the holiday blues is to reach out to other people.
I hope your invitation will be welcomed and accepted.

We will be driving into Chicago. My sis in-law is hosting this year. I'll be bringing the pies. I'm hoping my mother in-law will be strong enough to come with us. It will be strange if she's not there.

:thanksgiving11::thanksgiving10::thanksgiving13::thanksgiving2::thanksgivingday:
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
I am blue this holiday season also.

The first year I will not spend with our Difficult Child since he was born. We planned to but he had a "bump" so we decided not to see him because if we do, then he'll think mom and dad are on board no matter what he does. NOT. We had planned to have him drive the 2.5 hours from where he is staying to where we are staying.

However we are still going to our condo in Florida for 11 days and will have Thanksgiving day dinner with my husband's sister and her husband who also have a place there. We have both worked hard for this and I am going to give no more than an hour a day to worry (as my therapist suggests) and the rest of the time just focus on being alive and healthy! We will spend much time at the ocean which to me is the most peaceful place on earth.

I will not be around here those days as I'm taking a break but I will miss you all and hope you have a wonderful holiday in whatever way that means to you!
:thanksgiving13::thanksgivingday:
 

mof

Momdidntsignupforthis
Lil, that's great. Growing up it was only Mom and I, now and then we were able to share the Holiday with other people.

Your cooking is a gift meant to be shared..I bet you will make someone's day!
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
Wish I could invite all of you!
Lil. I would come in a heartbeat.

I am there with you in that sucky space. My mother's birthday was yesterday. My sister's last week--when she sent that snotty reply to my happy birthday to not contact her again.

So there we are. Here we are. I will practice gratitude. Not sure what we will eat, but I will cook. (Is it contrary to the holiday spirit to want to be with neither my son or M's family?)

There is the possibility of gratitude, Lil, for what we have had, (like all of the near perfect thanksgivings in the past, or imperfect ones, too.)

PS I love each of those foods you prepare so deliciously: the stuffing, the sweet potatoes (I like a puree, actually, the cranberry sauce, pies, and the rolls.) Lil. You and Jabber need not have one additional person to be complete and enough. You are that and more.

For myself, to get through this I have to learn to accept imperfect life and an imperfect self, and an imperfect M and sister, and son, still believing I am worth caring for myself and for others.

Your decision to invite your church is exactly in that spirit. I applaud you.
 

ksm

Well-Known Member
I want to just crawl up in a hole... But DHs daughter and some of her family will probably stop by about 7pm. We get #3 rating. Noon meal with her mom, then they go to her husbands family, then stop by here and raid my leftovers, because the other moms aren't great cooks...do they say.

Our oldest DGD, adopted daughter, says she is leaving town with a FB friend and going to Louisiana. Plus having increased drama with younger Adopted DGD. Sigh. Hope I make it to Christmas...

KSM
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Long ago I decided not to make my kids run like headless chickens on any holidays. I love the holidays but I am not one bit about celebrating on that day and no other. So this is how we deal with holidays to make them fun and guarantee we see everyone we love.


I love how it turns out....so peaceful and fun and no stress. Here so go trying to explain.

This weekend we are going to Chicago to have our first family Thanksgiving there and Princess is a chef. Yum


When we get back to Wisconsin we will have a second Thanksgiving on Saturday after Thanksgiving for just Wisconsin family. It always seems to me like our holidays are more personal and peaceful. We have no problem letting the other side have the actual day because the exact day is unimportant to us
It's about the family.

We do the same for Christmas only make sure everyone goes to Chicago on that holiday. My husband and Sonic, who now has a SUnday job will skip our Chicago Thsnksgiving (hub is watching the pets) but both will be there for our Wisconsin Thanksgiving. And Princess and baby who we ARE going will see in Chicago can't come to Wisconsin with baby. So to celebrate Thanksgiving with all my loved ones, I do it twice only not exactly on Thanksgiving.

I don't care a bit. Its a win for everyone on both sides of the family and our kids and pets lol.
 
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Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I feel for everyone that isn't looking forward to the holidays. There where so many years when I was in that boat. Holidays when difficult child was younger were so very difficult.

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. I'm no longer hosting now that we are in a smaller house and while I loved it while I did it for all of those years I'm not going to miss it.

easy child/difficult child is coming home from college for the Thanksgiving weekend and I am really looking forward to that.

difficult child is in the best place he has ever been and with so much family around odds are that he will also have a good weekend (crossing my fingers the other shoe doesn't drop).

husband's family is still coming from Michigan so that will be fun. One niece and her family will stay with us. Some will stay at a hotel, others at my niece who is hosting Thanksgiving. We will have everyone over for a movie night on that Friday and I'll make popcorn for that.

Sunday husband's family will go back and we will drive easy child/difficult child back to school. Then it's back to work and time to get ready for Christmas.
 

JaneBetty

Active Member
We are driving down to Florida, like we always have, to eat with my three sisters and two brothers and their families on the Wednesday before Tday, instead of the day itself. One of my brothers is an air traffic controller who invariably has to work on Thanksgiving day, so over the years we just moved the celebration forward one day.

While two of my daughters will be there, middle daughter will not, as we have had little contact with her. We heard she has a job, which is exciting news.

I wish everyone here a happy Thnaksgiving. Lil, I think inviting your church memebers to come over is very generous of you. I'll bet that will work out and you'll have a blast and chase the blues away!
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Hubby and I are going to my mom's for lunch. I am responsible for pie. Hubby's sister is also having lunch, so we will stop by there to say hi to everyone afterwards.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
We'll have the big family Thanksgiving at Jabber's folks house on Saturday after. I spoke with them briefly and frankly, I'm not sure they're looking forward to it that much. Their house isn't really big enough to host 40+ people. For the last several years we've gone to Jabber's brother's, much larger, house...not sure why that changed this year. I've always wanted to host the family Thanksgiving, but we're not at all central and a farther drive than anyone else - 2 hours from the farthest away. Jabber Sr. said, "Well, if you do it next year, if they want to be there, they'll come." I love my in-laws. But I haven't really wanted to be around them much lately...with all their young success stories running about talking about college and work and marriage and kids (granted, not all in that order) but their kids are all "settled" and they'll ask and I'll do the vague, "Oh, he's decided to go to Colorado to 'find himself'. Work? Not really sure what he's up to. I've decided it's not my business." and I'll get that "look".

But, whatev. It is what it is.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We will be going to visit my older kids for the holiday. We will leave Sunday, as soon as my daughter's dance performance is over. We will stop over at a couple of relatives on the way for a quick visit, and arrive in time to do some cooking.

Busy day today, as I have so much to do for the trip and the dance program. Just finished mowing the lawn and have to get the costumes and get ready for a dinner thing tonight.

Have a great day!
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
We're having "THE MEAL" at our house. Bill, Rose and me, plus my parents, and MAYBE Belle, Wyatt and Charlie. They don't seem to know if they'll be able to come. *eyeroll*

I had a gift card for Honeybaked, so I got a turkey breast, and I'll make home-canned green beans with salt pork, homemade rolls, and Bill is making mashed potatoes and mushroom stuffing. Mom is making sweet potatoes (not candied, thankyouverymuch) and homemade pumpkin pie... I'll make the whipped cream, since none of us like it super sweet.

I wanted Belle to be able to make something, but I'm not holding my breath. Love the kid, but she's flakier than a croissant.

I understand that father in law and sister in law are having a huge to-do at their house... I'm glad Pat will be around family for Thanksgiving.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Well I don't think I'm getting any takers on the dinner...but I'm still making a turkey. So there's that.
 

JKF

Well-Known Member
We're heading to upstate NY to spend a long weekend with my future sister-in-law's family. They live about 3 hours away and have a huge farm. There will be about 40 of us for dinner. My husband and I, younger son and parent in-laws stay in a really cool bed and breakfast. It's themed like the game clue. The owners are so nice and the breakfast is to die for. This will be the 3rd year we've gone up there and it's always a great time! So looking forward to it! We'll do the big family dinner Thurs, and the ladies will shop the antique and boutique stores on Fri while the men do men things. Tomorrow night I'm making caramel pumpkin cheesecake bars with streusel topping as my contribution. Actually have a batch in the oven now for a disabled woman in our town who can't cook for her family this year. They smell SO delicious!! I'm definitely gonna need to wear my stretchy jeans! LOL Hope everyone here has a fantastic Thanksgiving!!
 
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