Thanksgiving Day 1

To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do.

Victor Hugo

I have been married for 23 years and I dated my love for 3 years before that.

 I am telling you that because now you know how many thanksgivings have been harried and chaos. You know the kind where there are like over fifty people, three 25 lb. turkeys and 15 pies. Then you have to go to both families for the biggest meal of your life and pretend like you're hungry...yea right.

Yup that kind of chaos. 

We gave that up 15 years ago and

we went for smaller more manageable chaos.

Just my little family and John and Ann's family.  

We were the staples and then other families would usually join us each year. 

Seriously the best kind...some family but not so many that you sorta want to crawl up and hide in a closet.

But this year it was just us..

just my people...

my own little family.

first time in...well ever.

Alrighty then we are off to the beach on Thanksgiving Day. 

After the very scary, near death experience drive to half moon bay

(not going to go into detail here... but lets just say Ben was driving and it was his first time on the freeway and let's just say that there are some freeway changes that would scare a seasoned driver. Let's just say there was also a bridge involved and without saying much more I made him pull over before we got to our destination because I have been on this earth for 44 years and I have seen some scary crap but nothing could have prepared me and I mean nothing for that 35 minutes with my sixteen year old son t the wheel.

And that is all I am going to say about that. )

So we found a new beach that we had never been to and hiked 1/2 mile on a dirt road that meandered through gorgeous fields and then we were there.

The Pacific and when I looked down over the cliff and saw the ocean I cried.

I did.

If this is confusing to you then you don't know me or you have forgotten that I have to stay between 3 and 7 on the emotional scale.  Look up Kristen Bell sloth on you tube. I would  post it but I am too tired.

Anyway I cried.

I cried because the ocean was so overwhelming and so beautiful.

I cried because I watched my kids climb down those stairs to the beach and they were laughing.

I cried because I was at the beach on Thanksgiving day.

I cried because I was so stinkin' happy.

Tom looked at me and asked, "Do you know why we came to beach today?"

"Ummm no I said."

"Because we can."

Those are some profound words right there and so with tears streaming down my face I hurried down those 100 stairs and enjoyed every freaking second because I can.      

So this is part 2 of my perfect day....

I have always wanted to have thanksgiving in my backyard in front of the fire.

I made everything for our feast beforehand except the rolls and potatoes. We came home from the beach and  finished cooking and then ate at this table.
I know I could hardly take it.
I just walked around mumbling to myself like a crazy person. I just couldn't believe how magical the whole setting was.
Truthfully I am still not over it.
Did you see the sparkly pears for pear cottage?
Perhaps you missed all the candles? (there are even more that you can't see)
Did you see the fire for crying out loud?
But what you can't see were the people that I love most (minus Nicholas but I am seriously not going there right now) gathered around this table talking and laughing.

Chaos is good and even necessary sometimes but I seriously think that Thanksgiving 2013 goes down as possibly my favorite ever. 

I am grateful for so much it is totally ridiculous but I am grateful for this day.