Thanksgiving Past
I spent the greater part of the last couple weeks working on some annual family yearbooks, which is such a passion project for me. I just love making them. And revisiting them! I'm probably a decade into the tradition now and it's lovely to peruse the more vintage editions when we gather for holidays and whatnot. The library of these books are with my in-laws and I just love that it's become this normal thing that we all perch up on the couch together to page through 2014 or 2017. All the "look how tiny she was!" and "remember when's" that get happily passed around.
Anyway, I just finished up this year's book and it's all very timely with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I'm awash with sentiment - and also very grateful. I should do this more often, but occasionally when I'm feeling low, I'll consider the seemingly small victories, that are indeed the pillars of a very good life, supporting everything else, and be grateful for them. I'll usually tick them off on my fingertips - a job to go to each morning, a warm home, a healthy family, a coffeemaker with an automatic timer. And alway always always, love in my life.
As you can see, I'm up in my feelings. Which is as good a time as any to wander down the Thanksgiving past folder in my photos app.
2014
Married, but before Duke, and the only souls we were parenting was our flock of dogs. This was the year we moved to Traverse City, and traveled back to Lansing for the holiday weekend. I was not adjusting to our move as well as I'd hoped, and being back in familiar territory was such a reprieve. We stayed in our friend's guest house and got exceptionally wine drunk the night before Thanksgiving, piling up for this family picture. These dogs aren't even ours (except for Jack, barely in the frame.). We took our position as "dog people" very seriously back then.
2016
This was also our first year with Baby Duke, who would have been coming up on 12 weeks old. I remember vividly because I went back to work the Monday after Thanksgiving. Look at that sweet sleepy face.
2017
Isn't it wonderful the way memory lets you remember the silver linings, more than the stormy clouds? The first year of parenting was difficult, but I look at these sweet pictures and all that's left from that time are these good, happy memories. We had a warm Thanksgiving that year, so much so that I let Duke toddle around my mother-in-law's yard without shoes on. I used to love those little bandana bibs, too.
I had not much time to alleviate creative urges, but nail art was a big focus for me, hence the buffalo plaid nails, which frankly, I'm still proud of.
2018
I loved that shirt, even though we're not particularly religious and Duke doesn't even like chocolate milk (can you believe!?). But the "drives mom crazy" bit was (is) accurate.
We were back in Lansing for Thanksgiving in 2018. Ryan's brother and his wife hosted about 47 people that year (and are about to again this year) and my favorite picture from that year was when the grandmas collectively surrendered to the tryptophan.
2020
This is a really excellent example of the wild child we're raising here. Ryan's arm is out of the frame, taking at least 37 versions of this picture and this one is the nicest of the bunch. We were freshly home after traveling in our motorhome all summer and I had just gone back to work. Things are really really good for us right here and I am a very grateful woman in this picture.
2021
This picture looks more Christmas-y than it actually is. I'm still working from home at this time, and I guess I just wanted the cheeriness of a tree with lights a little earlier this usual. This is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and our home was so warm and cozy and clean.
2022
Haha, this still makes me laugh. A Thanksgiving project that Duke worked on at school and honestly, I think my kiddo's heart is in the right place. I commended him for being grateful for people and pets, although I was surprised to see our dog Ralph, who's been gone for a few years now, on the list. But if he values relationships more than anything, I think we're doing okay.
Last year, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house and it was wonderful. Duke had recently learned to use the self-timer on my DSLR and so we have a nice stock of candids of everyone else, while Duke's posed up and grinning away. Here's one where everyone is at least looking.
***
Happy Thanksgiving you guys. I'm so selfishly grateful to live in a time when I can self publish what is basically a journal and call myself a writer because of it. I'm grateful for a son who has low standards and a forgiving heart. Bless him, he's always telling me I'm the best mom ever, and that's all I ever want to be. I'm grateful for Ryan, from whom the forgiving heart comes, and all the good years we've had together. I'm grateful for small luxuries, like fountain diet coke and grocery store sushi. I'm grateful that Target delivers in 2-days and that someone invented libraries. What a great idea.
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