"Can I have pie yet?"

That is always the famous question from Cooper on Thanksgiving! Ha!  I'm sure I'm not the only mom that has heard this one before.  We have a rule that you have to eat everything on your plate in order to have dessert.  We ate buffet style at my cousin Bill's house and each of my boys made their own plate of food.  Cooper's plate consisted of 2 rolls, a handful of olives, a couple of pickles, and a scoop of mashed potatoes.  He ate it all and asked "I ate all my food.  Can I have pie yet?" Uh... nice try Coop!  I think next year we'll change the rule to 2 plates!!  Ha!Ha!  

Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday for my side of the family.  For the last couple of years it has been bitter sweet for us but this year had a little special meaning for us.  My cousin Bill and his wife hosted dinner in honor of his dad, my Uncle Roy.  My mom's brother Roy passed away a couple of years ago from cancer.  He was the glue of the family.  He didn't care what excuse you had, you had better show up at Thanksgiving dinner no matter what!  Back in the 70's he had started to build a house and never finished it for some reason or another.  It had been left abandoned for years and right before Roy passed away Bill and Roy would go and putter around it.  We all thought it was better off being dozed it, but when my uncle died Bill decided he was going to finish the house for his dad.  Except for a few minor cosmetic things, the house was finished this year just in time for Thanksgiving.  After all this time, the original wall ovens still worked!! :)

My cousin Wendy's death holds heavy on our hearts this time of year too as we lost her the day after Thanksgiving.  I try not to mourn her loss during such a glorious time but celebrate her life.  We have come together to be thankful and appreciative.  I used to pick on Wendy because she despised Black Friday.  She was the store manager at Macy's Department store and dreaded the "biggest shopping day of the year".  We always bickered about it.  Yes, I am one of those fools who is in line and waiting 1 hour before the stores open.  She would have her retail names for me and such.  She passed away on Black Friday just about the time I would've been walking into the stores!  But instead that year I was in Virginia with the rest of our family at her bedside.  I chuckle every time I think about her watching over me while I'm standing in line with my flyer in hand freezing my butt off.  I can only imagine what she's saying to me but I simply look up and give a wave with my flyer and smile.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We all have a lot to be thankful for.