Memories of Thanksgivings Past

Springfield, Missouri in the year 2001. I was still figuring out how to navigate myself in the entirely alien world of the Midwest. I’d lived in Florida since I was six, so having to wear a coat on a daily basis and use boots for anything other than fashion was still a new concept to me. Having to celebrate Thanksgiving somewhere other than home was an even bigger challenge.

The picture may show a smiling face, but that’s just because I was surrounded by actual, real snow. At that point, it was still a fun novelty. I hadn’t gone to a laundromat in a snowstorm yet and been stuck there for nearly a whole day. I was living in the college dorms and my pastor’s family was kind enough to take me in for the holiday. I don’t remember a lot about the day itself, except for the random fact that it was my first time watching Shrek, and the laughter it brought helped me bond with my new family and survive the first holiday away from my real family. So, thank you, Eddie Murphy!

Ignore the date, gotta love old cameras

Fast forward five years and it’s back to Florida. My first baby, Micah, was exactly six months old on Thanksgiving, and I was so excited to feed him his first real food! That is, until my mother-in-law burst my bubble by telling me she’d been sneak feeding him tidbits for months (insert angry emoji and lots of hand gestures I only used in my head).

The next year, my mom was just as excited for Micah to try her famous green bean casserole. He took a huge bite, made a terrible face, then politely spit it out into his hand and gave it back to mom.

And yes, this picture was definitely taken on the holiday of turkeys, and no, I have no clue why I thought dressing my kid up in a dragon costume on said holiday was a clever idea, but there you go. Micah the Dragon-Slayer.

This picture was taken outside my parent’s house, under the 200 year old oak tree that has watched over all of us growing up. If you look on the left side of the tree, the bat box my brother built when he was about ten is still holding on. I am pretty sure no bats ever used it, but Johnny built it, so there it will stay until it rots off.

This Thanksgiving was in 2008 and I was quite proud that my Mudd jeans, purchased in 2002, still fit and were actually rather loose. Remember Mudd jeans? They were super popular in the early 2000s and I could never find a pair that fit right until that memorable day at a mall in Alabama. I was killing time waiting for my brother’s basketball tournament to start, and there they were. Waiting for me. Flared legs and all. I still have those jeans and I’m going to pass them on to my children.

Okay, back to the subject at hand. Well, actually, that’s all I’ve got about that particular Thanksgiving. Doesn’t my sister, Mary, look beautiful?

This last picture was taken in the not so distant past of 2010. Micah man was four years old, and already a convert of old-man sandals. He actually owns an identical pair today. Pumpkin patching is a favorite past-time of ours, and so is eating the kettle corn usually sold alongside the weird looking gourds and squash. That’s the main reason he’s smiling- I told him this was the last picture before we got our treat. I loved these times with Micah; it was just him and I exploring our little town, ruining our appetite for dinner by eating our weight in kettle corn.

There you have it. Four Thanksgivings and each one full of things for which I am grateful. Have a wonderful holiday weekend and check out these amazingly delicious recipes for Apple Stuffing and Chocolate Pecan Pie.