We had a lovely Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. The weekend
weather was probably the best I have seen it in months and years…totally gorgeous.
We left for Ottawa on Sunday and came back for dinner on
Monday night. We spent the weekend at the Chez Vetos with my Mom too and it was
as usual wonderful. For years we have all done two family get together a year
together and about 5 yrs. ago added on Thanksgiving weekend to spend as a
family together. I love that we celebrate an occasion together-that is very special
to me.
And we have created our little traditions too that seem
to build on themselves! The carving of the turkey with my uncle and middle son
(well sometimes participates or carfefully watches)….the Italian toast bc of
the big table….the hot tub under the leaves in the afternoon…always a hike, or
run or long walk in the forest with the kids on the Monday. Love it. The pumpkins
pie and the leftover turkey for sandwiches with cranberry the next day.
Today was a beautiful walk in a nuttree field by the water with snakes and leaves and lookouts and toads. Chase had a photography project due for school and so Uncle Chez Veto worked with him through the fields and helped him to take some amazing pictures. He learnt about light and focus and settings.
It’s just all so beautiful and I love the relationships
our kids have together even though there is 12 yrs. difference between their oldest
daughter and my youngest daughter. They all hang out and it is very cool. I can
totally imagine it in a few years my boys joining in and helping themselves to
a cold beer with their cousins…….I can see it now,. I love that we are so close
as an extended family.
And we really all make an effort to stay this close-it
has been years that we are spending time together every year for many weekends.
We all treasure it so much that we carve out the time, put other things aside,
the adult kids take time off from their work (unpaid!). Rooms get unpainted….bills
unpaid…..dishes pile up…there are many choices we consciously make to ensure
that these weekends happen. And for that we are grateful. That we all feel this
wanting to be together.
 |
| The girl cousins:) I am missing a picture of my amazing boy cousin as it is on my Uncle's camera!!!!! |
We got home tonight and did a mad rush between 6-9pm to
get homework done, papers signed, preparation for the work week, hair washed
and laundry sorted. We did two hours of work in our basement late at night as
we are having all three kids rooms pained this week. We finally sat down to
dinner at 9pm and quickly went around the table as we always do on Thanksgiving
Monday (grace and more formal thanksgiving prayers in larger group Sunday) and
we said “What are you most grateful for-as we always ask each Thanksgiving.
Even though all of us were exhausted, out of breath and
running from the homework and basement cleaning etc..We all agreed somewhere in
our gratefulness that that we are blessed with our extended family. With Chez
Vetos and my Mom with us. That we loved spending time together and that we were
proud of all of us for making this a big priority in our lives. As Beauty said “It’s
just really good”
Yes it is. Totally agree.
And this year not only did we have each other to celebrate
but the health of a man we all adore. That his heart was fixed and on the mend.
And in my books there is nothing..nothing that even comes close to the blessing
of health.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
 |
| Hubby and I on our Saturday Thanksgiving walk alone at Parc Nature in the sun. We often talk about how blessed we are in our lives to have people love our family the way they do. What a gift. to know that your children are so loved by |
