Thanksgiving at the Ross house!

A few interesting observations hit me pretty hard while we were at my parents for Thanksgiving. Of course the pictures say it all so here we go with the first one. Bailey! As kids, it was sort of a right of passage when you got to be taller than Grandma Abbott. Since Grandma was only about 5'2'' or so, this was not a hard feat for most of us in the family. Now I see that the right of passage continues with my mom (my mom is about 5'4'' I think). Bailey is almost there. First of all I can't believe that I have a niece that is nearly 11 years old in our family. Its a little different with Brent's niece because I wasn't around when she was born but with Bailey the anticipation of the first Ross Grandchild was paramount, as each new child always is! Now that she is getting older I want to go back to the days when she was just learning to walk and talk. Hmm...The good old days, I miss my Grandma and Grandpa Abbott.


The second thing I noticed was that having a loud noisy family, with a crowded kitchen and house means more to me that I ever thought. Having moved to San Diego a few years ago was very frighting but I got through it. I constantly miss my family but I think my family means more to me now than they did before. I really think I took advantage of having them so close. As I sat around and observed the goings on, I got really teary eyed just thinking about how much each member means to me.


The third observation goes hand in hand with the second. Anita! My sister is so amazing to me. At any one moment she can take on all the grand kids with love and patience. Before we moved I hadn't really understood the relationship she has with each of the kids. Now after being away I admire and am slightly envious of that. Sometimes when Emma is really upset and it seems like there is nothing I can do to get her settled, we call Anita. After the call (it's usually right before bed) she goes down and sleeps so well. I often think of her as my life line, or like the old saying goes, reach out and touch someone. I am so grateful that she is the one that we can reach out and touch.


Observation four. The kids all piled on Aunt Nini's bed watching movies. This is a standard. They can go for hours up there. I guess to an outsider this seems like a silly thing to make as an observation but to me this just makes me smile and think about tradition. I know watching tv shouldn't be a tradition but on Thanksgiving at our house it's always been. From watching the parade to watching James Bond marathons, the tv is on during at least some part of Thanksgiving. And yes we have sat there for hours watching Bond movie after Bond movie before.


Observation five. Dad and Brent playing in sawdust. No matter when it is, during the middle of the winter or the middle of the summer, (granted the middle of the winter in Vegas is mild) Dad and Brent can be found in the garage "playing with the sawdust and just like the picture shows, it's obvious that they enjoy it. Usually Curtis is out there with them but for some reason I didn't get him in on the act. To tell you the truth, I love that my dad and my husband get along so well. I also love how dirty my Dad's face is in this picture. It show's what a true woodturner he is! Sometimes I go out and neither of them are talking with the other but there is such a feeling of male bonding that it makes me overwhelmed with the love I feel, which at that moment isn't even directed at me! Amazing how we are able to find love everywhere.


Obsevation number six. No matter which time we get together there is always an inside joke going on. This time it was a kids coloring page that showed something very innocent but the way they had it positioned showed something very not innocent that as adults we all thought was funny. I seem to recall another little joke about Mentholatum! (Sorry, had to be there.)


This is the last observation made from our Thanksgiving weekend. Whenever Mom cooks (or we cook Mom's receipe's) the crowds pile in. Is it because we all have grown up on that food? Is it because we don't want to cook for ourselves and take the opportunity to let Mom cook for us? Is it that there is something nastalgic about sitting down to the dinner table together about to partake of something we remember as kids? I think the answer to all of those questions is yes but I think most of all we just enjoy being together. No I don't think Mom has any magic ingredient, however jalepeno's in the meatloaf is something that I don't know of anyone else ever doing, but I do think that the kitchen is the gathering place in our home and when there is good food and great family around, the mood is usually pretty upbeat.

This is really the last observation I guess. I love going home. I know there are always little misunderstandings where someone gets left out or something happens that was an accident. I know that at times this sibling is having a hard time with that sibling or whatever the case may be but I hope and pray that we can put that to the side and not get our feelings hurt. I hope and pray that we can open up with especially our family and let them know our true feelings for one another. Sometimes it is hard to understand how someone can be so different when they have been raised the same as you were but isn't that how the Lord made us? Different? So to end my observations, I have to just say this last thing. I love and cherish my family so much. I really think I appreciate them more now than before, having lived farther and I know that I whatever squabbles I have with anyone of them, I can go and talk it out and get it resolved. I pray that each one of my family members feel the same way about me. I love you guys! (Sorry this was a long post)