Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving will be here in just a couple of weeks. I can't wait. Our Thanksgiving looks like this:

We get together with the Weavers on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving. We have deep fried turkey and all the sides. After we stuff ourselves full we sat in a circle and take turns saying what we are thankful for. Yes we are a family who really does this. Of course we are all bawling by the time we finish. Actually we are normally crying after only 1 to 3 people have shared. It's nice.

Then there is Thursday. I get up early and with puppies in tow head to my grandmothers, where my family gets together. We have chicken and dumplings. Mmmm. This is my absolute favorite. Andrew refuses to eat them on Thanksgiving just because they are so special to us. He says we completely ignore the turkey which is so not true. My Daddy makes a most delicious turkey every year. I miss getting to wake up at their house to the smell of turkey. We just love our dumplings too.

Notice I said I go with the puppies. I didn't mention Andrew because he no longer goes with me. Why? He goes to Best Buy around noon and sets up camp. My hubby is one of those people who camp outside of Best Buy every year for the sales Friday morning. He does this even if there isn't nothing we need. He'll find something. He already has a shopping list for this year though. :) :) Does this bother me? No. For us, it isn't a fight worth fighting. He went with me to my grandmothers the first couple of years of our marriage, but he always wanted to leave much earlier than I did. That upset me more than him just not going. At some point in the evening his older brother, Cary, their nephews Tyler & Cody and our friend Sinclair join them. They sit around and talk and normally play football. Last year they even made their way onto two different news reports - pretty cool.

We also celebrate birthdays at both of these events. We celebrate Joy & Alex's with the Weaver's and my mom's at my grandmother's.


With all of that being said, what are your Thanksgiving traditions? What is your favorite tradition or favorite Thanksgiving food?