Being Thankful

"It is not happy people who are thankful - it is thankful people who are happy."

This year we added a new Thanksgiving tradition to our already-stuffed day - The Minneapolis Turkey Day 5K. We couldn't have picked a better year to start it; the weather was gorgeous. We trotted for 32 minutes, dodging in and out of strollers, dogs and fellow runners/walkers. We ran with my dear friend Kerin and her family and celebrated Mike & Kerin's first official race. Of course the celebration called for a post-trot Caribou. 

We are lucky that our family traditions do not overlap too much as we celebrate over lunch with Mike's family and dinner with mine. We have a feeling at some point we won't be so lucky so we are going to enjoy it as long as we can! 

Lunch is always served at half-time of the first football game - timing that is everything but coincidence. 

Mike always has his place set up for him outside on the front lawn. This year, however, Bob. was naughty in a family email exchange and therefore was set up outside, too. I was sitting in the kitchen when Mike's aunt got a call from the neighbor across the street asking what whoever was sitting outside did to deserve that. It happens every year and it never seems to get old...

We continued the Rohde tradition of playing a little cousin football. You know it's a perfect Thanksgiving day when we are outside in t-shirts. My team won this year, by the way. No big deal, though.  

Our day kept getting better and we headed to Medina for a very different but equally great celebration with my family. I only have two cousins so it's a much smaller crowd but now that we are all older, my mom trusts us enough to bring out the beautiful china. The table is set so nicely - it is one of my favorite aspects of my family holidays. 

Marcia (my dad's mom) who lives in Florida, came back to Minnesota with us. 

It was her first time meeting her first great-grandchild. She seemed to enjoy it.

Cousin Max playing with "the turkey". 

Pumpkin spice muffins my sister made - a must continue tradition! 

Let the countdown to Christmas begin...

Let us live each day with the spirit of Thanksgiving so that our gratitude for all of whom and which we are thankful does not go unknown and without celebration.