Thanksgiving….

I need a Turkey Trot or something. There is so much good food to be eaten and I think I will enjoy it SO much more if I get a workout in before hand. The Hubs is out on one of his mountain biking adventures and when he gets back I’ll head out for a short run. Last night LB actually rode his bike beside me as I ran! He was a little bit slower than  I would have liked but it is a start! I am pretty excited for him to get a little stronger so that he can go faster than a 10 min pace. I will say I was sub 8 at times keeping up with him on long declines! It was a good interval workout: fast, slow, slower, fast, slow, fast, slower……now if only he could ride 10 miles or more!

**Begin Random Thanksgiving Chatter**

Yesterday was spent in the kitchen baking pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cranberry sauce, green beans and wheat berry salad. My house smelled delicious! I love Thanksgiving! I love the smells in the house and the buzz about the room when the turkey is almost done!

Before I grew up and moved away Thanksgiving was always spent with family. My first Thanksgiving away from home I was living in Monterey, CA. My first roommate from college was living in Hollywood so I jumped in my car and drove the nearly 6 hours down Highway 1 to spend the holiday with her. She was the closest thing I had to family within 1500 miles. I was thrilled to spend the day with her. We went to a restaurant and I can’t even tell you what kind it was, other than it was pretty good.  I remember the feeling of missing my family and I know Annie was missing hers too. But we had each other. I have found, over the years since that first Thanksgiving away from home, that Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to spend with friends who stand in as family when you need them. Being a military family we learn to make nice, I mean make friends and care for them as if they are family. I have come to enjoy the holidays that I get to spend with my friends, those who are usually in the same situation, away from their own families.

Today we are going to Breaking Pace’s house.  I remember the first Thanksgiving we spent here in NC. I believe her husband came to our house for that holiday. This was in 2004 and I had just found out I was expecting LB. We had about 10 people, all family-less, sharing the occasion with us. I think it is pretty cool that now we are going to their house to celebrate.  And lets face it, if you be home then be the next best place: with good friends!

I have a lot to be thankful for over the last year. I also have a lot to try to keep in a positive perspective, the negative things. The things that I don’t understand and ask Why? about. The things that scare me or make me sad.  There are a lot of emotions for me around this time of year…and I have to focus on the good things and be thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day! And take a few minutes to reflect on what you are thankful for! And if you can, hit the road for a pre or post turkey trot or turkey walk or turkey bike ride or turkey snow shoeing (for my friends in the PNW!!)!

 

Gobble gobble gobble!!