Thankful XXIII

My big, happy family.

Part of me felt like I should save this one until tomorrow when I get to see all of them but ya know what - I'm excited about it today. Tomorrow morning Ross and I will throw Lexi into the car and hit SH 290 east to Houston. We'll be Thanksgiving dinner bound. There will be fifteen Lowe family members there to greet us, fight over green bean casserole with and squeeze in next to at the dinner table(s). And if I know us, there will be almost as many dogs in the yard as people in the house.

Lowe Family Thanksgiving, 2007

Having always had big boisterous family holidays, they are the only way for me. Growing up there were eight grandkids within ten years of each other - that's a lot of toys, coloring books and Popsicles. Recently we upgraded to nine grandkids which means we're back to having a kiddo at holidays. (Hurray! Holidays really are all about kids after all.)

I love smooshing everyone into the same house, dressing up card tables with fancy tablecloths, having a smorgasbord of over-sized family-famous dishes and seeing which uncle gets relegated to the Kids' Table this year (my bet is on Larry). The ever-consistent menu, football in the background and declaration of "whoever eats the fastest gets the mostest" is what I look forward to every year.

Right now my designated contribution of "a chocolate something" is baking in the oven and I'm starting to feel pretty darn Thanksgiving-y. I can't wait to see my parents, Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins all squeezed around the table tomorrow.