The First Thanskgiving

For our little family, this was the Thanksgiving of "firsts", and I anticipated it to be miserable.

I couldn't dream of a holiday away from home.  I completely expected to feel my heart aching with each empty moment.  We are used to four family Thanksgiving gatherings.  Not, none. We are normally exhausted, and FULL, and so happy and loved that our hearts could burst.  It's madness, but it's what we do.  And this year would be different.  Different is scary.

We decided quite some time ago that we would go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We're here aren't we?  It would be silly not to go.  I anticipated the parade to be mayhem.  We wouldn't find a place to park, or parking would cost $300. We would have to walk 3 miles or more (uphill, both ways, with bricks...). The crowds would be too big.  The weather would be too cold AND too wet.  The kids would get trampled...the list goes on.  Too many unknowns and risks.  Risks are scary. So are unknowns.

I would surely destroy the turkey and we would be eating Kentucky Fried Chicken alongside our pumpkin pie.  Not enough room in the oven to ensure that all the food would come out together.  Believe it or not, the Bed, Bath, and Beyond on Long Island DOES NOT sell electric roasters.  Seriously? I would burn the pine nuts for the brussels sprouts (that actually happened). I had one shot to pull off a perfect Thanksgiving dinner all on my own.  Falling short of perfection...scary.

So, here is a comprehensive list of our firsts and the truths of how they all played out.  Different, risky, and perfect all at the same time.

1. The first time that we weren't in Canton to spend time with our families... 

But we had FaceTime at the ready.  We made a virtual appearance at two family gatherings.  We said our hellos, sent our love, and saw all the smiling faces that we needed to make us feel "at home". At the same time we made some new memories, in sweat pants!  

2. The first Native American Pow-Wow performed by preschoolers... 

Amelia didn't have many fans.  Sadly, Daddy couldn't get away from work, and everyone else was too far away.  But, she was beaming ear to ear as she performed for her two biggest fans: Mommy and Audrey.  

3. The first (and only) trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

We drove into NYC.  No traffic. $20 to park.  Took a nice 15 minute walk through Central Park and had an amazing view of the most famous parade in the country. (An aside, we owe a huge THANK YOU to the Maier family who gave us all the scoop about how to make this happen! They were spot on!)

4.  The first time we ate McDonald's, and nothing else, on Thanksgiving Day. 

(Don't worry, we had a proper Thanksgiving meal on Saturday.) 

We had no idea what time we would be home from the city so we didn't plan any fancy food on Thursday.  We drove through McDonald's and had dinner on the couch while we re-watched the parade. 

5.  The first time I spent Black Friday in Brooklyn with this girl. 
As it turns out, a lot of people come to NYC for all sorts of reasons.  For us that means that we get unexpected QT with life long friends. :)

6. The first year that I attempted a turkey all on my own. 

Not too shabby! It cooked faster than expected, and, as you can see, was a little uneven on the top. But, I DID IT! And I did everything else too! 

6.  Finally, the first Thanksgiving with our British neighbors who came up to help us eat our traditional American Thanksgiving Feast. 

"Thankful" at its finest.  Our new neighbors have two little girls (ages 5 and (almost) 3). They fit into our lives perfectly. The holes in our hearts that have been left after moving away from our nearest and dearest are starting to fill back up as we build new friendships.  

Here is the parade, as documented by Nathan.  I think he did a better job than NBC. :)

Different, risky, and perfect.  Everything turned out just fine.  And, just like any other year,  we have even more for which to be thankful. :)