How quickly the holiday came and went! After dating my boyfriend for almost five years I decided to spend this Thanksgiving with his family. The idea of attending has been quite daunting all these years because his holiday is not celebrated as a casual engagement at maybe an aunt's or grandmother's house, but a full blown family reunion. To accommodate everyone, an entire camp is rented out in Jacksonville, FL, a tradition which has been going on the last 22 years! It's obvious I was nervous, but after the six hour drive and the initial shock of meeting everyone . . . it was actually quite lovely. All seven of boyfriend's aunts and uncles were in attendance along with their families. Thanksgiving was celebrated, along with a christmas gift exchange, a bonfire, parents were remembered, and traditions were kept. Now that its over I am so happy I was able to meet boyfriend's family and see him with them; hanging out with his cousins, going to mass, chatting with his aunts and uncles. I saw a different side of him. As lovely as he always is, seeing him with his family has somehow made me adore him even more. There were so many highlights from the weekend but here are a couple that immediately come to mind . . .
1. Uncle Tony cooking
3. The terror I felt when everyone started playing games.
4. Ballet talk with Mary Catherine
6. The three "new girls" participation in the Christmas skit.
7. A baby announcement! Congratulations Tim and Audrey!
9. Pumpkin Ice Cream
10. Spanish Moss
