Thanksgiving Day Baking Shenanigans

It’s Thanksgiving morning, and the house smells like a mix of coffee, pumpkin, and the faint aroma of my mandarin candle. Thanksgiving isn’t even my favorite holiday, but I always like to make it special by putting a pause button on my chaotic life and focusing on what matters most….family and food. Yum!

I woke up early enough that it was still dark out, not because I had to or because Monet (my cat) decided I needed to, but because I love having those few quiet moments to myself before the day begins, and if I’m honest, my brain rarely lets me sleep past 5 a.m. these days. I padded into the kitchen in my fuzzy sweatpants, sipping coffee and mentally organizing my cooking schedule. Pumpkin roll started by 10 (since I forgot to do it last night), turkey in by 11, start prepping the sides at 2, dinner on the table by 4-ish (let’s be honest, “ish” is as accurate as it gets). The day starts with so much promise, doesn’t it?

And then reality hits.

But first, let’s back up to last night.

The “New Tradition” Idea That Almost Broke Me

This year, I had a bright idea. A genius idea, really. I decided we needed a family tradition; something we could do every Thanksgiving to make it memorable. Sure, we’ve always done the classic Thanksgiving things: overeating, telling each other we’ll never eat again (then eating pie 20 minutes later), and then vegging out in front of the TV or playing video games on the computer. But this year, I wanted to do more. Something meaningful. Something crafty. Most importantly, something that my kids could look back on and think, “Remember how every Thanksgiving mom always did this with us”. And yes, I realize four of our six children are already grown and out of the house, so I’m a little late in this, but hey, I’m trying my best.

So, naturally, I found myself wandering the aisles of Hobby Lobby the night before Thanksgiving (and one hour before they closed) with my husband who really didn’t want to be there but went anyway because he loves me. Yes, I know, rookie mistake. All of it. I had envisioned us making adorable, holiday paper mâché houses that I saw on Facebook, where each family member decorated one to represent their own little “home.” Cute, right? I had it all planned out: paints, glitter, miniature trees, the works.

But guess what Hobby Lobby didn’t have? Paper mâché houses. Not one. I hunted the store like a woman possessed, eventually finding myself standing in the seasonal aisle, holding a bag of snow and wondering how I’d failed so hard in my vision. I felt defeated.

As I stood in that aisle, feeling defeated about my failed project, it hit me why I wanted to do this: my kids are growing up. Most of them aren’t even going to be here for Thanksgiving, off living their adult lives. When did that happen? One minute, I was stepping on Legos and wiping sticky hands, and now they’re sending me text updates about their lives like I’m the family newsletter subscriber. (Spoiler alert: I am the family newsletter subscriber.)

The Kids Are Growing Up, and I’m…Okay?

But it’s bittersweet, isn’t it? Watching your kids grow into their own lives, knowing you raised them to be independent and strong, but secretly wishing they’d stay little forever. Today, I feel that tug on my heart. I wish they were all here. I wish we were crammed around the table, laughing too loudly, arguing over the last buttered roll, and piling into our game room afterward to watch them play on the Xbox (aka we take a nap).

Our family Thanksgiving over the years has changed so much!

But instead of dwelling on what isn’t, I’m trying to focus on what is. I’m thankful for the moments I do have with them, whether it’s a random text message, a visit home, or a cut-out-every-other-word FaceTime call. I’m thankful for the memories we’ve made and the ones still to come. And honestly, I’m pretty excited about the next chapter of my life. With grandkids already entering the mix and my husband and I inching closer to an empty nest, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Who knows? Maybe this new season of life will include spontaneous road trips, gardening without interruptions (or clothes, yeah I said it babe), and just maybe I will finally figure out how to use the fancy espresso machine we bought years ago so Jamie doesn’t always have to make them for everyone.

Thankfulness in the Chaos

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving morning. The kids who are here are still sleeping, which gives me just enough time to get a head start in the kitchen. There’s something comforting about the rhythm of holiday cooking. I love the chopping, the stirring, and the smell of sage and butter wafting through the air. It’s therapeutic in its own way, like painting on a canvas, except the end result is edible.

Jamie and his pumpkin roll smile

By the time the turkey is in the oven, the house is awake. My husband has already stumbled into the kitchen and kissed me good morning…a small but perfect reminder of everything I have to be thankful for. The kids wander in one by one, scrounging through the pantry hunting for food, but today is a pop-tart day as they “save space” for dinner. Then Mykah and Saige are off to their mom’s for Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s immediately far too quiet for a Thanksgiving day.

But then, just like that, the happy chaos begins. One of my favorite movies, “Little Women” is playing in the background while I cook. All of my kids are calling (thank you for that), my dad is calling, my sister is calling, and everyone is interrupting my day of cooking with sweet words of love for me. But you know what? All this chaos is okay. It’s more than okay…it’s perfect in its own way.

Kira may have been happy to have fewer people fighting over rolls.

As I sit down to eat this beautiful meal with only myself, my husband, and my 11-year-old daughter this year, I look around the table and feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. For my family, for the laughter, for the love. For the messy, imperfect, beautiful life I’ve built together with my husband. For the lives that my older children have built for themselves where they no longer need me the way they used to. For my last baby who still has so much growing up to do. For the silly “Let Me See Your Pumpkin Roll” song that my husband keeps singing…all…day…long. I know I’ll miss these moments one day, but today, I’m here for all of it, the good, the chaotic, and everything in between.

While I had hoped that after dinner, I would pull out the supplies I failed to get from Hobby Lobby, and my family would all come together and make some beautiful creations I realized something even better. The tradition I was searching for was never about the project itself. It was about this: spending time with the people I love and creating something together, even if it’s just a memory. And for that, I am thankful.

And if you’re reading this, I hope you’re finding your own reasons to be thankful today. Because life, in all its chaos and imperfection, is truly something to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Now pass the pumpkin roll.