As I get older, the magic of the holidays seem to lose it's luster. Fortunately, witnessing it through Vanessa's eyes gives me a larger sense of what it all means. I can leave the turkey. I can leave the cold (I'm a lover of summer). And as someone with a huge sweet tooth, I can even leave the pies. Well, maybe I won't leave the pies.
But understanding what the holidays mean to Vanessa, reinforces how important it is for me to help create these memories for her. I know that one day when she's older, she can look back and tell stories about her Thanksgivings the same way me and my brother were sharing ours this weekend - if you ever have a moment, I'll tell you the story when my dad threw our movie projector out on the street into a million pieces while the family watched in amazement from our living room window.
Here are some of the new memories we made this weekend.
This was our view during dinner. We went to my Aunt and Uncles trailer at Collins Lake and ate outside next to a warm fire, probably the most relaxing Thanksgiving we ever had.
My brother, Aunt and Vanessa warming up to the fire.
My cousin Aaron playing the guitar as we sat with full tummy's.
The next night we drove to Grass Valley for their Cornish Christmas, something we did once with my dad and mom when Vanessa was a baby. We headed to this wonderful Italian restaurant, Cirino's. Our meal was so wonderful that my brother ended up sweating from all the pasta. The owner relates all his dishes to a family memory - What a wonderful way to appreciate your blessings.
We always like to end the night sitting with a hot cocoa. Caroline's Coffee Roasters stays open late for this special night, leaving us much time to sit around the table laughing and sharing memories of the day.
I am blessed for sure and I will always be grateful for what has been given to me. Even if Thanksgiving isn't my favorite holiday, it has definitely supplied me with many memories. Memories that will always be with me.
