Holiday Traditions

With Thanksgiving just around the corner

(I know can you even believe it),

I started thinking about theThanksgiving meal

I was going to prepare, and I couldn't help but

 reminisce about the "Days Gone Bye" and how much our

 family Holiday Traditions have changed over the years.

I come from a large family. My parents had 8 children.
I'm the third youngest and the baby girl.

I remember growing up everyone would gather at my

parent's house for the Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.

It was always a large gathering once my older siblings
got married and started their own families.

After I married and started our little family
we would divide our time between our parents homes
on Thanksgiving day.
A couple years after our Son was born
we moved 600 miles away from families and friends.
For years, each November, we would travel the distance and spend
2 weeks to celebrate Thanksmas (Thanksgiving & Christmas) with our families.
My Dad and Mother-In-Law have since passed away,
and our Son got married and started his own family.
 Now we rotate our holidays between our Daughter-In-Law's families.

Last year was my turn to host the Thanksgiving dinner.
Our first grandchild was born right before Thanksgiving.
 Instead of having our Son and DIL come

to our home for the Thanksgiving meal, I prepared

the meal at home and carted it off to our Son's house.
My Father-In-Law flew in to meet his first Great Grandchild
and to spend Thanksgiving with us.

This year I will not be hosting Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day,
instead we will be celebrating a week later because there is NO WAY
our Son was going to miss out on his Mom's traditional Thanksgiving meal.
On the years I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner, I would still make a Thanksgiving
meal just for Hubby and myself, but this year for the first time EVER,
we will be going to one of our favorite restaurants to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.

Although our family traditional holidays have changed over the years,
there are still parts of the holiday traditions that never change.
One of those lasting traditions is having a
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
on Thanksgiving.

While thinking about our Thanksgiving meal I started to crave
a pumpkin pie. Nothing was going to mask that craving except
a homemade Traditional Pumpkin Pie.
So I broke down and made one.
I started with the crust and decorated the edges with little
leaf and pumpkin cutouts.

After the crust was completed it was time for the wonderful filling.

When it was done baking I added a few more decorative leaves
and pumpkins on the top.

The whole house was filled with the wonderful aromas of this
pumpkin pie baking. Hubby and I couldn't wait for this pie
to cool so we could enjoy a slice.

Each slice was topped with freshly made whipped cream
and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice.
Oh, YUM!

As our children grow and start their own families,
and we lose loved ones along the way,

it's harder to get everyone together to gather around

to share the traditional holiday gatherings.
But we learn to adapt and start new family holiday traditions.
Whether you stay close to home, or travel afar for your family
holiday traditions, cherish each and every moment because
time truly changes all things.

Have a Blessed and Safe Thanksgiving.

Until Next Time,
Veronica