Thanksgiving and Change

It's hard to believe another Thanksgiving is here and gone. It was a relatively low-key Thanksgiving with my immediate family and one of my aunts, her husband and my two cousins. My aunt and uncle hosted this year and did a wonderful job cooking the turkey and the traditional side dishes to go along.

Cheers! (That's not my beer. Ha!)

I love corn souffle! I wasn't very hungry when it was finally time to eat. Not sure why. I wished I was hungry for more!

While Thanksgiving dinner was being prepared, my parents attempted to get a "Kaliher Kid" annual Christmas card picture. It's never easy. It never has been. I don't understand why. So, I have to post one of the outtakes.

We ended up taking a break and did some more later, and actually got some good shots. We'll see if they end up being used or not. While we were outside taking pictures, Jack found a spot to watch the action from. I love this dog although he has the personality of a wet mop!

This is my dad and Jilly. It's really precious, in my opinion, how protective my dad is of these two dogs. We were outside taking pictures near a lake and he was so distracted making sure the dogs weren't jumping into the lake.

The first night we were in Orlando, Korinne and I made our regular trip to Jeremiah's Italian ice. My sister will keep nagging giving friendly reminders about going every time we're in Orlando. So, we go. And everything is perfect in her world at that moment. It really is good, I must admit! I wish we had one where I live!

We played one of my favorite games both nights we were there. It's called Tripoley. So much fun! I won the first night and my mom won the second night!

(That's not my beer again! Haha.)

I always request my uncle's popcorn when we visit and he never hesitates to make it. It's SO good!

I can't help but focus on change when the holidays are here. It seems that I focus on two kinds of change, change that I desire, and change that has made things forever different. This is the 6th year of holidays without my grandparents. Obviously, that's the main reason for change. When they were alive and well, Thanksgiving and Christmas were big holidays spent at their house. They have been gone for some time now but the sting of their absence is felt every year, every holiday. I am SO thankful for having a family to celebrate the holidays with but it's just not the same as when all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were there. I know "it is what it is" but I still long for it to be the way it was!

So, with the change that has made things forever different, brings the desire for a different kind of change. I can't help but be excited for the future and what it holds. A future that involves finding an amazing guy to marry and eventually start a family with. A future that involves having a family to call my own. A future that includes children who will cause certain traditions to be restored. A future where my parents are the grandparents who are the "glue" of the family, like my own grandparents were. I can't wait. I'm ready. {God, are you reading this?? :)}

I must say though, that I am THANKFUL for these years, as awkward as they can sometimes be. I may not be currently dating, or be married, or be pregnant, or have children..........BUT I have great friends to travel and see the world with, a job I can fully focus on, and complete independence and freedom! In 2011, I've been to CT and NYC for a long weekend get-away, Colorado to go skiing, Cozumel and The Grand Cayman Islands on a cruise, Alabama to see a longtime friend, North Carolina to see the fall season, and am going back in three weeks to ski again and see the Biltmore Estate. I definitely live a blessed life and am SO thankful.