Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving week was a little different this year. The global pandemic is raging in Utah. We were certainly concerned about what that meant for spending time with family during the Thanksgiving holiday. We felt anxious about gathering together as this poses a risk for spreading COVID-19. To allay these concerns members of Alison's family decided to get tested. The weekend before Thanksgiving we all obtained a COVID test. We all tested negative. We knew this wasn't foolproof, but it gave us a level of comfort as we headed into Thanksgiving week. 

Blake's Birthday

On Monday we gathered together to celebrate Blake's 60th birthday. Debbie spent months planning a special surprise for him. She originally planned for us to celebrate the weekend before Thanksgiving, however due to the Governor's health order we pushed it back a few days to be in compliance with the COVID restrictions. Debbie coordinated a family dinner at Ruth's Chris. She rented a private room. It was a surprise party so the rest of us arrived before Blake and Debbie. As they entered we yelled surprise, and Blake was surprised. This was such a fun party. We hadn't seen anyone else in Alison's family for a couple of weeks. It was fun to catch up, eat delicious food, and celebrate Blake. 

After dinner Alison and I drove Skylee home. We enjoyed talking to her and listening to her favorite Taylor Swift songs. As we pulled up to her house she noticed that her ring was missing. She immediately broke down crying. This was a special ring she got in Jackson that matches her mom's ring. She was so distressed, it was heartbreaking. I immediately called the restaurant and miraculously they were able to find the ring. I was thrilled to give the news to Skylee. She immediately flipped from distress to all smiles. Alison and I went the next day and picked up the ring and gave it back to Skylee. All was right with the world. 

This dinner was so much fun. we didn't know at the time but this would really be our only shot to celebrate together during Thanksgiving week. It was a highlight of the week. We are grateful to be part of a truly amazing family. 

PieGiving Day

This year Alison wanted to learn to make delicious pies. She signed us up for a virtual pie making class through Harmons Grocery. We picked up all of the ingredients on Tuesday and participated in a zoom class on Wednesday night. We made four pies - a classic pumpkin, a scrumptious pumpkin, a lemon meringue, and an apple pie. This class was great. Our instructor, Chef Freyka, was very knowledgable. She moved fast, and at the end of two and a half hour we had three completed pies. We could have had four, but the apple they made during the class was a freeform apple pie, and we wanted to make ours in a pie dish with a lattice top. We waited to finish until after the class was over. We wore masks while we were cooking because we were sharing these pies with Alison's family in a food exchange on Thanksgiving day. 

We learned a lot from this class. The pies turned out great. They looked good and tasted even better. This class gave us a good foundation for our future pie making endeavors. 

Thanksgiving

We were planning to spend Thanksgiving at the Nielson family cabin. As with many of our plans in 2020 things changed abruptly. Early in the week a member of Alison's family was exposed to COVID-19 and there was a possibility we were exposed. As a result we changed out plans and kept our Thanksgiving small. Alison and I celebrated Thanksgiving together at home. While we missed spending time with family we felt it was important to err on the side of caution. The messaging has been the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.

While we would have never chosen to celebrate Thanksgiving on our own, we embraced it and had a Thanksgiving we won't soon forget. We found out early Wednesday morning we wouldn't be able to celebrate the with family. We pivoted and began planning for our Thanksgiving. I ran to the store and bought a few things, which were fortunately available last minute. This ended up not being necessary because we coordinated a food exchange with Alison's family. Still we decided to make some of our favorite Thanksgiving foods anyway. I made the stuffing my mom would make every year for Thanksgiving. It is easily my favorite stuffing. I also baked a turkey. I slow-roasted it over night. I was a labor of love and it turned out to be moist and flavorful. Alison nailed a copy cat Ruth's Chris sweet potato casserole. She also made one of her best batches of rolls ever. We also enjoyed a side of bacon wrapped green beans, as well as mashed potatoes, gravy and sugar salads from the food exchange. All in all we had a bountiful feast. We really enjoyed making so much delicious food. 

Skylee made us name tents. She is so thoughtful.

After dinner we went for an entirely too cold walk around our neighborhood and then came home and watched Christmas movies. All in all it was a most delightful Thanksgiving. 

It is good on Thanksgiving to pause for a moment to give thanks. There are a great many things for which I am grateful. I am grateful Alison. I am grateful for Tex. I am grateful for CC. I am grateful for our home. I am grateful for my job. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for so many other things.

Today in particular I am grateful for 2020. In many ways it has been a trying year. As Alison and I walked we reflected on the day, and that reflection expanded to a reflection on many of the events of this year. While we would not have chosen many of the experiences we had this year, we are grateful for them. We spent more time with family. We visited new places we otherwise would not have visited. We learned to be more flexible/adaptable. Alison and I have spent more time together this year, than perhaps any year before. We also have spent many precious extra hours with Tex and CC. 2020 will be a year I will never forget. While this year has brought many challenges it has also brought opportunities and for those I am grateful.