Me and the Hubster.... Surviving ThanksgivingThanksgiving is always a touchy event in my family. It's the one holiday where we blend my family and my husbands for a mix that is often caustic.
My parents are extremely conservative in the in your face Rush Limbaugh sort of way. Which is great when it's just us, 'cause I like Rush, only my dad likes to drink... alot, so he doesn't quite always remember that I threaten to disown him each year if he talks about politics on Thanksgiving.
My husbands folks are LIBERALS. Which is a dirty word in our house 364 days a year. All except Thanksgiving when we KEEP OUR MOUTHS SHUT!
Add to the mix my "odd" brother who just likes to argue with EVERYone's point of view (and is usually stoned) and my male cat with the "girly meow" that we named Ralph Nader ('cause he's just so off) and we have The kind of Holiday movies are made of.
This year. Things went surprisingly well. I don't know if it was prayer, or my threats that finally worked, but everyone was pretty well behaved!
My brother DID show up in a vintage brown velvet 3 piece suit (and looked a little bit like he belonged in the cast of Boogie Nights).
My dad DID bring several bottles of wine.
My in laws DID spontaneously burst into song at the dinner table (that alone is a MAJOR strike against them... a couple that spontaneously sings loud songs at the dinner table with guests??? Hello, am I the only one who thinks this is odd?). The song WAS about burning the White House down. (I was praying so hard that my dad wouldn't loose it that I think I slipped into tongues). But he didn't (thanks to the wine, I think he was too far gone into his "happy place" to care).
My oldest daughter when asked by my in laws about boyfriends loudly proclaimed (I'm saving my heart for Jesus). YEAH! Then when my in laws started talking about needing luck, she said, "you don't need luck, you need Jesus!" Preach it sister! This momma is proud. Then as we went around the table sharing what she was thankful for she said, "that we can worship Christ freely in this country". YES YES YES! My 5 year old son said he was thankful for his girlfriend (I guess you can't win them all ).
The night ended on a positive note. And that my friends, is what I am thankful for! Only the power of prayer can make an evening go so well with a drunk redneck republican, two mega Liberal wiccans, a stoned young man who looks like a 70's porn star, a Jesus preachin' 11 year old girl, and a gay cat named Nader. God is good!
Here's my Bro. I love him in all of his 70's splendor! This picture pretty much says it all when it comes to his personality!
25 comments:
Ah, family! Some are like armpits. We all have them and sometimes they stink.
:-)
I'm so glad you had a peaceful thanksgiving!!!
I think we must be long lost cousins! I have about the same dynamics going on in my family! Keeps me on my toes! Glad you had a good one this year!
Thank you Jesus for things ending on a good note. Now you can live in peace for 364 days before next year, huh?
I love it! You should write a movie script! We've shared a few Thanksgivings that the air was so crisp if anyone took a breath it would all cascade down. Heck, we shoulda threw some wine in and got to what everyone really thinks....:)
I'm so glad this Thanksgiving went so well!
Your daughter rocks!
Your summation paragraph has me rolling. You forgot to add yourself in there, the Beauty Queen. I love the photo. I LOVE your dark hair. You're gorgeous.
I think your oldest girl is more like you than you realize. Or do you realize that and it scares you? she's a strong willed little woman and when channeled, she'll be a powerful ambassador for Him. Seriously.
I'd take that moxi!
Oh, and love the pics. But since you both weren't in jail like JIM and ME....it's not quite as redneck.
your bro's picture slam dunks ours. The velvet suit did us in.
Oh to have been a fly on the wall at your house!!
I'm glad it all went well, even with the singing :-)
You are one very funny lady! And gorgeous looking too!
You had me in stitches.... I wish I had been there!
You are a gifted writer girlfriend, so descriptive I felt like I was there! Going along with your previous comment, "Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts". BTW your brothers suit is the bomb! Lol
Oh.my.word. ROFLOL!!!
This is hilarious...and honestly it sounds like my house on Thanksgiving most years. Only it's my uncle who is gay...not the cat. ;)
It DOES sound like the stuff of movies! You bro would fit in so well in my area! I am sure that it is stressful for you, but I just had to laugh while reading your post. It was witty and gritty all at the same time! Thank God for the power of prayer and a big sense of humour, eh? I think you have an 11 year old evangelist on your hands. I was starting to feel so much more inferior in my Christian parenting skills until you mentioned that your 5 year old was thankful for his girlfriend. That made me feel better. That is a great pic of you and hubby. You are beautiful!
Looks like you had a great thanksgiving in spite of the family blend! LOL That is sooo how family is!
oh you kill me. i'm laughing so hard i think i'll count it as my ab exercise today. love it. love it all. even ralph the cat.
I LOVE THIS! I'd have paid admission price to be there, my goodness what fun! They don't even make movies this good, do they!
By the way, you're beautiful! (in a non-gay, non velvet-suit kind of way I say that) xo
"I was praying so hard that my dad wouldn't loose it that I think I slipped into tongues"
I laughed my fanny off SO hard at this post, but completely lost it on ^that^ line!! Your family is a hoot! What I wouldn't give to have heard all that.
...LOVE the gay cat.
You're like a stiff drink...I'll be back. (Um...please take that the right way.)
I laughed HARD the entire way through this. ENTIRE WAY :)
I'm just in awe that you actually invite BOTH Sides of the family EVERY year. On purpose.
There is a special crown in heaven for you, lady. *wink*
Oh, this was funny! Glad you survived the day. This does sound like the stuff holiday movies are made of.
Dang it, I hate being the one of the last commenters. Everybody said it already.
Loved the armpit thing! Chris is always in a coma after holiday gatherings and that almost pulled him out!
And yeah, don't you think your daughter got that boldness from you? I mean who but a bold woman would invited ALL the family TOGETHER to Thanksgiving?
She's a mini-you!
That is one big mix for a family. Great that you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving..that's ONE more thing to be thankful for ;)
You look gorgeous with both dark and light hair--you lucky girl!!!
Ok, I'm inviting myself to your house for Thanksgiving next year!!!!!!
You're awesome!
What a day of rejoicing it'll be when God uses that precious granddaughter to draw those grandparents to Himself! You're doing a great job training them up, Mom!
Love it, love it, love it!!!!!!
I think I've seen that movie!I mean it...you should write a book. You have the most entertaining writing style I've ever seen! My family and my inlaws are from different worlds too! 'From the mouths of babes'... your daughter: the voice of truth in a crazy mix!Be proud of that! AMEN!
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