another......

thanksgiving holiday has come and gone.... leaving me filled with... smiles... gratitude and wonderful memories....

for the first time since christmas of 1999....the last christmas with my father... we were all together again.... my brothers....chris and kip...their wives...diane and deanna...and their children.... sarah... little chris... samantha (the holy terror)... evin and cole... my sister shelley and her three daughters.... and my mother.... we all gathered at my uncle luke and aunt maggie's house in disney oklahoma on grand lake....my cousins kim, her new husband and rob were there with their children.... hope...gracie... the twins chris and luke.... and skylar.... head count 27 or 28.... luckily... they managed to find cabins for us all to stay.....some traveling 12 hours...some 9 or so...the boys and i...3 ....

thanksgiving morning arrives....taylor and i enjoyed a morning walk...the air brisk...down the road to the lake.. a low misty fog laid just over the water...as the sun rose...golden in the east... the two of us sat quietly.... while we looked upon this glorious vision.... the beginning of a new day... a memory.... recording in my mind....

slowly.... we all made our way to my uncles house for breakfast.... converging one by one... three by three....everyone so excited to see each other.... as my older brother walked into the living room standing just under the entry....tears...swelled in his eyes....his face became a warm shade of red.... beautiful...lovely...once in a life time happiness....

we ate...together....played flag football...a family tradition...going back to childhood... the boys.... now men with silver gray hair... lines of life...gracing their faces.... the laughter could be heard for miles and miles....the smiles contagious..... strategic plays.... family against family.... running.... passing the ball.... me with the camera....shooting blurred image after blurred image.... the sun warm fading into evening.... soon night fell upon us...... uncle luke built...a ginormous fire...rising to the heavens.... all of us gathered around... finding empty lawn chairs... pulling them close to the fire...stories being told...children roasting marshmallows.... we were all together again... each of us... celebrating...a day of thanks... a day...we will always remember... who knows if this will ever happen again... i don't suppose it really matters....because we had it this year.... we had each other.... we were all together.... even my father was there... we made sure of it.... i think he was probably hovering over us.... smiling upon us.... memories... of lives well lived.... of hope... and happiness.... he was there with us....

all of us agreed....this was the best thanksgiving ever.... as our family changes... some leaving us....others joining... there is this amazing... sense of belonging....the place we are all so familiar... no one is left out...even the newest members easily find their place in our family....

gratitude.... is a powerful thing........ being grateful for that smile... that hug so familiar... voices from the past.... eyes...of the future.... the laughter of children.... screaming little girls as they run without a care...chasing one another... the cheers and clink of wine glasses...swearing we will do this again soon....

saying good bye.... hugging...each and everyone..... my sons and i pile in the car....as we drive away... they all stand waving...shouting goodbye...love you.... one by one disappearing into the house.... as the last person enters....the door closes behind.... another year older... another thanksgiving.... has come and gone..... another memory... to carry on our family tradition....