As we all sit down to enjoy time and food with our family and friends, we often have traditions that make the holiday just a little more special. This year, the State Officer Team reflected on some of the things their families have as Thanksgiving traditions that make the holiday so joyful!
Ally: Every year, it seems like my family always has a little bit of a different type of Thanksgiving. This is probably due to the fact that the Thanksgiving celebrations at my house are never just grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. While I love all of those people dearly, I suppose my favorite family tradition is that it’s never just my “family.” It seems like every year there’s a different group of people because my parents and siblings make it a point to invite anyone who doesn’t have already have Thanksgiving plans. This includes neighbors, friends, friends’ families, people from church, and coworkers. It may not be the traditional Thanksgiving group, but it always reminds me to be thankful for all of the people I’m blessed to have in my life.
Cassie: Thanksgiving at the Bond household just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if there wasn’t Grandma Dorothy’s infamous macaroni and cheese. Or her famous chocolate chip cookies and berry pie. Or her green bean casserole. Or really anything she makes, because I am very convinced that my Grandma Dorothy is probably the best cook on the face of this earth. After we all eat as much as we possibly can, we all retire to the living room with our cups of coffee and hot chocolate to watch the Dallas Cowboys play football. Now I’ll admit, I’m not very good at keeping up with the game. I learned a long time ago to clap and cheer when my dad and brother do, and normally I’ll end up alright. You can always count on the Bond family to make great food and wear lots of Cowboys gear on Thanksgiving. I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful and celebrated in the unique way your family does! Go Cowboys!
Caleb: My favorite Thanksgiving family tradition is without a doubt watching the Lions and Cowboys play their Turkey Day games. Usually the rest of my family and I fall asleep long before the games are over, but it's in that moment when I reflect and realize what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for a family I can come home to, my endless support system of friends, god and last but not least my mother’s cooking. Whether you find yourself watching tv or playing football with family try to find some time to reflect on why you're thankful this thanksgiving season.
Zach: At my house, it’s not Thanksgiving without the good old Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and cooking a turkey. Each year, every television in our home is turned to all the balloons, broadway numbers, and marching bands. Meanwhile, my mom and I are hard at work making sure the turkey is all set to go for all our family coming to visit. Having to stuff a turkey is certainly a strange experience, but it’s a fun one nonetheless. After all of the food has been had, family has left, and the kitchen is cleaned we normally watch some random thanksgiving specials and work up the courage to fight the Black Friday crowds just for fun.
CD: Thanksgiving for my family is a celebration of many things, family, faith, football, and farming. We always see thanksgiving as the time when all the crops are out of the field and we can gather as a family and talk about how good or bad the crop and harvest was and give thanks for a safe harvest season, with the hope of many more to come. Now it wouldn’t be thanksgiving without the food, on the Brinegar side of the family rice pudding is a special treat that we always eat on the holidays. On my mothers side of the family you can’t leave the house without some apple pie and sweet potatoes. But of course it would not be a thanksgiving without watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Iowa on black Friday, Go Big Red!!! The most important thing of all in Thanksgiving is to take a break from harvest, school, or work and put down our phones and spend time with our families.
Rachel: As thanksgiving comes around it’s a great time for us to remember what we are most thankful for. I’m fortunate enough to have a constant support system, stable foundation for growth, and family that LOVES having a good time and spreading the holiday spirit. Something I have always been proud of is our “Zumbach Family Cause”. Every year each one of our family members donates a gift to someone in need or facing a difficult time. Whether it be a gift card for gas, baked goods, or a letter of appreciation it’s something I’ve always looked forward to over the years.
Carli: Thanksgiving; the holiday where we give thanks for those around us and stuff our faces full of delicious food. That's the generic version anyway… When it comes to my family and thanksgiving it's more like break out the Christmas music, stuff our faces full of food, make fun of each other, going hard core in some board games, card games or at ping pong, and on occasion end the day with either football or Christmas movies. My favorite part of the holiday though would have to be spending quality time with my family and getting to catch up on everyone’s crazy lives.
Peyton: Though it might not sound too exciting, our family’s tradition is simply to celebrate Thanksgiving in a fairly traditional fashion. We all get together, eat a great meal, and dedicate a day to reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for (as cliche as it sounds). It’s so important to take a moment to appreciate all of the blessings in our lives, and an excellent time to do this is when we are surrounded by the people we love most, with a belly full of delicious food. That being said, each year there are a few things I can always count on: a birthday cake being part of the dessert selection, in addition to the typical pies (because my birthday usually falls right before Thanksgiving), stuffing muffins (Tip: Bake your stuffing in a muffin tin. You’ll have perfect-sized servings and everyone will get to have that crunchy part that’s usually only at the top of the pan), and of course, the epic nap that inevitably ensues after that post-dinner food coma hits. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, celebrated with loving family, lots of food, and a grateful heart… and the perfect nap, too!
Annie: Well you know me, I can’t turn down food! Every year we go to my Grandma and Grandpa Sunderman’s house. My family is huge, so trying to compact all of us in one house can be a challenge. My favorite has to be all of the food. From my mom making scalloped oysters (yes they are as gross as they sound) to my grandma making the best pecan pie in the world. Not to mention the beef roll-ups, they are corned beef with a mixture of cream cheese and horseradish (they are like heaven). After the amazing meals, not only are our bellies full but also our hearts. Since my family is so big sometimes it's hard to see them often. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to catch up. If we are lucky enough to have nice weather, we will go outside and play some football. When I think about Thanksgiving I hear all of the laughs, the smell of the food, and my heart swells. I am always thankful for my amazing family, but I’m glad we have a day to recognize it a little more. I hope you guys get the chance to look around for what you are most thankful for. I also hope you have a great Thanksgiving and make sure to eat some mashed potatoes for me!
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