one thanksgiving, three ways

For the past six years we have celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at my brother's house in Maryland. The whole thing started because my brother got the cooking gene in the family--although I'm not sure where it originated--and he and his wife love to entertain. Every year the stakes were raised, the turkeys multiplied and the side dishes became more avant-garde. Another thing that happened every year was either a new addition to the family was present or someone was announcing her pregnancy (or temporarily keeping it a secret as I did drinking cranberry--sans vodka--martinis two years ago). But this we year broke with tradition when we decided to stay put on our new home turf. I missed the Thanksgiving night Christmas movie and our Black Friday shopping excursion with a million kids in tow, but we got to celebrate in a different way.

Thursday morning started bright and early in downtown Austin with Operation Turkey. We lined up with 1,000 other volunteers to help prepare boxed meals to feed the less fortunate. Alex and I weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be fun for us and the kids, and it was a great way to start our holiday celebration.

Following our little adventure, it was time to come home and get ready for our own Thanksgiving celebration. Scout conveniently fell asleep in the car on the way home--all the excitement of hanging out at a bar for a couple hours knocked her out--so we had a good excuse to freshen up...and catch the first half of the Packer game on TV before joining up with Alex's family for Thanksgiving Part II.

On Sunday our Thanksgiving adventures took us to another Wheat family gathering on a farm in Luling, Texas. On the drive out there, I felt a true sense of the Texas spirit as we drove past longhorns and cattle ranches, and I'm pretty sure I saw Jett Rink's estate along the way. After spending the afternoon on a wide open Texas farm, I can tell you that 1) Texas is like you've pictured it, and 2) it does get cold here. And windy. Very windy.

Cheers to new adventures!