If you follow my instagram, you often see the hashtag #lifeofaretailwife. Richard has worked retail for what feels like a million years, so I am used to loosing my husband to the store around this time. But this year was the first time he had to be in early on Thanksgiving day. At first it felt like no big deal...but the more and more it sat in my heart it just felt all wrong. My husband deserves a meal, my kids deserve time all together, I needed this holiday for him to be here. So we set out to make our own Thanksgiving....not a huge undertaking...oh except for the fact, I've never cooked a turkey...much less a whole Thanksgiving dinner, with like 2 days prep time.
Noah and I set out on a shopping trip to find decorations and a thanksgiving menu. Noah was quite upset that all the stores seemed to have forgotten that it was thanksgiving because they didn't have any turkey decor. I had to remind him most people don't decide to cook a Thanksgiving meal 2 days before, and they probably got all there stuff a while ago! Thankfully my trusty old Target had almost everything I needed, even some turkey window clings to make Noah happy!
After some flu shots, and a mini meltdown in Food Lion over a chicken and a turkey, and a phone call back to my mom to apologize for my mini meltdown, we were ready!
I have to be honest, I was like a kid on Christmas this morning, who knew you could get so excited over cooking a bird...or maybe it was just the nerves of was it thawed out or not....remember I just got it yesterday! I think I read my directions a million times, said a prayer (for real, I prayed in the kitchen, for me to continue to remember what today was about, no matter what happened) and put it in the oven. After loosing Lulah for a minute and having my first panic attack of the day, we got Daddy up and got to begin our family time! (Don't call CPS, she's a quiet crawler and had crawled herself into her room and closed the door.) I can tell she has much of Ellie's personality, she's sweet, she listens and tries to push buttons, pretty calm and loves to eat!
We pulled out the fine china, well anything that's not a paper plate is fine china in this house. With the help of crafty Noah and SG my coloring fanatic, our kitchen was perfect!
As we were setting the table, Noah ran to make another place card, he placed Ellie 's spot right beside him with a smile on his face.
We had to eat kinda quick, as Richard had to head out the door for work. The turkey was cooked, the potatoes were ok (Noah says they were his favorite...love that kid!), the gravy was yummy...who knew some turkeys come with gravy packets in them!! Richard left, and my heart felt so at peace, I knew we had done the right thing. The plus side of eating early, you have all day to clean up!
As the sun started to set and the sky turned this amazing shade of pink again, I cried.
It was so pretty, and like Ellie, I can't see it well enough. There are a million trees in the way that block me from seeing the pink clearly. To me the trees are like earth...well duh they are part of the earth, but they are what keeps me from seeing her clearly and all her beauty. I have to look really hard to find her some days and although she's bright and in my heart, its hard to see her and remember her clearly. She feels so close but so far away, everywhere but untouchable....kinda like the pink sky I am so in love with.
"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
We pray that your Thanksgiving no matter how early or late it was, was enjoyable and filled with love, and maybe even a pink sky!
Prayers, Praise and Pink
~Carly
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