The Annual Thanksgiving Throwdown

Every year at Thanksgiving, my family gets into a huge fight. It is tradition.

There was the year that my sister and I were both 8 months pregnant, and we got into an argument about the best methods for giving birth. The hormones were running rampant. There was a serious case of what I like to call, "Little Sister Syndrome" that came into play. I'm not sure if our relationship has totally recovered.

There was the year that two of my sisters disagreed on drawing names for Christmas gifts. One sister wanted to involve step-siblings, the other didn't. It got ugly. It is still a sensitive topic.

There was the year that I got mad at my sister for letting her kids trash the family room right after I had cleaned it up. She got all in my face so I ran and locked myself in the bathroom and cried. This one is just funny now.

The best year of all was the time that my grandparents were involved. My sister had taken her kids over to visit them earlier that week. Apparently while they were there, my niece tried to flush a can down their toilet.  My grandpa brought it up as soon as the appetizers came out. He wouldn't let it go. My mom tried to get him to back off. (He was hard of hearing, but suddenly had a much more profound hearing loss at these kinds of moments.) He got so mad that no one would take him seriously, that he grabbed Grandma by the arm and  said, "Let's go home!" Grandma (always the lady) kept a polite smile on her face as steadied her little 90 year-old frame and planted her feet firmly where they were. Grandma wasn't going to leave, damn it! I will never forget the look of refined, determination on her face; that is the only way I can describe it.
My brother-in-law ended up calling a plumber who met him at my grandparents house during the dinner.

This year we are having Thanksgiving at my Mom's house. She will be leaving to go on a mission, so will miss the next two years.
My oldest brother won't be coming because he and his wife prefer her family. I don't think this is a secret.
My next oldest sister will agree to come, but will call an hour before to say that she has a migraine and won't be able to make it. (I'll bet ya $20!!!)
The next sister won't come because she moved back East specifically to avoid these types of situations
My next sister will be there. She and I will look at the ads and make a detailed shopping plan for black Friday.
My other brother will either: Not come at all because he will be snowboarding that day. Or: Show up all hungover, possibly with a girl who hasn't bathed in quite some time.
And then there will be me. I'll be there. I always am.

A little about me

I am a stay at home mom to 3 kids, ages four, two, and 4 months. I love my husband and my kids so much- they mean everything to me. It is a real challenge to juggle all of the demands of a family of young children (espeically while on very little sleep) but I find real fulfillment in my role as a wife and mother. I may not be paid in money, but my compensation is priceless.

I am a Mormon and I live in Utah.

I am the youngest of 6 children. My parents were divorced when I was 5. My parents both remarried, but my mother was widowed 3 years ago. I have half-siblings, step-siblings, and ex-step-siblings. My family of origin is incredibly disfunctional. I think they are all a little bit crazy except for me. ;)

I am college educated, but would love to earn a graduate degree sometime in the distant future. Some days I want to have so many babies, and other days I think I should shut my uterus down for business.

I hate mopping. I love shoes.

That's me.