Thanksgiving.

This year we went to Idaho for Thanksgiving to be with my family. It was another first for our family, and those are never easy. This holiday season has been difficult for all of us as we are rapidly approaching the year mark from when my Mom passed away. At this time last year we had found out that the cancer was terminal and our minds were all spinning, wondering how much time she had left, what we could do for her, what to expect, etc. We all spent Thanksgiving with my parents last year, so technically, it should have been the in-laws year this year. When I asked my Dad a few months ago what he thought, he got choked up and said "I need you here." That was all it took. We were all there again this year. These firsts are not easy, but being around my family makes it more bearable. We're all going through the same thing, and that helps me cope.

Now that Mom is gone, my attention is on my Dad. How is he doing, what does he need? I think of things I have never thought of before. Does he have any food on his shelves? Is the laundry caught up? Does he need socks? Pants? Are the bathrooms clean? Do the dishes need to be washed? The kitchen floor need to be mopped? These thoughts run through my head every time we visit, and even when I'm not there... I wonder what my Dad needs. This visit, we decorated his house for Christmas. That was hard, going through all of the decorations that my mom loved and putting them up without her. The end result was fantastic, though. My sisters and sisters-in-law did a great job decorating the amazing tree that my mom bought on QVC (her obsession). Isn't it pretty?

I usually have a really hard time leaving my Dad's house... I get so attached, and am so worried about him (even though he is doing great, I still worry). This time, it was a little easier to leave. I realized that this was something my Mom wanted us to do... keep up with the little things that she loved to do. And my family has done such a great job with that. My Dad is well taken care of. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters (and their awesome spouses) that make sure of that. I don't need to worry. I have at least 7 people who are thinking the same thing as me.

So this year, more than ever, I am so thankful for my family.