Thanksgiving Traditions

 When it comes to traditions, the Riordans and the Sellers have got it goin’ on!  We are quite religious about our Thanksgiving timeline every year starting at 5:00 on Wednesday evening and finally going in for a landing at about 9:00 PM on Thanksgiving day; and, trust me, it feels very much like a flight and jet lag when we are done! All the stuff we fill our time with is awesome but the best part is just hanging with the family, as I’m sure most anyone would agree is the best of the holidays.

Stevi B’s is probably gearing up right now for the Riordan invasion this evening. All fifty-four of us, ranging from babies to senior adults. There’s the greeting and hugging party at the door, piled pizza plates, grazing from table to table to catch up on the latest with everyone, and finally, Ole Stevi’s favorite part, the mass exodus. The dollar theatre, just walking distance around the corner, is then invaded by our clan. It is outrageously fun.

Suffering from pizza hangovers and a lack of sleep after the giant cousin sleep over the night before, only about half of the same herd shows up for breakfast the next morning. But they get a second chance to get in on the fun when we all pile in our SUV’s and pickups and head to the tree farm for the big finale – The Christmas tree hunt. The tree farm we patronize every year is southern hospitality at its best! fruit punch, hot chocolate and homemade goodies! It just doesn’t get much better than that! And, as if that’s not enough, they treat us to a hay ride down Christmas tree lane in search of the perfect spot for the hunt. I’m guessing by now the poor guy driving the tractor has learned to come prepared with ear plugs as we never fail to enjoy singing Christmas carols from the top of our lungs the entire ride to the trees, while the guys in the family run along beside us passing Frisbees and footballs. Trees in tow, hugs and more hugs, “See you at Christmas!”, and Thanksgiving with the Riordans comes to a grandiose end.

“Over the river and through the woods………………………….ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

Oh, sorry! That’s the Tim Riordan family catching a few Z’s on the way to Paw Paw and Grandma Sellers’ house. This is where we start preparing for a landing, but you better not crash when you arrive at Grandma Sellers’ house unless you want to be deprived of the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner for falling asleep and making Grandma mad! =) The smell of Turkey, Ham, and fixings waft through the air before we ever reach the door. We all contribute to the feast for our tribe of thirty-five, but it would not be Thanksgiving without Mama’s iconic sweet potato soufflé. It is to die for! One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving dinner is Daddy’s prayer of blessing as we all stand in a circle holding hands. It’s very sweet and there’s just something about hearing him pray. It’s moments like these that our children will hold onto for the rest of their lives and carry it with them into the next generation.

Discussion around the table usually includes politics and I am sure this year will be no exception. Thankfully, we are like-minded people! But at some point, Mama reads the 100^th Psalm and opens up the opportunity for everyone to share something they are thankful for. Some of us usually get a little teary eyed and then someone may crack a joke to dry them up.

After we have embarrassed ourselves over the amount of food we can put away evening entertainment is waiting. Since the Sellers grandchildren were old enough to read we have guided them in presenting to the rest of us a thanksgiving play, complete with costumes and props. This, not so grand, but memorable production is directed by my sister. So year after year our kids (and now grandkids) have acted out the journey, the plight, and the faith of the pilgrims, keeping the meaning of this annual American feast we call Thanksgiving forever etched in our minds. And this wraps up Thanksgiving at the Sellers.

And finally…………we head home…………we land………….we crash………. and catch about eight hours worth of Z’s.  Bed never felt so good!

THE END

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Orchard Hill Tree Farm