Thanksgiving minus one

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. We get to see family, cook, eat and shop. In Puerto Rico, we would always get together at Abuela Teresa and Abuelo Quino's house. We would eat turkey with her mofongo stuffing. We would have some gravy (she always had some new gravy creation) and then we would eat the pumpkin flan that my Mami made. Also then Mami, Lorena, Patricia, Laura and I would plan our strategy and get together for the next day. It was always fun to go together on that big shopping day. It is not the getting up early and the crowds that I enjoy but the camaraderie of going with just the girls and doing something fun. We talk in the lines as we wait to open and discuss what we are hoping to accomplish and what we think each Christmas would be likfe. It too a while to get used to turkey without rice and mofongo stuffing and without the girls to go shopping. In the states, we usually go to Jake's grandma for Thanksgiving and then me and Jake would go shopping while his mom keeps the kids (Jake HATES going but he know I enjoy it so he braves the crowds and the mess for me) but this year with Pop in the nursing home it was just too much. She decided to combine the Thanksgiving and Christmas get together into one get together around the middle of december. Also Jake had to work this year the whole weekend so we were missing one of the key players. Also Samantha's birthday was on Thanksgiving day this year and she was dissapointed her daddy would not be here. It turns out that Laura came with us to Roanoke and we got to go shopping. We talked to mom on the phone and bought stuff here she could not find in PR. Jake's mom made a ham and we had a get together with his brothers on Thanksgiving day. Also we are having turkey tomorrow with Jake and singing Happy Birthday to Samantha. It has been kind of an odd Thanksgiving but so far we have had fun. Sometimes when things change it is hard to not be dissapointed but I find that it always turns out okey and that as long as we are together in our heart. So even though we had Thanksgiving minus one, I still feel very bless to get to have this time with my family.