Annabelle's First Thanksgiving

I have gone back and forth with Thanksgiving, as I suppose I do with a lot of holidays. When I was a bit younger and a bit more snarky, I shared a vegetarian meal with friends but we refused to refer to it as Thanksgiving and instead spoke of "genocide day." While there is obviously a great deal of truth to the thinking behind that, as discussed in this wonderful article about the truth behind Thanksgiving and how one family shares it with their children, the holiday does have its redeeming qualities. 

On our first Thanksgiving as a family of three, I think I have settled the back and forth and found a place to rest. As is true of many families, our Thanksgiving was a day to be together, to appreciate one another, and to share a meal that reminded us of just how very good we have it. In future years, when we're not so geographically distant from our extended families, we look forward to doing the same with them. This year, Annabelle didn't seem to distinguish our Thanksgiving dinner from any other dinner, but as the years go on and the time comes to discuss and anticipate this holiday, we certainly won't paint any mythical pictures of symbiotic pilgrim and Native American relationships, but we will cultivate gratitude for the relationships we have today. 

So, today, on our first Thanksgiving as a family, we cooked and baked (more on the food here). We made hazelnut cardamom cookies, cashew cream, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. We made a Tofurky and stuffing, gravy, and green beans, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat rolls. The daddy didn't want to bother with a turkey just for him, so he made himself a bison steak instead, and we feasted. We enjoyed a day together with nothing on the agenda - nothing but food, togetherness, and gratitude. 

I would love to hear about what your family did today, and what traditions you may have around Thanksgiving.