Turkeys, Pilgrims and Indians

My school age kids are all about the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week.

Tara talks about Colonial Days, and even tried making a felt hat last night. She announced this morning that the felt glue didn't even work because it fell apart when she picked it up. I assured her we can try again tonight.

Bella found out recently that her heritage is American Indian and is quite proud of it. She tells every one who will listen to her that she was "born from an Indian." Part of it is trying to connect with all the other adopted kids in our family who boast of their heritages, and the other part is the novel idea that she has something the rest of us do not have.

In Bella's mind, being an Indian means she is a hunter. She sees herself in buckskin clothes, feathers in her hair, traipsing through the forest to hunt deer. Hunting is a part of our oldest daughters' life also, and an exciting connection they can share. She also informs us she can hunt racoon, and she is proud to know that her daddy has a bb gun, which she will one day learn to shoot all by herself.

While playing with her this week, I told her since she is of Indian heritage, perhaps she would like to get our turkey this year. We live in a somewhat rural area, and it's not unusual to see wild turkeys in the fields, or even crossing the streets in front of the car when we are driving down back roads from time to time.

"Bella, maybe you could get a turkey for us this year for Thanksgiving dinner!" I asked her, a tinge of laughter in my voice.

She looked me straight in the eye, and in her most incredulous style, responds,
"I can't drive!"

Ah, yes. Turkey hunting has not yet crossed her mind.

Mere can not wait to decorate sugar cookies and help cook, along with eating the delicious cinnamon rolls that are waiting in our freezer to be thawed out on the holiday morning.

Me? I look forward to this holiday, since there is nothing but cooking, eating and relaxing with family and friends. Watching the Macy's Parade while we eat sausage balls and cinnamon rolls in the morning, catching whiffs of all the wonderful smells coming from the oven as the turkey cooks. We'll gather around several tables, eating so much we have to rest before playing games. We'll make memories of things that are said and done during the day. Hopefully someone remembers to snap a few photo's this year, since I relaxed so much last year I totally forgot!

Nothing makes me happier than having family and friends gather under our roof, eating all the good foods of the holiday.

We are connected by the love we share for each other, the memories we have made and the new ones we are making day to day.

No matter where the turkey comes from, it's like Bella said last night, as she snuggled in.

"We are family, right mom?"

Yes, Bella, we are family. Pilgrims, Indians and even a few turkeys!