hiking in heels pt. 1

So I know I'm a little late getting Thanksgiving up, but moving's hard. I'm still not done. I should be working on it more now but I had a 160 mile round trip commute today; when I got home I did about 2 of the 10 things on my to do list, poured a glass of wine, and sat down.

I'll get it done, I swear.

Just not tonight.

So Thanksgiving.

My dad's family is spread far and wide, with members in Virginia, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Arizona, Illinois, & California. To cope with our general spread-outness, we got together every year on Thanksgiving, rotating coasts to help keep travel costs fair.

Three years ago we stopped getting together.

This year we revived the old tradition and gathered in Phoenix.

Grammy's dog

 Unfortunately I missed my cousin's birthday & grandparent's anniversary celebration on Wednesday night due to work (being an adult is the worst sometimes).

Thursday though I finally got to see everyone. The four members of my immediate family did a 5k bright & early Thursday morning. Kara and I ran while Mom & Dad walked. It was Dad's first race; I'm super proud of him for doing it with us!! Running in Arizona is an interesting experience. While Georgia has hills and humidity, Phoenix is flat and dry. It's easier to run without the hills but harder to breathe without the humidity. It all sort of even outs in the end.

pre-race selfie!

After showers, we headed over to my aunt's house for some unhealthy snacks because what Thanksgiving is complete without a few appetizers?? We met their new dog, caught up with the cousins, and snacked on everything in sight.

From there it was time for the main event! 

Cooking wasn't entirely uneventful. At one point, the stuffing actually managed to catch fire in the oven. Fans were turned on, doors were thrown open, and disaster was avoided at the end of the day.

Finally, it was time to eat! Dinner was absolutely delicious, thanks in large part to one cousin currently in culinary school. With the meal complete, we resolved to meet annually.

Friday will have to be a separate post since we went to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, a first for both Kara and myself.

Saturday though we got back together after spending a little time with some of Mom's family. We ended up seeing The Theory of Everything, which was absolutely brilliant. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance; the acting was unbelievable!

Family is frustrating. Family gets under your skin. Family drives you crazy.

But family is the most important thing in the world. Family is worth the stress, the craziness.

Family is, well, family.