Blended families spent holiday together

We spent Thanksgiving in Texas this year. This was partly to reassure my daughter that her mother was fine, a little misshapen, but fine. It was also to give us a break from worrying about doctors and cancer.
The first celebration was the day before Thanksgiving. Daughter Beth had invited her family to her house. My husband and I arrived on Saturday and proceeded to spoil any and all children we could find.
We made bread because granddaughter Emma had made butter at school and wanted fresh bread to spread it on. Bread making is becoming a tradition when we go down there. Grandson Nicholas tells me he likes the squishy part best. Adults call it kneading. Once we had the dining room and assorted children covered in flour, the kids left to play outside.
I gathered the dough together and set it aside to rise. An hour or so later, Nicholas came indoors. I had him wash his hands and let him punch down the dough. He thought this was great fun. After a second rising, I shaped the dough into loaves and left them to rise for the final time. Nicholas kept checking on the progress and patting the top of the one on the end. As a result one loaf looked a lot like a pancake but nobody minded this.
One of Beth’s step brothers, Ryan, arrived first. He sported a full beard and brought his son along with a couple of turkeys. He dealt with the birds and the conversation flowed.
Beth’s dad, my ex, came next. He drove a brand new truck and had a small trailer behind it. I wondered if he was moving in. He unloaded a couple of turkey fryers, chairs, and I’m not sure what else. His wife, Robin, gave me a big hug. The two of us caught up on what was going on in our lives.
Chrisie, Beth’s half-sister, came next, with her kids. Her husband had to stay behind and deal with their dog who was in the process of giving birth. They have purebred dogs and sell the puppies for extra money.
A friend and her daughter rounded out the gathering. My husband, my ex, and Beth’s stepson worked together to change a wheel on the go-kart. It was a subtle way to let the kid know that divorce doesn’t automatically create enemies.
Everybody had a good time and by bedtime what children who remained behind were tired and more than ready for bed. Beth’s friend ran over a ball on the way out and the loud pop startled us all. My ex and his wife packed up their stuff and headed for home. The rest of us slowly drifted away and to sleep.
The next day we had Thanksgiving with our son-in-law’s family. The gathering was a bit larger than the previous day’s. I knew some of the people but not all of them. I busied myself by lifting toddlers onto and off of the swings and responding to their requests to push them higher.
Before dinner was served, we all gathered in the living room. The patriarch thanked everybody for coming and gave a short speech telling all that he was thankful for. One by one, everybody vocalized their thanks. Most people said they were thankful for their families, and that they were grateful for the opportunity to all be together. Dear, sweet Nicholas was not one to follow the crowd. When asked what he was thankful for, he loudly proclaimed, “Ships!”
After dinner, there was a spirited game of kickball. In trying to score an out, Beth’s brother-in-law bounced the ball off the side of her head. She teased him the rest of the day about it. One of the smaller children moved first base while two of the others commandeered the second base cardboard box. The game ended when the ball was tossed into a tree and got stuck on a branch.
It was a good Thanksgiving this year. We are thankful for family that loves us. We are thankful for so many things. Including ships.