Usually during that long awaited third week of November, college students take over the airports and highways to rush to their families’ Thanksgiving dinners. My freshman year, my family skipped the traditional turkey dinner and spent Thanksgiving and Black Friday riding roller coasters and meeting characters in the Orlando theme parks. Sophomore year, Thanksgiving was spent in Atlanta with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins galore! Both years were special and more fun than I can even try to explain, but this year was very, very different. This year, Kaitlyn and I offered to host the big holiday meal, so we invited our immediate families to come to Tallahassee for Thanksgiving.
That’s right, folks! Kaitlyn’s mom, sister, and brother came up from Miami to break bread with my mom, dad, brother, and sister who drove up from Vero Beach. Needless to say, this Thanksgiving was one for the books!
We were a little bit nervous because our families had never spent much time together. Kaitlyn and I wanted to incorporate traditions from our respective families into our holiday, so we carefully planned the menu to make sure that everyone had a favorite item on the table. Neither of us had the slightest idea how to prepare, cook, or carve a turkey, so after much research, we ordered a fully cooked twelve-pound turkey from Publix (where shopping is a pleasure). Side dishes and desserts were easier to plan and put together—to celebrate Hanukkah, we even traded the sweet potato casserole for sweet potato latkes (potato pancakes). And don’t worry, we did not forget the pumpkin and apple pies!
Wednesday morning came faster than we could have imagined. By mid-afternoon, we were on our way back to Publix to pick up the turkey and a couple last-minute necessities. When we got to the deli, we noticed that the twelve-pound turkey looked a bit puny when we envisioned who exactly would be eating it. So, we upgraded! Ladies and gentlemen, Kaitlyn and I walked out of Publix with a turkey that was nearly 16 pounds! And admittedly so, we had no idea what to do with it!
Thanksgiving Day was spent, well, in the kitchen. The men sat in our apartment living room watching what seemed like a never-ending football game (which no one in our place actually cared about) while the moms and sisters mixed, scooped, and seasoned. By six-thirty, everything was ready and everyone was hungry.
The nine of us sat down at the table after piling up our plates. Before anyone would touch their food, all eyes were on Kaitlyn and me. We both looked around at the faces surrounding our table. This was what the holidays were about. Being with the people we love and who love us most. We were both so thankful that our families came to us and let us host them. We were (and always are) thankful that we were assigned to each other the summer before freshman year. We were thankful for all of the memories we shared and all of the plans we were making for our future. We were thankful to have this blended family staring at us and anxiously waiting for the signal to “dig in!”
We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and that the rest of the holiday season is warm and bright!
Love, The Pollacks (top) and The Hattens (bottom)