thankful for the weekend

Those past four days really felt good. Like really restful and peaceful and just the way I like this time of year to be. T.J was thankfully off for (most of) Thanksgiving (he worked the night before and then until 2pm that day, but whatever) and we hosted dinner for some friends. It ended up being the two of us plus three other guys all flying solo for the holiday. In this community we find ourselves in, nothing looks like my childhood memories, where the traditions were the same, consistently year after year, and it was dependable and comfortable.

Now holidays, especially Thanksgiving when it's harder to get away, are a blended mix of people, residents, spouses, someone always coming and going as they're paged back to the hospital. But no one spends it alone because we're all very aware of the demands of the job and we all just roll with the call schedule.

"So you're husband's working tonight? You can join us. You're on call all weekend so your wife went out of town to visit family? Sneak away for dinner if you get a break and we'll feed you."

We were invited to three different Thanksgiving dinners. It's a very inclusive, we're all in the trenches together kind of attitude, and not just at Thanksgiving. I like it. I wouldn't mind having dinner at someone's home but this year I really wanted our first married Thanksgiving to be in our house, and I wanted an excuse to use some of our new serving pieces. The food, and the friends, and the fellowship was a success,  and while I miss the rest of my family this time of year, I loved spending the holiday with my husband.
Friday was not black Friday for us, not ever, no thank you, amen. Instead I started taking down the Thanksgiving/pumpkin/ fall decor and started getting ready to bring Christmas cheer into our home. Mostly, though, we spent a good chunk of the day bundled up and cuddled up on the couch. I just love the coziness that naturally comes with this time of year.
T.J. had to work Saturday overnight so, while waiting for him to get home Sunday morning, I picked up donuts and sat down for day one of the She Reads Truth Advent devotional. I'm so excited for this book. My mom, sister and I are doing it together and plan to have a little skype date each week to chat about it. And we probably should just always have a little skype date each week anyway. 
I stayed my Christmas pj's all day and I was determined that the tree would go up (if for no other reason than that Hunley had started trying to eat the box it was stored in). We went artificial this year because we have a puppy and I don't hate myself. But I have the best little candle that gives off that fresh cut Christmas tree smell we're missing. I went ahead and assembled the tree so Hunley could start getting used to it. He settled right underneath it for a little snooze, which just so happens to be my favorite place as well.  Of course that peacefulness went right out the window once T.J. got home and we started decorating it. We limited the ornaments to the top half only but the tree skirt is still a little too tempting for the pup. 
Even though I know I'm going to spend a good chunk of this season shouting "no!" at Hunley as he attempts to eat said tree skirt, I still find so much joy basking in the twinkly light with my little family. I am so thankful for this weekend and the perfect start to the most wonderful time of the year.

Comments

  1. I enjoyed reading about your first "married" Thanksgiving. It is very much like ours have been since we moved to Florida and so far away from everyone. Anyone with no place to go is welcome at our table. Some years we have 6-8 other years 4-5 but it is always a happy time with so much to be thankful for! Your tree looks great!! Have fun!

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  2. Definitely agree with you, we're all in the trenches of residency together! Glad you had a great first married thanksgiving!

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  3. I'm glad you had a happy Thanksgiving and your hubs was home for at least part of it. There is joy to be found in every season and I'm glad you're finding yours : ) It's December! Cannot wait to see you xo

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  4. Enjoyed reading about your first Thanksgiving. :-)
    Happy December,
    Carla

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  5. I love that you're doing Skype dates for the advent calendar! That's wonderful! My first Thanksgiving away from family was hard and some of my happy memories in the last 10 years definitely came from Friendsgivings where people welcomed me and other solos into their homes. :)

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