Shutterfly just popped up in my Facebook feed with photos from 11 years ago.
My aunt and I were in Alabama with my siblings for Thanksgiving. It doesn’t seem like it was eleven years. And look, we were all so much younger then.
This year is our second Thanksgiving without her, and this year my husband and I didn’t make it south. But we’ll get down there eventually.
Guaranteed.
Meanwhile, we hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving, even though sometimes change is hard.
Change Is Hard 
November 23, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Lovely photos Dawn. The holidays always make us think even more about those no longer with us. When I looked at the photos with your siblings I was reminded of your all jumping off a dock- it made me smile all over again.
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November 25, 2023 at 1:36 pm
That sure is fun. If I get there this summer I’m sure we’ll be jumping off the dock again. Even though many of us are now retired.
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November 23, 2023 at 5:41 pm
What wonderful memories. Sometimes the ones that pop up bring us pain, followed by love; other times, they make us laugh. Hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving.
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November 25, 2023 at 1:36 pm
We had a nice Thanksgiving here at home. The other three were together at Dad and Mom’s lake house.
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November 25, 2023 at 2:33 pm
That’s nice. And… would you have liked to be with the other three? Or was it not an option?
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November 23, 2023 at 11:43 pm
Oh my yes, we were all so much younger then. How did that happen?! And yet, we’ve lived to have such wonderful memories. And that is a blessing! A friend of mine says there is no pain from loss, unless there is love. The pain is real … but so is the love! My Buddhist friends say “accept both and give thanks for both”. Sigh. My very best to you and yours. Thank you for an absolutely wonderful blog.
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November 25, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Oh you are so welcome. I’m loving that you are following along. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!
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November 24, 2023 at 7:34 am
What great photos and memories. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!
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November 25, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Sara! We had a quiet day here in Michigan. The other three were together at the lake.
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November 24, 2023 at 12:44 pm
Back in the “good old days” – such wonderful memories. I think Penny needs to visit the lake, don’t you?
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November 24, 2023 at 1:50 pm
Absolutely. We’re just letting her grow out of car sickness.
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November 24, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Change is hard. November is the perfect time of year for remembering all our loved ones who are no longer here with us. Thank goodness for memories and photos to bring the good times back. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!
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November 25, 2023 at 2:00 pm
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving too!
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November 24, 2023 at 9:41 pm
As a person who has no living family members, I am happy for memories and a slew of photos because, as an only child, I inherited all the family albums, so that is all that’s left now.
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November 25, 2023 at 2:02 pm
That must be hard. I have 3 siblings, so even though mom and dad are gone I still have some family. We have mom and dad’s albums too.
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November 25, 2023 at 9:02 pm
It is hard at the holidays Dawn. Since we were a small family, I was used to having get-togethers just on the bigger holidays. I have been using a lot of the photos from the family albums in my blog which is fun to do.
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November 25, 2023 at 3:02 pm
It is odd to be so far out of reach of our not-huge family for holidays. But at least my sis and BIL moved north at the same time that I did (or vice versa) and we’ve been managing with that, although we keep trying to convince some of them to come here for a visit. It is a long trip to northern WA, though. Happy TDay.
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November 25, 2023 at 6:47 pm
I hope you get them to visit. I’d be curious so even if it’s a long trip I’d be visiting, and maybe considering moving north too!
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November 26, 2023 at 2:12 pm
It’s a 14-16 hour drive from the areas my friends and family live in the SF bay area (east and south).
Flying, it’s the usual arrive at the airport an hour early (down there, shd be able to get to an airport in 30-45 minute drive), then 2.5 hr flight, then from the Seattle airport, it’s about 2 hours drive to my place. So the whole trip, front door to front door, if everything goes right, 5.5-ish hours. Either way, not just a short trip.
I don’t actually see my 2 sisters in the area moving up here because of schools or activities they’re involved in( neither of their spouses have local family, I don’t think, so at least that’s not an issue). first sister’s daughters are now living in Montana and Wyoming with their respective fiancés, 2nd sister’s kids, one is still in college I think (shows how well I pay attention) but I don’t see him moving out on his own soon, and the other is “on the spectrum” enough that I don’t know whether she’ll ever be independent and of course has ties with teachers and counselors and such.
The other one, near Las Vegas, loves loves loves the heat and was cold the whole last time she stayed in san jose (san jose!), and has a pretty developed social circle is my impression, so I’d say no. My best cousin has a great career and says she’d consider it after she reaches full retirement benefits there, but that’s another…decade or so?And she does have a significant other with family in the area there.
It’s complicated.
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November 26, 2023 at 3:44 pm
It sure is complicated. I know my folks tried to get me to move to Alabama for about 20 years, throughout my career. I thought about it but it was a big move and I had all sorts of connections. And I know my sister is ALWAYS cold when she’s here in Michigan, no matter what the season. So SHE’S not moving north! 🙂 I may find a way to spend winters in the South, though it’s snowing right now and it’s SUPER PRETTY, so I don’t know if I want to leave here at all…though that will change when I have to drive in it. Yea, you’re lucky you have one sister and a brother-in-law near you!
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November 26, 2023 at 2:17 pm
The sister who moved up here with me (and her husby) is the one I’m closest to, spend the most time with. Used to be much closer to one of the others until about 20 years ago when her life became very complicated and overwhelming and our lives veered apart, although we were only about 20 minutes apart the whole time. The other sister in that same area, I wouldn’t say that we were ever super close although closest in age. [spilling my secrets on someone else’s blog comments 😉 ]
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