Michael and I loaded up the kids on Tuesday night and headed to Duluth, GA to spend Thanksgiving with his sister, Laura, and her family of one ultra nerdy husband and three spunky kids. Uncle Paddy was there. He just landed a job in Chicago, IL and the kids let him know their displeasure. Papa Mike and Anita Nini were there too. Totals: 3 ultra nerds(spent an hour discussing their lanyards-no joke), 7 very bright and energetic kids (the worst mix of intellectual curiosity and energy to fuel it), a merciful Nini, 2 crazed mothers (because of our kids and husbands), and the patriarch Mike, who would make me a rich woman if I got paid a nickel for every time he said he would never eat again.
The Shea's took some getting used to 9 years ago when I entered their family circle. They are the masters of rational, controlled arguing. I had never been involved in arguing in the Feraci household that was either rational or controlled. The Shea's are passionate don't get me wrong. In fact, the very thing they are passionate about is the very thing I could care least about: football. They thought I was quiet when they first meet me. Nope, just had nothing to say about football. Up until the Saints started winning and the Feraci's pretended to be football fans, you would NEVER have caught us watching football. I remember a conversation with my dad in the early days of Michael and I being married. He couldn't understand why Michael was huddled around a 13" tv set watching a football game.
Dad says, "I thought the Auburn game was over. We would have kept the big tv on football for Michael had I known it was still on."
Me: "No, dad, he is watching another SEC game."
Dad: "Why?"
Me: "He has to watch all the SEC games."
Dad: "Huh? Why?"
Me: "Don't have a clue."
Dad: "Well, we can't have the big TV on football all day."
Precisely. In fact, so in disbelief was Patrick that we don't watch football all Thanksgiving, he asked with profound confusion, "so what do you do??"
The Feraci's dance
Play Music
Cook and eat
I have grown to adore the Shea way. Except for the constant football. I just can't get used to it. There is just nothing on TV I can sit down and watch all day. I am antsy. The debating is more of a sport than spiteful and I have gotten used to it. In fact, it's good exercise for the brain, like doing a Sudoku. You know you are with the Shea's when you walk down to the kitchen first thing in the morning to an intense theological debate. Or when 2 of the girls break out into horrible hives, the dispute on what might have caused is the topic of the week. The only 2 who rarely jump into the debates are Michael and Anita- the Fort Knoxes of the Shea's. Who knows what they are thinking.
Wednesday was the least eventful day with the apex of excitement being when I changed the order of ingredients in the Pumpkin Pie and didn't exactly follow the directions laid out for me. Oh, then Nash came downstairs throwing up at midnight.
Thursday came and the pies didn't explode in the oven. I had to adjust my attitude about the throw up kid being intermingled with the well kids. Throw up is my worst enemy, but the spreading, had it been a virus, would have already occurred. The girls got lost in the woods 30 minutes before dark. We called 911. We prayed and we received them back scraped and shaking in from the experience. Praise the Lord we got them back!
Friday, Laura and I shopped. Michael lost his wallet, AGAIN. He left it for the taking on the counter at Walgreens. He is so generous. Friday night, Shea and Emma broke into the worst hives. Emma's entire lower back turned into one large hive. It was awful! Again, mercifully Emma's calmed down with Benadryl and the next day were never seen again. Thank goodness it wasn't poison ivy, she would have had a miserable ride home! Eleanor started with a fever.
Saturday, we took the girls to the American Girl cafe and store for brunch and shopping. Nothing really exciting this day, just a bunch of fun. Later we took family pictures. The pictures are great and we will love them for years to come. I am very proud of my husband's attitude seeing as how they were scheduled overlapping the start of the Iron Bowl. 5 years ago, he might have staged a protest. Michael Shea, you have come a long way!
Sunday, we said our goodbyes.
Things I hope to remember about this Thanksgiving:
1. Walking on the greenway and chasing deer
2. Uno games
3. Sweet cousins playing so well
4. Michael and my first ever couple run
5. American girl bistro questions and answers
6. This:
It struck me that even those these years are full of excitement, I need to be very thankful for them. Soon we will have teenagers who think we are dumb and want nothing to do with us. I pray all the time this will not be the case. I love that the cousins are creating lasting relationships. That Shea Shea (forgot to mention my niece refers to herself in the 3rd person as this) is Emma and Bess's best gal and Luke and Nash are great friends.
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