LeitingLove: Thankful for Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for Thanksgiving because it is the one time during the year that it's pretty much mandatory for all Schnaubelt family members to attend. Thanksgiving has turned into THEE Schnaubelt holiday. We are a simple family and don't go wild with Christmas gifts but we use Thanksgiving as a time that we show our gratitude and love towards each other. On Thanksgiving, we traditionally give our parents Christmas gifts and all the grandkids pick names for a gift exchange. In the past, the adults have picked names or done a White Elephant. This year, we did a white elephant again, which is always a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we were missing my brother Mike and his family as well as my brother Tom and his family. Fortunately, we were joined by Jeff's dad and my cousin from Michigan, Mike Emaus, and his family. I remember Mike Emaus being around a lot when I was growing up and think of him much like a brother. It's pretty amazing since he always lived in MI and we always lived in WI. He always has a positive attitude about things, a HUGE warm heart, a smile on his face, and I refer to him as my "crazy cousin Mike Emaus" since he will do just about anything!
Our family is big. And it's getting bigger - which I love. I love big family gatherings but it's getting difficult for anyone to host and ensure everyone is comfortable! A couple years ago we rented a large house near Two Rivers, WI. Almost everyone had their own bedroom and there was plenty of space to sprawl out. I loved the rental house because 1) it was right on beautiful Lake MI 2) it was in a new location so there was a lot to explore 3) it was a 4 day weekend with family with no pressure on a family host!
My brother Jeff hosted Tday last year and we hosted this year because we knew not all siblings were able to attend. I look forward to the Tday where everyone can attend and we rent a neutral location again!