Thanksgiving in the Menchl House

I wake up groggy; I shouldn't have stayed up so late the night before, but college has destroyed my sleep schedule.  I trudge downstairs, trying to avoid my heavily caffeinated parents for as long as possible, but as soon as my feet hit the kitchen floor I'm slapped with sarcastic comments about "college kids these days" and my terrible sleep habits.  They have a point, I didn't emerge from my hibernation until one.  PM.  I reach the coffee and the day begins.

We spend the hours before our relatives arrive making the house look as presentable as possible.  My mom gets this wonderful idea to make place cards for the table out of actual dead leaves, so my sister and I spend a good amount of time picking out 16 leaves that fit her rigid standards.  We're midway through the drawing and taping process when I hear the door slam and confused voices ring out.  I go downstairs and all of our relatives are wandering around the house calling out to see if anyone is actually home.  As my parents are both getting ready for dinner, I have to entertain all of our guests.  "Brad?  Could you make me some coffee?"  "Where do I put this casserole?"  My parents appear to save me from host responsibilities and I escape to the basement where all of my cousins have already made themselves at home.  I spend the rest of the time before dinner playing with the little ones, cooking, and making boring conversation with my aunts and uncles.

The food is ready.  We sit down and take turns saying what each of is thankful for.  My grandma, who had a stroke a few years ago, goes first and gives thanks for her good mind.  We do too.  After thanks giving, we set in and a happy silence fills the room.

It's late at night and I'm playing piano music with the little ones crawling over my body like little monkeys.  Their dad comes in to warn that they have to leave, and everyone, me include starts to whine. "Aw no!  You can't leave yet!  We rarely get to see all of you" I complain.  Nevertheless, it's time to go and slowly the house empties.  Another Thanksgiving is over, but the love that I got from my family, like the leftovers, will last forever.