The Fall Feast is tonight at the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club in Anchorage! From 4:30pm-7:30pm, the One for All team will be helping serve dinner, clear tables, check coats, etc. This is Thanksgiving come early, and boy am I THANKFUL! Already, I think I can smell the sweet potatoes. And turkey….mmm. Wanna come? Dinner is free. Email me for more info.

I was hoping to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family in Wisconsin this year, but OUCH are those ticket prices high. Instead, I’m going to finally unpack the kitchen at my new place and have a meal at the table, not on paper plates! Whoa! I might even cook food that didn’t come in a box or can.

I’m kinda bummed to not see mom and pop for the holidays. Thanksgiving is during deer hunting season in Wisconsin, so all the guys head into the forest while my two little sisters, mom and I rent movies or go skiing. It’s girl-fun, and it’s as important as homemade mashed potatoes and gravy to my Thanksgiving.

Now that I’m a married girl, maybe it’s time to start my own holiday traditions. Like last year, when Dan and I drove all the way to Hope, AK trying to find the right Christmas tree. Here’s hoping that particular drive doesn’t become a tradition (Home Depot this year, hun) – but those sort of memories are what create a new family’s holiday nostalgia. I’m half of a new family, and we’re going to branch out on our own this Thanksgiving. I hope I don’t burn the turkey (isn’t that how it goes in the movies?).

Who will you spend the holidays with this year? If you’re missing your family, visiting the Fall Feast might help. When your blood family isn’t around, a strong community family can help fill the gap. The more we celebrate and grow together, the stronger we become. Like gremlins when you dump them in water. AHHH!