What constitutes "The Best Thanksgiving Ever"?

To say I am homesick right now would be an understatement. What is an appropriate word to describe feeling like

curling up in the fetal position on the couch, watching ABC Family Christmas movies, and eating my body weight in raw cookie dough all while whimpering softly to myself how much I miss my friends, family, and the God given American right to slaughter a turkey and drink way too much alcohol on a Thursday?!

anyone? anyone? Bueller?

I promised Sean I wouldn't make my Thanksgiving post too depressing. I mean it is about giving thanks after all...and I know no one wants to hear the engaged girl whine about how hard it is living in London and getting her Master's degree. I have a lot to be thankful for and I am blessed. So I'm going to compress together as much of the depressing drivel as I can so we can move on to the jolly holly goodness of it all.

Ready? Here we go:

IfIreadanotherFacebookstatusorTweetaboutThanksgivingplansIamgoingtopunchababyintheface.

Okay. Done. Let's move on to greener pastures now shall we?

I come from a large extended family. Although I'm an only child, my dad is one of 8, which means I have a ridiculous amount of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Growing up, I always loved holiday get togethers because I got to run around with the kids instead of talking to adults. Over the past few years, as my cousins and I have all gotten older, we've deemed this holiday "The Best Thanksgiving Ever"

It has been "The Best Thanksgiving Ever" for the past 3 years and while I'd like to imagine my absence from tomorrow's festivities will send everyone into a tailspin of agony and despair, I know tomorrow will be a totally fantastic round 4. So what does this event entail? I'm sure it's pretty standard, much like your own family, if your family's traditions include drinking 19 bottles of wine and dancing around the living room. (now you are beginning to understand just why we named it as such)

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for everything I've gleened from my 3 years as a founding member of "The Best Thanksgiving Ever". I learned a lot about myself, my family and what it means to be part of something so special.

As I'm sitting here typing this, I've tried so hard to convey my feelings about this holiday...to come up with witty yet sentimental sayings to accompany these pictures, but I seem to be at a loss for words. How can you accurately describe the feeling of your family? You can't. It's something within you. It's more than words.

It's the way my grandfather knows to give me a hug exactly when I seem to need it the most.



or the way my cousins remind me that even though we are all very different from one another, it doesn't change how we feel about each other.





It's the warmth of a household filled with outloud laughter and dancing after dinner



It's sinking into the couch after too many helpings of broccoli casserole, but being the first one to spring up when dessert enters the room.



It is the simple fact that 40+ people held dinner for me last year because I was stuck in traffic for two hours.



Every year we go around the circle and say what we are thankful for.



For me this year, Thanksgiving IS family. It's about reconnecting. Even if we lost touch over the years, or we struggle to find something to talk about. If our political views are polar opposites and we don't agree with each other's life choices. Whether you are an in-law, an out-law, first, second, or third cousin, Thanksgiving is family.

So tomorrow, I will most likely skip my afternoon class, go home with a bottle of wine, bake up a batch of Dream Bars and mentally join in the family circle. Just close your eyes and imagine Evans family, I'll be there in my trademark cardigan extending my hands to offer my thanks.

(and to my lovely cousins- this means you better go to Jeff's house after and continue our tradition. I want a late night run to Wendy's and a glass boot involved or it isn't really Thanksgiving!)