Traditions.

So I know that I said I'd post pictures of my prayer tent... Well, I don't know where the charger is for my camera. So whenever I find that, you'll get your pictures. But until then, the battery is so low it won't even turn on. Mybad.

But today is Thanksgiving and I've been meaning to post here in a some-what regular fashion and have yet to do so. Also, I've been reading (a novel, no less!) and that always makes me feel like I could be a writer. Especially when it's a good novel, like the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I know I couldn't ever really scrap it as a writer... but my thoughts become much more artistic and I think, hey, that would make a good short story. It's too bad that I really don't carry through with my short-story-writing-inclinations, because I'm no longer in a writer's seminar and I always end up looking back on my stories without being as impressed with them as I remember being.

But I digress.

Like I said, today is Thanksgiving and I was laughing at all of our crazy traditions-- so I thought I'd let the world in on the joke. Secretly, I believe my family would make a great comedy, or at least a pretty entertaining paperback. But without further ado, here is a list of my family traditions in no particular order.

1) My dad always carves the turkey. Why? Because he is the surgeon and he does it the best. It doesn't matter whose house we are at, my dad ALWAYS carves the turkey.
2) Thanksgiving is the time when everyone gets together. This year we had about 30 people at my aunt's house. The funniest part is that none of these people are too far removed. They are all first cousins, aunts, uncles, and significant others.
3)Alcohol. Lots of alcohol. (Well, none for me. haha)
4) (which of course leads to) At least one Aunt (usually Paula, but sometimes my mother) declaring how great it is to have children-- the built in designated drivers
5) Swimming at the hotel, or this year just at my aunt's house because, of course, she has a pool...
6) Telling every story we can think of from grandkids weeks. Grandkids week is a tradition going way back to when all of the grandkids and not just one were still younger than high school age and Grandma would shut down the bed and breakfast for one week so we could all go up and stay in that little town where everyone knew we were Shirley's grandkids... there are lots of stories.
7) Some form of obnoxious behavior, depending on available technology. This year: karaoke. LOTS of karaoke.
8) Everything goes by age. Youngest first. Which is fine by me because it puts me right at 3rd.
9) Vincent gets the leg. I think it's because he is the youngest and thus went first for so long it became tradition, I don't know. But he always gets it.
10) Making jabs at things caused by the "Ginavan" gene, which include, but are not limited to, waking up early, making few stops while driving, the ability to fall asleep in public, etc.
11) I wanted to have ten, but then I remembered this one and knew it had to make the list. Joe Dirt. We always watch Joe Dirt.

So there you have it.

Others? Any good traditions worth sharing?

I think it has something to do with Xanga.

I'll tell you, unashamedly, this is mostly for Jana, because she asked me to start blogging again so she can know about my life.

And partially, for memory, because I've never been a very good journal-er.

I guess a little bit for the G-O-D because, I would like to hope that my small indent into cyberspace might bring Him glory.

And a little piece, of course, of the reason for this blog's existence is the fact I became addicted to blogging thanks to that stinking Xanga, sometime around my freshman year of high school. It's been a while, but I admit, it still feels good. I always like blogging more than facebooks and notes just don't really cut it. :)

I'm such a nerd, but I'm ok with that.

My first real post will include some pictures of my newly-created prayer tent. :). But I have to put up the finishing touches first. Oh, and everyone is invited to come see it and spend some time in it, but if you're a boy you have to wait until Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday. Oh, OBU.


So here's to the celebration of His love!
Cheers!
-VP