Thanksgiving

I apologize for my Thanksgiving blog being late. I had a great Thanksgiving this year, like always. Each yeah my family and I make the trip to Flint to stay with my Aunt Margaret. My other aunts and uncles from  various parts of the country join us as well. The Appel family has roots in Oregon, Washington, and California along with a few from Michigan. On the trip there we hit some hectic traffic, and getting off the highway at the craziest exit I have ever seen didn't help. This off ramp turned into a giant traffic circle with 5 entrances. We went to grab a bite to eat, and when we tried to get back on we ended up cruising down the highway in the opposite direction we were trying to go. When we finally arrived we were greeted with the sweet smell of apple and cherry pie. We spent Wednesday night celebrating all the major birthdays form the previous year. These consist of milestone birthdays and anniversaries. This year was my Aunts' 65th birthday, and my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. The festivities began with a loud screech filled rendition of happy birthday by my Aunt Margaret. After all the birthdays were done we ate some pizza and watched Michigan play (and defeat) UCLA in the Maui Invitational. The next day when I woke up I was hit with the smell of a 20 pound turkey roasting in the oven. We watched the lions lose in a pathetic fashion but didn't let that get our spirits down. Dinner was next. Mounds of mashed potatoes, hunks of turkey, a steaming mound of corn, and a roll garnished my plate. After dinner we sat around and watched the Cowboys game. At around 7 o'clock when all of my cousins and their wives arrived we went to the basement. Since my family lives across the country we have Christmas on Thanksgiving as well. Our Christmas is unlike most other families Christmas' however. We partake in wadding up balls of wrapping paper, and chucking it at each other. This can occur when opening a present, or simply not being on your toes. Being blasted in the face with a wad of paper is our way of saying "I love you." Crazy? Yes very. But it is what we do. After all the gifts are unwrapped, and the wrapping is picked up, we all head up stairs to eat some pie. This is a much less violent activity, and it is a great way to end the night. The night ends with everyone saying goodbye, and I'll see you in a year. Thanksgiving is a great time, and I really enjoy seeing my family. The great food and enormous amounts of laughter make it one of my favorite times of the year.