enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

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I'm home in Sacramento. My dad is on his way home from the airport with my little/big brother who just flew in from LA. Frank Sinatra is on the CD player. I have two loaves of bread to bake and (what else?) Brussels sprouts to make. There is more than enough coffee to go around. I am so thankful for all of the above.

It's just going to be the four of us this Thanksgiving. And it's probably the last "just the four of us" Thanksgiving we will ever have. Paul is scheduled to be home the next few Novembers (I'm also thankful for that) and someday, when he is out of the country again, there will hopefully be a little E or a little P thrown into the mix.

So I am savoring this last holiday of just the Blaha's. We'll eat roasted turkey and drink red wine. We'll watch football and start Modern Family season one on DVD (which somehow, no one has seen but me). We'll reminisce about the big USC game last Saturday and catch up on stories.

I wish so much that Paul was home. I wish so much that this deployment was over. But he isn't. And it isn't. And so we make do. We'll be toasting him and praying for him.

To my American friends, happy, happy Thanksgiving. To everyone, hug your loved ones tight today.

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21 responses to “it’s thanksgiving morning.”

  1. Brianna Avatar
    Brianna

    Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you get to talk to Paul again soon!

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  2. Jen Krenzer Avatar
    Jen Krenzer

    Brussel sprouts were featured on the Today show as a Thanksgiving side! Thanks for making that veggie a little less scary, who knew how tasty they could be?
    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45360612/ns/today-food/t/sides-can-star-roasted-brussels-sprouts-more/#.Ts56xIAbWCk

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  3. Lexi Avatar
    Lexi

    Happy Thanksgiving! I just wanted to write and let you know that I think you are a wonderful example of showing gratitude all of the time.

    Like

  4. Ammchand Avatar

    Every time I read your blog I am comforted to know that I am not alone in missing my love, but a lump forms in my throat knowing you are (sometimes) sad too. I am glad you get to enjoy Thanksgiving with your family…know that I am thankful for you and praying for Paul too.

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  5. Laney Avatar
    Laney

    Happy Thanksgiving! I like how you’re looking at the bright side.

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  6. Dunia Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving, Elise!
    My husband is also celebrating it but I’m in Spain missing him and wishing to be cooking for him some turkey.
    This is also going to be our last Thanksgiving separate so I’m thankful for that.
    I hope you enjoy it 🙂

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  7. alice Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving from France ! Enjoy your time with your family.

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  8. elizah09 Avatar
    elizah09

    Thank you for your positive attitude and inspiring posts, hope you have a happy & delicious Thanksgiving!

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  9. mer Avatar
    mer

    beautiful!
    p.s. you will love modern family. good stuff… just sayin 😉

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  10. Kal Barteski Avatar

    Your gratitude over flows. To a great Thanksgiving – with the best ones yet to come.

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  11. Katie Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving from New Zealand 🙂

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  12. Maja Belavic Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving Elise! Will hug my loved ones reeeeeallll tight and I’m also sending you reeeeeaaaal big hugs across the Atlantic!

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  13. Amanda Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving, Elise!

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  14. mr usa deeds Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving day to all of you guys. 🙂

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  15. Malcom Karibad Avatar

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    Take care and hope to hear from you! 🙂

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  16. Annemiek Avatar
    Annemiek

    Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Elise, even though it’s a day late. Hang in there, you are doing so well and it will end this deployment, really, it will.

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  17. Rebekah Hanna-Lozano Avatar

    My husband’s grandmother passed away (from cancer) Thursday evening, surrounded by her family. We toasted her with homemade ice cream because she loved it, and had asked for it earlier that day. Then, to cheer us up, we had a Modern Family marathon that lasted all night long 🙂 Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful, and praying that Paul comes home safely to enjoy so many more Thanksgivings with you.

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  18. Jenn Avatar

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and to Paul… I’m not sure where he is exactly, but if he is where I was for last thanksgiving, I’m wondering if the holiday decor is the same…. I posted pics on my blog from last year’s deployed thanksgiving.. the decor is bizarr-o world. same thing for Christmas and pretty much every holiday, I think I was there for president’s day or Martin Luther King day too… Anyway, I hope you had a fun relaxing family time on Thanksgiving.

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  19. elise blaha Avatar

    oh man. I will have to send paul a link to those photos to hear if it is the same!! so glad you are home this year. 🙂

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  20. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Elise – I can’t imagine being away from my husband for as long as you and Paul have to be, so I am hugging Trent tight. I truly appreciate the sacrifices made by our military and their families. I am glad that you cherished the time you had with the “original” Blahas. Once in a very rare while, the “original” Massons are all in a room just the five of us, and it is an amazing feeling. One I actually miss from time to time. So, enJOY it. Love from Minnesota!

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  21. Daphna Avatar

    I wish Paul was there with you too.
    I’ve been following you for a while now, and I’m thinking of him too.
    I can only hope that you make the most of the time that he is gone (as it seems that you do). I really admire you for your attitude and perspective you take on the whole deployment thing. I used to feel sorry for my self that my husband would go abroad for a ~week every month, but it seems like nothing at all compared to these 8 months. Hang on in there 🙂

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