Happy Fakesgiving...

Due to the nature of Popeye's career and the fact that his "business" literally NEVER closes, we've run into the dilemma this year that we will have to spend all holidays apart. Praise to God, who must have known I would marry a man in law enforcement, I was prepared from birth to cope with this situation. My grandfather owned an ambulance company for 30+ years, so from a very young age I learned to celebrate holidays on a whim, at a station, on the run, or surrounded by my grandparents, mother, aunt, and several random men and women all dressed in uniform. :)

Popeye not being at holidays is tough, I won't lie. But the hardest part for me hasn't been that I'm missing him (although I am!), it has been the fact that he is missing out on experiencing the holidays with his son and family. So I've tried to make it a point to create special traditions for us that can be enjoyed regardless of his work schedule.

My first order of business? Fakesgiving.

I took the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off from work and busied myself in the kitchen baking and sauteing and roasting and mixing. I chopped, I pureed, and blended. Swee'Pea was on his best behavior that day, obviously sensing that mommy had something wonderful up her sleeves. And while I worked in the kitchen I sang Christmas songs, watched old Christmas movies on my laptop, and I prayed. I prayed and thanked God for my husband who sacrifices so much for us. I prayed and I thanked God for our health, for our home, for the things that we have and the things that we are so blessed not to have. I spent the day feeling truly happy and giddy at the prospect of the wonderful evening to come.

At a bit after 7:00, Popeye walked in to his very own surprise Fakesgiving dinner. Granted, there were some minor crises along the way... the turkey took too long to roast, and the bread was slightly doughy in the middle while crusty on the bottom due to oven temperature variance issues with the various dishes (oh please oh please can I someday get a double oven!!!). But the food was delicious, the conversation delightful, and the company even better.

Simple but sweet.

There was turkey and stuffing, potatoes both sweet and mashed, bread and butter, and champagne and delicious Pomtinis to boot!

I swear... they had fun. :)

Guess the Disney character!

And what would Fakesgiving be without delicious apple pie (with a sweet little birdie on top!)

It may not have been a table scape to write home about (I tried not to cringe at my lack luster efforts at creating a Marthaesque center piece. But planning this on the fly and having to do it in secret left no room for last-minute crafting). But it was special none-the-less. And I'm excited to spend many more Fakesgivings with the this little family that I cherish so dearly.