40th Birthday + Thanksgiving = Most Awesome Two Days Ever

I have two children but have often considered having four or six. If anyone were to ask me why, I would say, "I just want lots of people around the table at Thanksgiving." Clearly, I was thinking too small. A big Thanksgiving involves way more than one table.

This year at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Mark's house in Texas, there were 31 people around multiple tables--in the dining room, at the breakfast nook, in the hallway, at the bar, outside on the deck. As we said grace as a group and drew numbers to see who would go first in the food line (Grandma, almost 90, got dibs), my eyes filled with tears. I felt the immediate urge to offer someone one of my kidneys. I love these people--all of them, even especially the crazy ones. Obviously, you don't need to birth a bunch of kids to have a good Thanksgiving. You just need food, hospitality and a few wild cards to keep it fun. Wine helps, too.

Whenever I visit my dad's side of the family in Texas, the time always goes too fast. I stay up late and wake early, worried that I'm going to miss an inside joke, a grocery store run, a life-changing conversation or a cocktail. Every time I leave the room, I want to say to everyone, "Don't do anything or say anything until I get back."

The day before Thanksgiving, we celebrated my 40th birthday. Breakfast started with mimosas and a quick trip to the antique store with Aunt Van, who bought me an awesome cowboy girl hat. Then lunch under the trees of La Hacienda with my dad and stepmom who drove in from Houston. We then hurried to a pre-party at my Uncle Phil and Aunt Daria's house, which made us late for happy hour at my Aunt Chrissie and Uncle Mike's.

If you've never had 30+ people singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs while your grandma sits on one side and your daughter stands on the other, you're missing out. I wish I'd thought to videotape it, but in a way I'm glad I didn't. Sometimes, you just have to live in the moment and drink it in.

Before we knew it, the party had moved back to Aunt Mary's where we were all spending the night. At 1 a.m., my cousin James said, "We should change your flight, so you can stay longer!" Kinder words were never said. I want to remember them, so I can use them the next time I need a to hand out the perfect compliment. We stayed up till 3, solving all the problems of the world and texting our other cousins.

Here are just a few highlights from this quick trip:

I love that my Uncle Phil pours beer the exact same way my Granddad did.

I love that walking into my grandma's retirement home made me happy instead of sad, because it's the kind of place where they bring alpacas to visit the residents.

I love that we have a family who brings kegs to Thanksgiving dinner.

I love that when I say "Old Guard picture!" to my cousins, they know to sit on either side of me.

I love that my Aunt Jackie wears shoes like this:

And that my Uncle Kenny wears boots with his name stitched in them.

I love that Aunt Mary and I both love to shop in Fredricksburg. "We are so much alike," she said proudly.

I love listening to my dad and my Uncle Phil talk about anything. I also love that they can't help but look cool even when they're just standing in front of a random tree.

I love that cousin Tommy totally rocks that Graham Parsons shirt

I love that Aunt Chrissie bought a chili pepper skirt at Goodwill and--out of all the people in the world--I was the one she thought should have it.

I love that my cousin Jack played tag with Lila even though she's six and he's 21. Jack's dad, Uncle Kenny, used to do the same with me when I was her age.

I love that Grandma and Billie (my Uncle Mike's mom) are the cutest matriarchs I've ever seen:

I love that cousin Mick fell asleep, giving me and James the opportunity to decorate. I also love that when James got excited about TCU beating UT, he screamed and woke Mick up, sending pumpkins flying everywhere.

I love that next year we'll do it all over again.