by KRL teen staff

KRL asked our teen staff to share their favorite things about Thanksgiving, along with some of their favorite memories. We’d love to hear some of yours as well!

Autumn in New York

by Kristalyn Patskowski, 16, Reedley High School
Although it isn’t my favorite time of year, it is a time when I can relax and spend time with my family, or at least some of my family. Every year I go to my grandparents’ house, which is here in Reedley. I spend most of the day with them and then have a Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes a few relatives who live in Pasadena come; but in recent years, I’ve spent Thanksgiving evening with just my grandparents and my mom. It’s peaceful and there’s plenty of delicious food.
Maybe I’m biased, but I think that my grandpa makes the best food ever! And I have to give credit to my grandma for her famous mashed potatoes! But even when I smell the aroma of Thanksgiving in the air, I try to remember that there is only so much time, and I have to use that time to tell my friends and family just how much they mean to me.

by Laramie Woolsey, 18, Reedley College
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is just being with my family. When I was young, my family would spend Thanksgiving with my grandparents. My grandma would cook, and my grandpa would set the table, as my grandma tried to keep him away from the food.
We would go around the table and everyone would say what they were thankful for, and every year I said the same thing, “My family.” Ever since my grandma passed away, my appreciation for my family has only grown. But now it’s something I find myself being grateful for every day, and not just on this holiday. To some people, their friends are their family. For me, I guess it’s the other way around. They are all I’ll ever need. Regardless of what we do for the holidays, as long as we’re together, I have so much to be thankful for.

by Jacob Alvarado, 18, Reedley College
I love getting together with family and eating so much that we feel like we’re going to explode.
One interesting Thanksgiving memory I have is when I was about eight or nine and I was raking leaves at my grandma’s house. I saw something shiny. I picked it up and it was a ring. I go inside and ask if this is anyone’s, and turns out it was my aunt’s wedding ring. Apparently, it flew off her hand when she was getting out of her car.

by Cara Martin, 19, Reedley College
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is exactly what the words say: it is all about giving and being thankful; giving thanks for all that you have!
My favorite memory of Thanksgiving would have to be at a family get-together, when everyone was there and each of the arguments or differences from previous years were set aside and we were all able to be a family together.

by Aimee Lewis, 17, Reedley High School
Thanksgiving, for me, has been a very laid-back holiday. My memories of it are mostly of my family just getting together and eating a lot of food—a dinner that my sister made. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing. The food is probably one of the things that I like best about this holiday, along with getting together with my family. This Thanksgiving, I hope to make more great memories!

by Jessica Ham, 17, Reedley High School
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the stuffing. I like seeing my family but I love the stuffing even more. My favorite Thanksgiving memory was when we celebrated my Uncle Brian’s birthday and mine. We had chocolate pie instead of cake. 🙂

by Billiann Robertson, 16, Reedley High School
This time of year brings back so many memories. Thanksgiving is always a beautiful time to be thankful for all the great things God has blessed us with, amongst our family and close friends. The holiday reminds me of how blessed I am and I think we all need that. When I look back, I don’t remember a specific time; I remember all the love I have been surrounded with every year and the great food! I come from a Mennonite background and all of you who have had Zweibach know how great it is. As this time of year approaches again, I hope everyone can be reminded of the blessings in their lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

by Lauryn Crum, 17, Immanuel High School
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the homey feeling in the air. Whether it’s a pleasantly cold overcast day, or a pleasant and sunny seventy. I love sitting at home in casual dressy clothes eating a sort of cream cheese dip, half listening to the talk going on around me, with a book on my lap.
I love the smell of the turkey floating in from the kitchen, and the chairs gathered around our probably too-small table though no one actually cares. The fights over who gets to sit where, and next to whom, and when we are all finally gathered around the table and the turkey has been set down, the feeling of how we just have to wait only a few more minutes, though they last a lifetime while some one prays.
My favorite feeling is right when everyone finishes and we are all sitting around the table completely content, getting more wine, water, or whatever is age appropriate, and gearing up for pie.

Autumn in Visalia

by Shane Stoll, 15, Kingsburg High School
Thanksgiving is always a great time of the year for me. Eating is one of my all-time favorite things to do, and Thanksgiving allows for the perfect excuse to pig out. Every year we go to my nana’s house in Pismo. She always goes all out, not only with the food, but with all the decorations too.
One tradition my family and I do is that we don’t eat at all on Thanksgiving day until it’s dinner time, and we all weigh ourselves right before we eat. The one who gains the most weight after dinner is over is paid five dollars by everyone else. I won last year with a record gain of nine pounds! Another tradition we observe on Thanksgiving is going around the table and naming one thing we are most thankful for. These are some of the reasons why I have come to truly love Thanksgiving.

by Kaiti Ray, 17, Kingsburg High School
My favorite Thanksgiving memory was last year. My family went on a cruise with Carnival Cruise lines over Thanksgiving break—it was a 5 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas. They had a special formal Thanksgiving dinner where we all got to dress up.
On that cruise, I met one of my now very close friends because his family and my family were seated at the same table in the dining room. It was so much fun not only getting to spend the holiday with my family but his family too.

by Stephanie Barnett, 17, Reedley High School
I think my favorite part about Thanksgiving is getting to spend time with family and friends. And the presents! Since I was born on Thanksgiving, celebrating my birthday and Thanksgiving in the same week has become a normal thing. Being a Thanksgiving baby is interesting to say the least. So getting to see family for Thanksgiving AND my birthday is really great!

Please share with us your favorite things and memories about Thanksgiving!