Who's Ready for Family Time?

Disclaimer: NOT my real family

Ah, Thanksgiving is almost here.  Time to gather around the big dining room table with all the members of our wonderful family.  The children, seated at the designated "kid table", will wait patiently to be served before showing off those excellent table manners (because we're at Grandma's, you know!)  Everyone will take their turn sharing what it is they are thankful for this year and after a prayer, we'll pass the food around and indulge in a delightful meal.    

Together.  As one big, happy family.  

Because that's totally what happens in most families. Right?

All right.  I'll confess.  Maybe it's a little less Leave it to Beaver and a little more The Hunger Games at my Thanksgiving.  

My family has a habit of throwing rolls across the table, telling embarrassing stories, and jumping on a pile of living room couch cushions with the little ones when we're finished eating. The kids aren't exactly what I would consider patient nor do they always remember those manners (even at Grandma's!)

Dear sweet baby Jesus, thank you for this fine meal ...  OMG I love this movie!

Between my family and my husband's family (his being MUCH crazier than mine) we can always count on a memorable Thanksgiving.  There was the time my brother-in-law made stuffing that looked more like mushy brains than something edible.  Or the time I made my brother laugh so hard that milk squirted out his nose (at the grown-up table, nonetheless!)   And who can forget when my niece found her uncle (okaymaybeitwasmyhusband) wearing her prom dress at the breakfast table the morning of one Thanksgiving. 

I have come to realize that no family is perfect.  Every family has their quirks.  I think that's why I love writing for the Heartwarming line so much. Heartwarming stories let us explore more than just the romance.  We get to meet the family and friends of these characters.  Their inappropriate joke-telling uncles and weird childhood friends get to make an appearance. 

In THE WEATHER GIRL, coming out in January, there is an entire cast of characters for readers to fall in love with, including a gentle giant of a grandfather, a meddling grandmother, and a brother who teases but always has his younger brother's back.  

The members of Heartwarming families may give one another a hard time and do embarrassing things at the worst possible moments, but they also care for one another something fierce, are willing to forgive and forget, and always have each other's best interests at heart.

Just like the people at my Thanksgiving. 

My REAL family (sorry, I don't have a pic of my husband in the prom dress!)

Who are you looking forward to seeing this Thanksgiving? Come on, tell me all about the crazies in your family!