What do you do for Black Friday?

     I hope that everyone had a spectacular Thanksgiving filled with laughter and fellowship and food.  Lots and lots of food.  My son, the 12 year old, ate himself silly yesterday.  He had an enormous dinner and then went off to play/read/watch Food Network.  Half an hour later he came back to the table and loaded up another massive plate of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, veggies, rolls, cranberry fluff and gravy.  Here's how our interaction went:

• Me: Son...are you hungry again?
• Boy: No.  I'm still stuffed.
• Me: Son...why are you piling food on your plate if you are stuffed?
• Boy: When I get hungry again I won't have to wait to dish everything up.

He then disappeared again.  In another half hour he was at the table devouring half the food on his plate.  He then groaned, staggering away from the table.  I watched this cycle repeat a couple of times yesterday.  My wife suggested that he is probably growing.  I told her to brace herself because this may not be a growth spurt...this may be the new normal.

What do you do for the day after Thanksgiving...other than avoid the scales?  I know a lot of people who shop.  I worked in retail for a couple of years and so at 2:30 on Black Friday morning I will wake up...look at the time...smile and then go back to bed...thankfulness and gratitude for this job washing over my body.  I know a lot of people who pull out their Christmas decorations and dive into setting up for December.  I know a lot of people who eagerly attack the Thanksgiving leftovers, vehemently claiming that the food is better on the 2nd day than it is on the first.

Here at Joel's Place we take a different approach.  We pull a Groundhog's Day.  We do Thanksgiving all over again for our kids.  Most of them had a chance to eat yesterday.  Some did not.  All of them are like my son who inhale food like oxygen.  We cook up a complete Thanksgiving feast with turkey, potatoes, green beans, pies and stuffing...remember the stuffing.  We will eat together as a family and then have a night full of entertainment and games.  We will have an open mic and talent show.  There will probably be some magic tricks involved.  We will have a stuffing carving contest...3D sculptures made out of stove top that are guaranteed to incite laughter and awe.

The Holidays are about joyful celebration, no matter what home is like for you.  Here at Joel's Place we have the privilege and honor to have Thanksgiving with these amazing young people...even if it is a day late.

Have an incredible holiday season!