I love Thanksgiving. It is the one holiday I look forward to, and it’s not because of Black Friday or the time off I get, or even the food. It is because I get to see my family. Now that the Acosta kids are all grown up and living in different cities across Texas, getting us all together under one roof can be difficult. But this Thanksgiving I am looking forward to the family time, the laughs, the jokes and the catching up with life. This year is especially meaningful for the new addition to our family - my niece. She was born in June, a month ahead of schedule. An entire month in the neonatal intensive care unit and days of worry and prayer, but she is home now and I cannot wait to see her and everyone else! So you might guess that for me, Thanksgiving is the big enchilada. It is Christmas and New Year’s all wrapped up. You don’t mess with this holiday. This day has meant more to me as each year passes by, with the birth of my nephew Caleb a few years ago, with my new brother-in-law, Homer who married my sister last year and now my niece Ally. This holiday means more memories to make and good times to have.

Like I have said in my previous Thanksgiving column, we do not have a specific tradition to what we do each year; we just get together and eat a big Thanksgiving feast. This year will be a little different though and we will spend it in Austin and in Fort Worth as opposed to my parent’s house.

Like last year, to me Thanksgiving is about waking up early in the morning to the smell of coffee brewing, seeing my mom in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everyone and all of us gathering around the table.

Living so far away from family, gatherings like these mean a lot more to me, and I have learned to appreciate my family even more – even though sometimes I don’t call home as much as I should. (Sorry mom!)

We might joke. We might argue. But for me this much is true – I love that we can gather together and make memories like these. I grab on to this holiday more now that I am older (and wiser I hope). We are so busy in life that we sometimes forget to remember the great times we have.

What’s your favorite holiday? Let me know, aacosta@vicad.com