“Some of the best traditions aren't the ones we planned. They're the ones we keep coming back to because they feel like home.”

Well, here we fucking go! LOL. The office closed sign was officially flipped late last night, or early this morning depending on how you choose to look at time, and today is going to be a full-on sprint to the finish line. We've got vehicle repairs, cleaning, packing, errands and approximately seventeen other things that need to happen before we can officially say we're ready to hit the road. And considering how the last few days have gone around here, I'm pretty sure at some point today I'll be standing in the middle of a room wondering what the hell I walked in there for, only to remember three other things I was supposed to be doing. lol

But here's the thing. As crazy as today is probably going to be, I am SO looking forward to this weekend. Hubby, the chichis and I are heading to the lake for our yearly Thanksgiving horseshoe tournament, and it's become one of those traditions that I absolutely refuse to let disappear from our calendar. Even if it's the only trip hubby and I manage to squeeze in together all year, this is one we make a point of doing. There's just something about getting away from the everyday routine, leaving the work behind for a few days and spending time together somewhere that holds so many memories.

A few years ago, hubby and I decided to bring back one of his childhood traditions. He grew up going to this lake, spending time there with family and playing horseshoes, and somewhere along the way, life did what life tends to do. People grow up, jobs take them different places, families get busy and those yearly traditions sometimes become stories you tell instead of things you still do. So we decided to change that. We started going back, and what began as revisiting something from his childhood has turned into one of my favourite parts of our year.

And honestly, one of my favourite things about going isn't even the horseshoes. Don't get me wrong, I love playing, and there's definitely some friendly competition involved, but I absolutely LOVE listening to the stories. There's something hilarious about sitting around with people who knew your husband when he was just a little shit running around in cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and, of course, his shades. LMAO I mean, I've known this man for a whole lot of years, but these people knew a version of him that existed long before I came along. They remember the little cowboy running around the lake, the things he got into, the people who were there and all those little pieces of childhood that make up someone's story. And every year, I get to hear a little more of it.

There's actually a whole lot of family history tied to this lake, and not just from when hubby was a little cowboy running around in his boots and shades. His grandparents had a cabin there, his dad built a cabin there with his own two hands, and his Uncle Jim, who's thankfully still with us, was the architect behind the family cabins. In fact, Jim also designed the cabin whose septic field lawn we all gather on every year to play horseshoes. Yep, you read that right. We're out there throwing horseshoes on a septic field, and somehow that just makes the whole tradition even better. LOL. Bob Sr. sold his cabin years before hubby and I even met, and he hadn't been to the tournament in a long time, but that doesn't change how much of his family's history is woven into that place.

And this year, I know there's going to be a little extra emotion mixed in with all the excitement. Because as we drive past the cabin Sr. built, I know I'll be thinking about him. I know there will be condolences, hugs and probably a whole lot of stories shared by people who knew him long before I ever did. And while I'm absolutely looking forward to the weekend, I also know there might be a few moments that catch us off guard. Grief has a funny way of doing that, especially when you find yourself somewhere that holds so many memories of someone you've lost.

One of my favourite parts of the tournament actually happens before the first horseshoe is even thrown. We all raise a glass to remember the people who helped build the traditions we're still enjoying today, especially those who are no longer with us. There are families whose roots at that lake go back generations, just like Bob's, and there are plenty of people who have joined the tradition much more recently. But when tournament weekend rolls around, none of that really matters. We're all family. We laugh together, compete against each other, share stories and raise a glass to the people who aren't physically there to join us anymore.

And this year, Bob Sr. will be one of the people I'm thinking about when we raise that glass. Not because he was standing there playing horseshoes with us every Thanksgiving, because he hadn't attended in years, but because he was part of the history that made this place what it is. I imagine there will be a few tears, but I also know there will be plenty of laughter. Honestly, I'm looking forward to hearing the stories, including the ones that might make hubby shake his head and wonder what the hell his dad was getting up to back in the day. LOL. That's the beautiful thing about being surrounded by people who've known a family for generations. They remember versions of the people we love that we never got to see ourselves.

And maybe that's part of why this weekend has become so important to me. It's not just about the lake or the horseshoes anymore. It's about generations of families, old friendships, new faces and memories that continue growing even as the people around us change. It's about honouring the people who came before us while making room for the ones who are just becoming part of the story. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, there's hubby and me, bringing the chichis back for another Thanksgiving weekend and adding a few more memories of our own.

Of course, we can't talk about our lake traditions without talking about the chichis, because apparently they're a pretty important part of the whole experience too. LOL. I can't remember if it was our second or third year going, but we showed up with half a litter of Chihuahua puppies. And let me tell you, those little buggers were an absolute HIT. They got packed around, snuggled, spoiled and loved on by pretty much everyone who could get their hands on them. I swear there were moments when I wasn't entirely sure where all my puppies were because somebody always had one tucked into their arms. LOL

Beans was one of those puppies.

And here's the part that makes me smile every damn time I think about it. Some of the kids who fell in love with those puppies still come looking for them every single year. Except those little kids aren't so little anymore. They're teenagers now, running around on their quads, doing their own thing and enjoying their weekends at the lake. But they still make a point of coming over to wherever we're staying, even if it's only for a couple of minutes, to say hello and give Beans his yearly snuggles.

How fucking sweet is that?

Seriously, think about that for a minute. These kids have grown up, their lives are changing, they've got friends and activities and all the things teenagers would rather be doing, but somewhere in their Thanksgiving weekend there's still a little tradition of stopping by to visit three Chihuahuas. And especially Beans, because he's been part of their lake memories since he was just a tiny little puppy being passed around the horseshoe tournament.

I don't know why, but that one gets me right in the feels. Maybe it's because I've been thinking so much lately about how traditions change as our kids grow up. Maybe it's because I'm missing my own boys a little extra with the holidays here. Or maybe it's simply because it's a beautiful reminder that sometimes the smallest things we do become part of somebody else's favourite memories, and we don't even realize it while they're happening.

When we first started going back to the lake, I don't think either of us had any idea how much this weekend would come to mean to us. We were just taking a few days to get away, play some horseshoes and reconnect with a place hubby loved growing up. We weren't setting out to create some big meaningful family tradition. We certainly weren't planning on becoming the people whose Chihuahuas have their own annual fan club!!! But here we are, years later, and it's something we look forward to every single Thanksgiving.

And of course, because my brain can never just enjoy something without dreaming a little bigger, I've already got ideas for what I'd love this tradition to become in the future. I would absolutely LOVE for us to have our own cabin at the lake someday. Somewhere we could escape to whenever we wanted, somewhere the dogs would know was their second home, and somewhere we could invite our boys to come spend time with us. I can picture weekends with everyone sitting around visiting, horseshoes being played, meals being shared and maybe someday a whole new generation of little ones running around making memories of their own.

Will it happen exactly the way I picture it? Who the hell knows. LOL. But it's one of those dreams I keep tucked away while I work toward everything else we're building. And honestly, it's a pretty good reminder of why I'm putting so much effort into growing my coaching business, getting my programs ready and building a life that gives us more freedom. It's not just about the business itself. It's about being able to create more moments like these without having to squeeze them into the tiny spaces left between work schedules.

For now, though, I'm perfectly happy with our yearly trip, our friends at the lake, the familiar faces and the three little Chihuahuas who apparently have a social calendar of their own. lol I know there will be stories, laughter, probably a few sore muscles from playing horseshoes and at least one moment where I'll look around and think about how grateful I am that we brought this tradition back. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I'll get to watch my husband reconnect with a little piece of the childhood he loved so much.

But before any of that can happen, I've got a rather ridiculous Thursday to get through. The truck needs to be ready, the bags need to be packed, the house needs some attention and I've got a list sitting here that is practically daring me to forget something. At least this time I don't have to worry about airline luggage limits, although I suspect the chichis will still manage to bring more shit than the two of us combined. LOL.

So with that, I suppose I best get my butt in gear and start knocking things off this list. To all my Canadian friends, I hope you have an absolutely AMAZING Thanksgiving long weekend filled with good food, great company and whatever traditions make your heart happy. And to my friends in the States, consider this your official excuse to sneak in an extra turkey or ham dinner. You can thank me later!!!

I'd actually love to hear about your family traditions too. Are there things you've been doing since you were a kid? Traditions you've brought back as an adult? Or maybe something completely unexpected that started as a random weekend and somehow became one of your favourite things every year?

Because sometimes it's not the big, expensive, perfectly planned adventures that become our favourite memories. Sometimes it's a familiar lake, a few horseshoes, childhood stories, old friends and a bunch of teenagers who still remember a little tan Chihuahua they fell in love with years ago.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a truck to get back on the road, bags to pack and a Thanksgiving weekend waiting for us.

Let's go Do the Dang Thang!