southern comfort

no, the title of this entry is not a reference to my recent 21st birthday. haha. i have been spending the past week at home with my family during my fall break from classes, and in the spirit of thanksgiving, i thought it might be nice to dedicate a blog post to the ones i am most grateful for...drew, judy, and meredith. unlike many, i've been blessed with a family that loves me and supports me and most importantly, has a good sense of humor. HA. as you may know, my family hails from the great state of Louisiana, and while we've done some relocating throughout my life, the southern roots of my family have persevered. our thanksgiving tradition is not turkey and stuffing, but rather gumbo - a dish that is purely cajun and therefore purely southern. there is something so reassuring about sitting down with a bowl of gumbo in my family's home...like everything is right in the world...and in the midst of chaos, life slows down, and i am comforted in knowing that my family will always be my family. and while some criticize the south for various reasons, the hospitality rumors really are true, and i was reminded of how important such kindness is within my own family considering mom invited about 25 people to come share the gumbo with us at the house this year. this summer i got to spend a week on vacation with my family, and we moved our usual beach week a little further south and went all the way down to Charleston...which is pretty much the center of southern charm. my family fit right in the day we went downtown, but i'd forgotten the heat! apparently i kept saying, "i'm dyyyyyyyyin' back here!" because my dad says it all the stinkin' time now. anyways...here are a few shots from our trip to charleston...be thankful for your family this time of year!