The month of November is finally here, and my family is really excited. Somehow, it seems like the stars have aligned for a weeklong family vacation to Pike’s Peak in Colorado!

Normally around this time of year, we’d stay home and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my wife’s family, and then scoot over to my family on the Saturday after for more family time. This year, we decided to go it alone in the Colorado mountains. We’re only missing three days of work, and the kids have all week off from school, so it could hardly have worked out any better.

We’re looking to stay in a five-bedroom cabin with a sauna and a pool table. Plus, right outside the cabin, there’s sure to be a rare treat for us Louisianans: snow! Some of my kids have never seen snow before, so I’m looking forward to sharing that with them with some snow sledding and maybe a snowball fight or two. There’s also a train that runs up Pike’s Peak, so we’ll hopefully have a chance to do that. Otherwise, all we have planned is relaxation!

I really mean that, too. The amount of prep work involved in a typical Thanksgiving is huge, but when we decided to set ourselves up in a cabin in Pike’s Peak, we actively looked for places in the area that’d be open for Thanksgiving. It’s definitely non-traditional for us to forego cooking a big Thanksgiving feast, but I’d say it is in keeping with a relaxing week off.

It’s a priority for us to have at least one fairly big family vacation with our kids each year, and we didn’t have a chance to do anything over the summer. Colorado is our opportunity to make up for it. In the spirit of the holiday, I’m thankful that we have the blessing of being able to celebrate with our kids this way, and that we can spend that time together.

As my siblings and I have gotten older, it’s gradually become more about our own families, rather than spending time with each other. As much as I cherish the time I have with them, I know I’m a lucky man to have my own lovely family to joke around with, talk to, and spoil rotten (every once in a while).

I hope you get to do the same with your family this Thanksgiving. Even though it’s a cliché, we should remember that we’re all blessed. There are so many things to be thankful for.

Thank you for putting your trust in me. We value and appreciate each and every one of you!

– Waylon Bergeron