As we begin this holiday season, I have been reflecting on the things I am most grateful for, family, friends, and good neighbors.
Thanksgiving is a time to join with family and friends and give thanks for the blessings and freedoms that we enjoy every day. I am thankful for my loving family and so appreciative of the opportunity to serve as the mayor of our wonderful town.
The strength of our town comes from you, our residents. I am thankful that we have active and caring citizens who are involved in their community. I am thankful to live in a community where we have so many residents who volunteer their time to make wonderful things happen in our town.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving, please remember to reach out to those who are less fortunate. That giving spirit helps make our community a special place to live.
I wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
From Mayor Pro Tem Steve Hill: To me, Thanksgiving is the official beginning of the holiday season and spending time with family. Thanksgiving has typically been spent with family and very close friends. In recent years, we have decided to leave cooking to others and have gone to local eateries for great food! Thanksgiving Day parades (on TV) are also popular in my family.
From Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Rudy Castillo: Although everyday should be a day in which we give thanks, Thanksgiving is the day we honor these blessings collectively as a nation and individually as families.
Having just retired this year, I am particularly grateful for having been fortunate enough to come to the United States as a young boy, become a citizen, serve my country in the Air Force, and complete a long and successful career in the airlines. With the many difficult challenges facing so many these days, I never lose sight of how fortunate I have been and how much God has blessed my life and my family. My prayer this season is for you and yours to enjoy some peace this coming holiday season and into 2022.
From Council Member Larry Johnson: Our family has had the pleasure of enjoying Thanksgiving in different parts of the U. S. and Brazil. The common thread has always been we are thankful for our many blessings and enjoying a special meal with family and friends.
One of our strangest memories was our celebration in Brazil in 1982. At the time I was an attorney at BakerMcKenzie, and we had been posted to Rio de Janeiro (I am fluent in Portuguese and practiced law in Brazil). We quickly discovered that celebrating a unique U. S. holiday in a foreign country is not easy (only the U. S. and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving). Unfortunately, many of the Thanksgiving ingredients (turkey, cranberries, pecan pie) are not commonly available. Nonetheless, Carla and I set out to have a proper celebration. Carla was able to source the key ingredients, and we had a Saturday afternoon feast. All turned out well, and we were able to enjoy and give thanks.
From Council Member Dale Andrews: I think of Thanksgiving as a time of “Life.” Yes, Thanksgiving is turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, fall decorations, changing of the weather, this is the visible that we see. It really means family and friends getting together for a meal to celebrate “Life” that God has provided for each one of us. The main focal point is “Life.”
Our family has added a twist to the Thanksgiving Day by adding a basketball tournament (to get rid of some of the calories). Watching the football game, kids playing in the treehouse, and then eat some more. Thanksgiving together is celebrating “Life.”
From Council Member Jeff Mayer: Our family usually gets together for dinner and football watching. As with most families as we grow it gets harder every year to have everyone in one place, so many holidays are spread across several days anymore. That being said, even pumpkin pie and whip cream gets a little “old” after several dinners. One thing we do at each get together is say thanks for America, Texas and the troops who keep us safe. Troops from our military, our police officers, and our firefighters. It is important keep them in mind when we enjoy our families’ freedoms.
From Town Administrator Donna Welsh: I love Thanksgiving because it’s a chance to see family and friends all together. I like to cook while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Football is a big part of our family, so we always watch the games. Thanksgiving weekend is special because everyone steps away from their work life and focuses on family. It’s also fun because it is the start of the Christmas Season. Usually, one of my grandchildren offers the blessing before the meal. It reminds us that if it weren’t for God we wouldn’t have all of these blessings.
From Town Secretary Sheila Morales: Thanksgiving to me…One of my favorite memories from Thanksgiving while growing up, is that each year my family would spend Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family every year. The fun thing about it was that my mom was one of eight brothers and sisters and so there were lots of cousins to spend time with. Each year a different aunt or uncle would host. Wonderful memories that I’m so thankful for.
From Building Permit Administrator Steve Adams: Every year, as Thanksgiving starts to draw near, I find myself looking forward to it more and more with a sense of inner anticipation. As family has been spread out throughout the years, it has always been a joyful time of getting together to see and spend time with loved ones again. I especially look forward to the adventure of planning and cooking something amazing with mom, and then enjoying the fruits of our labor with the gang. I’m very thankful to God for a beautiful family, and the peace and prosperity we have to enjoy it together.
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