The only bad thing about spending time with your family on Thanksgiving is having to say goodbye to them at the end of the day. At least, when your family is as awesome as mine.

After a little socializing with some family members I haven't seen for years, a good number of us gorged on chili, tamales, turkey, and all sorts of traditional thanksgiving sides, and after that, I played volleyball with a few cousins and aunts and uncles for hours, until it was dark; taking a break or two for some more food and some tylenol.

Unfortunately, we couldn't finish a game of cranium, but there's always next year.

Never forget what's important to you when this holiday comes around. I'm luckily to have such a large extended family, but a lot of them wont be around forever. We've lost many, but that hasn't stopped us from getting together to have fun and remember why we love each other so much. It's so cliche, but it's an inquantifiably immense treasure that needs to be protected. Always keep your loved ones close.