Say It

three

thanksgiving | los angeles, california

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For me, spending the holidays with my family was a blessing. I was aware of the fact that there were people who didn't have the opportunity to do so. I never took it for granted.

I also enjoyed the feast that came along with being around them. My mom never cooked for Thanksgiving, only for Christmas.

She hired five star chefs for the event and they never seemed to disappoint. Of course they cooked before the big day so they could spend the holidays with their own families.

The long tables in the dining room were laden with stuffing, roasted turkey, candy yams, mac and cheese, collard greens and rolls.

Three benches that were dedicated to desserts had on them lemon tarts, rhubarb crème brûlée, orange blossom cakes, minted strawberries fresh from the garden, meringues so beautifully shaped it was a pity to eat them and apple strudels served with ice-cream.

There were decadent chocolate bonbons that oozed rum cream on first bite. Drinks for the children ranged from orange juice to candy apple punch, whereas the grown-ups socialised around a waterfall wine chiller and champagne fountain that sparkled with flames.

Chase, with his head down in his phone, nearly ran into one of the benches garnering an eye glare from our mom. He mouthed an apology before slipping his phone into his pocket.

Sir Chase had, ironically, calmed down so much from when he was younger. Maybe because he'd soon be fifteen and he was beginning to smell himself. However, he and Papa often go into it because of that exact reason. Or maybe because Chase was a huge Mama's boy.

He was still very much into sports, but he enjoyed the camera. Unlike his Dad, however, he wanted to be in front of the camera.

Sir Chase Ingram

Jamila filled her small plate with chocolate bonbons. She loved sweets, much like her big sister. I believed that Jamila was sweeter, however. Many believed that I was just like our mom, but Jamila took the cake.

I knew eventually she was going to be a Philanthropist like our mom. She just had all of the qualities. At her age, I was captivated with how aware and intelligent she was. She was also well spoken and well informed. Also, she was a huge Daddy's girl.