This Thanksgiving, we sat down with Dave and Dana Williams – Houseparents in the Spradling-Mason Home – as they shared their favorite Thanksgiving traditions that they and their boys participate in with their extended family every year.
1. What is your home/family doing for Thanksgiving this year?
Every year since being at Big Oak we go home to North Georgia for the week of Thanksgiving. Dave’s mom and my mom and step dad live 4 minutes apart and we stay at their houses. All of our parents are approved to keep our boys! We celebrate with my family Thursday and Dave’s family Friday.
2. What is it like spending the holidays with your Big Oak Family and extended family?
Our family always includes our boys. They treat them just like we do because they are our kids! Our boys have gotten to know our extended family and look forward to coming Georgia for Thanksgiving every year.
3. What is a Thanksgiving tradition that your family shares?
One tradition we have all come to love is frying pickles before dinner. We fry our turkeys so once they are done we batter and fry pickles and eat them on the back porch.
4. What does family mean to you?
Family is made up of people you choose to do life with. Dave and I have no biological children. We have adopted 7 kids and have our 6 boys. To us, family loves unconditionally, shows up even on the hard days, and doesn’t require DNA.
5. What is your favorite thing about sharing holidays with your children at Big Oak?
love that our boys get to see what extended family really looks like. They remember our boys and call them by name. They remember their favorite snacks and include them in all our special occasions. Our entire family treats our boys just like they should….as family.