The holidays are a wonderful time to spend time together and celebrate traditions as a family. Every family celebrates in their own unique way and develops their own traditions.

The holidays are a wonderful time to spend time together and celebrate traditions as a family. Every family celebrates in their own unique way and develops their own traditions. The Noem family has our own Thanksgiving traditions that we enjoy together.

On Thanksgiving morning, Kristi cooks breakfast including pumpkin pancakes and quiche. We do a CrossFit workout together or do the Watertown Turkey Trot, then we put on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sometimes we play board games around the table (Yahtzee! is a favorite). We have football on for the rest of the day, and sometimes we play as a family (we are a pretty competitive bunch). And we go to bed grateful to God for all of our blessings.

We usually don’t put up any Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving is over. But Kristi broke that rule this year so that she could spend a special day decorating the house with our granddaughter Addie!

No matter what we’re doing, we’re spending time together. Thanksgiving hasn’t become so commercialized like other holidays. The focus really is on spending time with family, as it should be.

There’s a lot to be thankful for in the world. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family. I am incredibly blessed with a great one. God has blessed us in so many ways. He blesses us with a community that we love. I am blessed to visit small towns across South Dakota as part of my First Gentleman’s Initiative. Kristi and I are blessed with three wonderful children, three beautiful grandchildren, and a fourth on the way! We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and we get to live in the best and freest nation in the world. I could go on, but you get the point – there’s so much to be thankful for.

Most of all, our family is blessed to live in this wonderful state serving the incredible people who call South Dakota home. I hope that you all have the opportunity to spend time with your loved-ones this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving!