Jenny Winston diary: 'Tis the season

EDITOR'S NOTE:

. She provides periodic diary entries on a range of topics to give fans a woman's perspective on the NFL and life off the field.

*When I think about Thanksgiving as a kid, I remember looking forward to a few days off from school and being able to sleep in a little later than usual. It was so great to wake up to the smell of turkey and sweet potato pie just in time to catch the last hour of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

My family and I then would enjoy the tasty meal that I looked forward to all year long, just in time to catch kickoff for the Lions game. Immediately after came the Cowboys - the second in the lineup of football games that were a very big part of our Thanksgiving tradition. I guess that's what to be expected when you're the daughter of a former college football coach.

And wouldn't you know it, I ended up marrying an NFL player. Holidays are a little bit different now than they once were. This Thanksgiving holiday started off with a bang - actually it was more like a chirping noise coming from my husband's iPhone at 5:45 a.m. While the rest of the world was busy taking full advantage of their holiday and getting their beauty rest, Eric was getting ready to head into the office.

While the Texans didn't have an actual game on Thanksgiving, they were still hard at work preparing for the Colts game. In the NFL, the schedule is different every year around the holidays. Some teams may actually have games on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day during their season. Other teams may be preparing for a home game, or traveling to a city where they will be playing a game shortly after the holiday.

NFL players and their families must become accustomed to celebrating holidays slightly different than most people. I am truly thankful to be part of the Houston Texans organization because not only does Eric have a strong bond with his teammates on the field, our family has a strong friendship with many other families within the organization. So if we need to celebrate a holiday a day early or a few days late, so be it! We know that we are lucky to have a wonderful group of people in Houston to spend time with. And we also know that there won't be many leftovers taking up room in the fridge! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I am looking forward to a great month of December filled with wins! I appreciate you taking the time to read my diary, and I look forward to hearing from you! Until next time...GO TEXANS!!! =)

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