Since moving to Maine over six years ago, Michael and I have always celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday by cooking a quiet meal for two or joining a few friends for dinner, knowing that we’d end up in North Carolina with our families during Christmas. This year, we decided to mix things up a bit and spend Thanksgiving down south, our first time doing so since college. Luckily our families only live an hour or so apart, so splitting time on holidays between the two isn’t too difficult. Our plan of attack – a Thanksgiving breakfast with my family in Southern Pines, followed by a turkey feast with Michael’s family in High Point that afternoon.

One of the best parts about waking up in my hometown on Thanksgiving morning was the opportunity to attend the annual Blessing of the Hounds for the first time. Michael and I had been wanting to experience the mock-fox hunt and opening meet of the Moore County Hounds, since reading about it in an issue of Our State. The weather was beautiful on Thanksgiving morning so we joined a large crowd at the Moss Foundation, eager to catch a glimpse of the hounds and horses in pursuit of the fox-scented drag. Even after the “hunt” was over, the fun continued as we kept running into old friends of ours.

Afterwards, we made our way back to my parents’ house to snap a few photos of our siblings, their families, and most importantly, the various family dogs. Our schedule was a little rushed since we were trying to fit quite a bit in before we needed to get on the road, but in hindsight I’m so grateful we were able to make it all work. Our Thanksgiving morning was filled with many happy (and delicious!) memories with so many people we care about, many of whom we don’t get to see nearly enough.

All photos taken by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.