Hey, Girls!
I’m sitting on the back porch on a lovely Sunday afternoon. Queen Esther is a few feet from me hugging a yellow tennis ball with her front paws and huffing and puffing with a wide, toothy grin in the afterglow of about 30 good cross-yard throws. I use one of these thing…
…for two really good reasons:
1) I wear out long before Star does and I don’t mind saying I don’t wear out all that easy. She never gets enough ball time. Never. I’m no math wizard but hurling that thing twice as far means I only have to throw it half as often.
2) In a word: dog spit. Well, that’s two words. Or let’s just make it a hyphenated word: dog-spit. She may be the Queen but spit is still spitty. I don’t care how lovely the original Queen Esther was, Xerxes wouldn’t have given her a second look with spit all over her chin. It’s just not ladylike. The whole story could have slipped and fallen on it.
Anyway, what I’m trying to get at is that I’ve gotten to have a few days mostly to myself. I hate to even mention those words to you moms of young children but it will happen for you someday, too, and sometimes you’ll be glad it did and other times you’ll pine for those babies like every fine day of your life is long behind you even though you know better than that. That’s when it’s a really good idea to have grandbabies but, unfortunately, it doesn’t always get to be your idea.
My man almost always heads to the ranch Thanksgiving afternoon after the meal. It was the deer lease before he got some hunting acreage of his own. I don’t pout about it because I don’t mind and it wouldn’t do much good anyway and it’s simply the way we’re accustomed to doing life. We were laughing at the table a few days ago when he admitted that, in the early years, he’d go to a little extra trouble to be a handful this time of year so that, the second he mentioned heading to the deer camp, I’d yell, “Gooooooo!” and kiss him goodbye in an anxious fury. Anyway, Keith’s idea of closeness has never been clinginess. Sometimes, if he’s been cooped up too long around here, he’ll retreat a tad into his own world like a lot of men do but 30 minutes after his truck tires hit I-10 West (or at least by the first Buccee’s) he’s often calling me and telling me why he ever fell in love with me in the first place. It makes me smile every time.
My man and I do better on this schedule: a lot of time together, a little time apart, a lot of time together, a little time apart, a lot of time together, a little time apart… And that’s how we’ve made it 34 years this coming December 30th.
Instead of getting my nose out of joint when he’s gone (it wouldn’t be a pretty sight anyway), I play like I own the place. I get up a bit later, read a little more, have longer quiet times, come and go as I please, and get with friends (and family, of course, but family is something we do on a regular basis anyway), walk in the woods all by myself (with Star) and I watch movies he’d probably hate.
Yesterday I decided to spend most of the day by myself doing this and that and, lo and behold, I got in the Christmas spirit. I tried to find where our Christmas decorations got stored in this new house last year when we made our monumental move to the country but, for the life of me, I couldn’t find a single box. I don’t know how to navigate the attics yet so I’m sure they’re up there. If they’re not, believe you me, you’ll hear about it. There will be heck to pay by somebody, especially if the stockings I handmade and tediously beaded from a kit for Keith, Amanda, Melissa and myself back in 1982 don’t show up. It was my last act of seamstressness and, without it, there is not the least whiff that I ever walked in craftiness. I’ll not have it.
But I did indeed know exactly where my Christmas dishes were. They were a gift from my “Other.” You know. We girls have a mother then many of us who live in a wide enough circle of women also have an “Other.” I mean, who really gets enough nurturing in this life from one older woman? Spread the love around. She doesn’t take the place of the one who raised you but sometimes you can tell her things you can’t exactly tell your M-Other. That was Miss Mary Helen to me. I have many things from her and most are beyond a retail price but these dishes are the most beautiful ones I’ve ever owned and I have 12 whole place settings. I bet a number of you have this same Spode pattern or one similar. It was the ultimate in Christmas dinnerware to our mothers and grandmothers and, to traditionalists, it can hardly be outdone.
It’s too big a waste to set them aside only for Christmas Eve or Day so I try to get them out nice and early and put some of them on this stand Miss Mary Helen gave me so we’ll use them everyday through the season. It’s a happiness to me.
And that’s all it took. Next thing I knew, I’d downloaded a new Christmas album on my iPhone. I don’t like it yet but I will before long. You know how we are about Christmas music. It’s the memories that surround them that make them our favorites but I’m ripe for some new memories anyway. Bring them on!
Actually, I got on here today just to say that I’d love to hear about one of your favorite moments from your Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Any of the four days will do. It doesn’t have to be life altering. Our community here also appreciates a snippet of simplicity. Just capture something you keep picturing from the weekend. An expression. A taste. A conversation. A sight. Write us up a little snapshot of it so that we can picture it through your words and through your beautiful eyes. Not too long, remember. We bloggers are notorious for ADD, myself included. It’s rare that we really read a long one. I’m so mindful when I write a long post that, by the end of it, I’ve lost most people. Sometimes it’s worth it because I’m working something through but, most of the time, I’d have been the wiser to have been the briefer.
Oh, Amanda snapped this picture of her Daddy and me on Thanksgiving afternoon so I might as well throw it in, too. He’s wheels are heading East and I’ll be mighty glad to see that handsome face. We Moores love you guys. Christmas will be here in exactly one month whether we’re ready for it or not. You may as well not fight it. Tie that house of yours up in red and green and slam the door on your Scrooginess. Don’t be a fossil. Make some wassail. Tis the season, Sweet Thing. Let’s celebrate us some Jesus.
Favorite moment of this Thanksgiving: looking across the dinner table at my 23 year old nephew. He spent last Thanksgiving deployed in Afghanistan. Our family is humbly thankful that he is back home with us safe and sound.
From my seat in the dining room I could see the profiles of my grown nieces and nephews as well as my son-in-law and daughter. There was a new little profile….my first grandchild, Lucy Virginia, strapped into a booster seat and dining on Cheerios and strained vegetables. I thought of the verse about “olive plants” around your table and I praised God for that little girl!
Hey, Bethie!!!
We had a great Thanksgiving…. We picked up my 90 yo granddaddy from.the nursing home, and took him to my uncle’s house. This was Granddaddy’s first holiday without his bride of 70 + yrs… She graduated to Glory on Labor Day weekend.
Btw.. I get the way you and Keith work with time together, time apart. Oh, and our anniversary is the day after ya’ll’s.:) But we haven’t been married as long as you guys. Congrats…. a bit early.:)
My favorite moment was Saturday. My mom & I always decorate the entire house together. So often I wish my dad would join in, but he insists it’s not his thing. There I was sitting awkwardly on the steps with 100ft of garland trying to weave it in, mostly it was tangled around me & at the top of the stairs was my dad saying “need a hand?” It was a priceless afternoon on the stairs.
This Thanksgiving I have one memory that I just keep going over and over in my mind of my son and my husband putting up the tree together 🙂 He’s 3 1/2 and he is our only son – we adopted him from Taiwan when he was 5 mos old. My husband and I are older than most when starting a family so we are both blubbering idiots when it comes to him! The moment I keep replaying though, is when he found one branch – “his favorite” and put all the ornaments he could on it and kept saying, I love you, I love Christmas. God has blessed us beyond words to have that boy. We are beyond grateful 🙂
I think mine would be the 10 month old with two teeth shoving the tiny bits of turkey, macaroni and cheese, and green bean casserole in her mouth. Why should she be left out of the goodness?
We had a real, live 75+ degree SoCal Thanksgiving – with 25 people eating outside on the patio! Because it was so nice, we then commenced choosing teams (via number picking so it’s fair) and had a free-throw basketball, ping pong and pinball contest. Prizes for the winners were toys my husband picked up at the local sporting goods store. What a great time! So good to reflect on my husband’s family, who have all loved me as their own for these past 30 years. Yes, I am thankful!
Our family has a long standing tradition of sitting around my parent’s back yard fire place singing good ole’ country and gospel songs once our bellies are full from my mom’s AMAZING bbq turkey. It’s quite the sight, looking at 27 adults and children alike, wrapped up in our warmest Southern California coats, gloves & beanie hats, practically looking like the first snow is about to fall upon us. We begin with some George Straight, a little Alan Jackson, throw in several baptist or gospel hymns, sing the requested duets as my dad and brother lead us by guitar. The best part of all though, we save for last, when we bust out the melody of what is now known as “The Austin Family Nursery Rhyme Blues.” Familiar tunes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Jack and Jill” are sung to the most bluesy style your little heart can hum. After about 20 minutes of basking in our “talents” we all laugh so hard we cry, then run off for dessert….and of course more coffee or wassail because it actually dropped to a chilly 60 degrees out!
My favorite memory from Thanksgiving this year was sitting next to my 98 year old grandfather and listen to him share the story of how met my grandmother(who is already in heaven). He also shared other stories from the Great Depressionand how he lived back then, said it was just like yesterday…loved spending that time with him b/c I never know when The Lord will take him home.
Just love getting together with our extended family for turkey dinner. Grown kids with spouses and grandkids, single adult kids, and the In-laws. Lots of food, laughter, discussions, and then the “littles” putting on performances on the hearth. Simple pleasures but always so heartwarming. Praise God for these special times.
This was a blessed Thanksgiving as our entire family and extended family gathered, ate and laughed. One funny memory was As I entered the kitchen my Mom was rinsing the dishes and my Mom in law was operating the disposal. They were just a talking and laughing. A team effort!! We celebrated all weekend and Today we celebrated our 15 year old daughter’s bday out to eat with family, shopping for her lilly bouquet and making rainbow cupcakes to celebrate with her friends at school tomorrow. Blessed times!!
Hope; a yellow rose; tears; God’s presence; husband of 30 years; family gathered here. It was more then a Thanksgiving could ever have been. It’s a day of family gathered at my house this year, my husbands family all of them here. See my 49 yr old husband had a recent surgery to cure the liver cancer he so unexpectedly has been diagnosed with & he has no risk factors. It was an extreme dissapointment that surgery wasn’t successful but we all are clinging to hope & praising God for His presence being so evident. Joy despite the circumstances prevailed and hope from a yellow rose outside that should have been dead due to hard frost was now alive. O saw it & I lept off the porch; pink horseshoes to boot. I ran it in the house after I cut it to show my delight to my man that there is still hope. Praise to our King for a small rosebud to give me a smile to share despite the storm.
My fave time from the weekend was our family trip we took to take our baby girl to see the animals at Discovery Kingdom. My hubby travels weekly for work Oct-February so family time is slim. We’re either with others or just at home not doing much (both of which are fine by me!) but it was great to get out of town, just the three of us, and have some fam time and to get to have new experiences together. Please pray for us as hub is getting ready to be gone for 12 days!
Family, family, family! Everyone came to our house and all the cousins (even the high school and college girls) played outside … all afternoon until dark. But of course, they all made time to “study” the newspaper ads and make their Christmas lists for Papa and Mama. Watching all of them brought back GREAT memories of when we used to make our “lists” and play with our cousins til dark. Hide ‘in seek, football, bike riding, scooters, basketball, tennis, playground swinging and swimming were on the agenda. Yes, the air was warm enough for swimming but those kids jumped out as quickly as they jumped in due to the COLD water :o) I LOVE to just “hang” with my family…both biological, in-laws and even framily (friends who are considered your family).
Our family had our traditional Thanksgiving earlier in the month, while my husband was in town, since we knew he wouldn’t be able to be here for the actual Thanksgiving. On Friday, we packed sack lunches and four teens (two mine) and I went downtown and handed them out to the homeless. My favorite moment of the weekend was meeting Angie, a precious soul whom, upon telling me her name, let me know that she was no angel. I beg to differ. I’ve never seen someone so thankful and blessed by such a seemingly small thing and I am still smiling about meeting her. I know that God holds her ever so closely.
Hands down best moment from Thanksgiving weekend: standing in church today next to my best friend, her two daughters & one son. I glanced down during worship at her 3-year-old daughter and lo-and-behold her hands were raised straight up to the ceiling while mumbling the words of worship songs the best she knew how. I’m almost positive my heart melted right there on the spot and I bet I’ll never get it back 🙂
I’m 50!! (in my Sally O’Malley voice) and my sweet 30 yr old daughter whisked me away to the big city of Houston for my birthday on Friday while our men were in the marsh. She lives in Hunstville and I in Louisiana, so I cherish our time together. We stayed at a fancy hotel, had a fancy and delicious meal, movie, bedtime laughter and cried tears of infertility. Soon Jesus soon!!
Next morning we had a sweet breakfast visit then we went shopping, of course!! But the main event was the Nutcracker Ballet that afternoon. This ole girl (notice I didn’t say old) had never seen the Nutcracker Ballet that I can remember. It was beautiful!! What strength and grace they have. The music was amazing! Sweet Memories for this Mom!
Wrapped up “James” tonight with my precious bible study buddies! Blessed beyond words!
Thanksgiving Day was a bit low key with just two out of four kids here and one grandbaby, but oh how precious SHE is, my first girl after my four boys and two grandsons, so she made the day so sweet! The food wasn’t bad either! The best thing about my Thanksgiving weekend was a quick trip up to Michigan from Atlanta to go to a family reunion, on my mom’s side of the family, on Sat. I saw Aunts, Uncles and cousins I hadn’t seen in years and it was absolutely wonderful! We let too much time pass without seeing those we love and have been such an important part of our growing up, so it was very special to me.
You and your hubby look great! It’s always such a blessing to hear from you and see pictures of your life, thanks for enriching my life over the years through all your teaching and encouragement!
Love and hugs,
Brenda
I spent Thanksgiving day with my hubby’s family, while my family was gathered at my sister’s about 45 miles away as the crow flies (and you’d really have to be one to want to get there that way instead of driving the 130 miles on the highway…) When I got home late that night, I had a message from my dad saying they’d be here for breakfast at 10 (which means 9:15 if you’re my dad). And my other sister was staying an extra night… did I want to bring the kiddos in to their hotel to swim?
Yippee!
So I got to spend some quality time with both families… Doesn’t get much better than that!
Let me start by saying my husband was so pumped about frying two turkeys for Thanksgiving. I was slightly concerned that we could have been on the evening news regarding something about a fire, but i tried not to say too much.
So Thanksgiving day arrives. I had worked so hard cooking and then cleaning the kitchen. Since all of my tables were full, I was going to serve the food in the kitchen. I mean the food layout looked beautiful. Then in comes the first bird fresh out of the fryer. If only I could post a picture. Please imagine the turkey on “Christmas Vacation” when it exploded – seriously. He proudly -yes proudly – plopped something that resembled a turkey resting on greasy newspaper right down in the middle of my beautiful dish display. It was at that moment I remembered Beth’s post about being a gracious hostess. Probably saved my sweet husband from getting a turkey upside the head!
Thankfully the second turkey was much better. He was so proud of his turkeys! It’s funny…now!
We had a great time with friends and family and had plenty of turkey!
My life has been full of blessings, mostly unexpected; usually in response to a prayer or prayers that didn’t get answered “my way,” but in God’s perfect wisdom and timing.
My 50th birthday was last week. I was secretly praying for a party in which all my friends from church and neighbors would show up. I promise -I didn’t even voice this out loud! I talk a big game, but I have a hidden piece of insecurity that most people don’t know about. I told my husband that I just wanted to go out to dinner..,,maybe with another couple,
The day rolled around. My friends wished me “Happy Birthday” on Facebook. My sweet husband said that my dear girlfriend had a special treat planned for us for dinner. We were to meet at our church and go from there. When I arrived, I saw her van. I also saw a woman wearing a white catering apron! She asked me if I was the birthday girl!! I walked in. My friends on the worship team were all set up on the stage. About that time, my friends and neighbors began arriving.. There were about 50 people there!!!
I would never have believed people would want to come to my party! My husband and my friend worked so hard to plan it and keep it a secret!!! It truly is an answered prayer. I hope that it doesn’t seem selfish. I have never had a birthday party in my life, except when I was very little. I am thankful for all answer prayers.
PS Beth- you and your husband and cutie patooties!!!
I love your ministry and your studys. Our church completed “Daniel” last year. This year we’re hoping to learn from “James.”
My sister, her husband, four kids and myself brought my 85-year-old father to south Texas to visit my mom’s family for Thanksgiving. We spent the day with extended family and life-long friends who feel like family. I am so thankful that we were all together (hard to do with 4 nieces and nephews who are growing up and playing sports) because my sister and I both realized that this will likely be my dad’s last road trip. Age is taking its toll on him. The weather was beautiful. The friends, family, food and laughter was plentiful. To see 20 plus adults and an assortment of kids ages 3-16 play bingo and enjoy it so much they didn’t want to stop was unbelievable and almost inconceivable in this digital age! It was a moment in time, a blessing to remember and carry us through the hard days of aging parents.
(Oh and Keith would be happy to know that my 10 year old nephew got his first deer the day after Thanksgiving. Hunting in Uvalde, Texas is like none other!)
Sweet friends invited us over for Thansgiving dinner since we are 600 miles from home and family. My friend and I thought about hitting the Black Friday sale at Target that evening, but ended up sitting at her kitchen island with iPads and sale ads shopping away.
I loved having my daughter home from college. She worked there this summer, so it is the longest we have been together since spring. I love when all my chicks are in the nest!
On thanksgiving morning, with my parents visiting, we skyped with family far away. My nephew is 4 and he and I spent time holding up our feet to the camera to compare stinkyness. He giggled which made me giggle. I’m so thankful to live in an era when technology can span the miles.
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving this year was feeling like eating! This time last year, I was just finishing my chemo. So thankful God was gracious enough to give me another year with my family and friends.
We are in the Bakken oil country and people from all over the nation are here living in campers and “man camps.” Before Thanksgiving our church filled bags with homemade cookies and invitations to Thanksgiving dinner and an afternoon of games, football-watching, and visiting. The men loaded cars with 470 bags of cookies and teens attached them to the camper doors. Pies were baked by the dozens, salads made, turkeys, hams, and all the trimmings. All ages readied themselves to serve and spend the afternoon with our guests. We didn’t get the turn out we hoped and planned for, but as our Pastor reminded us if even one was touched and blessed, that is all that matters. I pray those who came sensed a big welcome and the love of a mighty God for them. It was touching to see working men and a few families come to eat and it was a blessing for me to see people of all ages working together to reach out to our new neighbors.
God bless each dear siesta and thank you, Beth, for your personal touch with us. Sharing your life, your loved ones, your thoughts, your ups and downs, your humor, your love, and your studies drawing us all closer to our Savior.
My husband, daughter, niece, 2 granddaughters ages 5 & 9, 1 great niece age 4 all helped me cook and serve a full Thanksgiving meal to 40 elderly disabled. It brought my heart great joy that the little ones remembered many of them from last year. The kids were so excited to dish and serve.
My favorite thing? That my gravy turned out good for once 🙂
It was great to have my military hubby home, the kids in the kitchen with me, and baby #7, just 8 weeks old, was happy in her bouncy chair in the middle of the kitchen hubbub. Her 21 month old brother slept through the meal prep, which is another blessing! We had a lovely meal as a complete family–something you never take for granted as a military family.
Love the pic of you and Keith!!
Spent the 5 days before Thanksgiving with my man and our two oldest grands(14 & 8) at the beach!! Very seldom get one on one time with our grandchildren since they all live away and usually all come to our house at the same time.. there are 7 of them ages 2 months to 14..so it was nice to spend time with just the two of them! Then had traditional Thanksgiving lunch at oldest daughters with lots of family!! Very very blessed and thankful!!
love to you and yours!
Martha in MS
Christmas has hit my home too!
I do not have the tree up – yet, but the mantle is covered and the walls and ceilings too.
I do Christmas grand style – loving every minute and Praising God thru the carols on my computer.
Thanksgiving was in October so really Christmas is the THING to be grateful for!
Don’t have such lovely dishes – hope to one day.
Need an “Other” – God has been my only Other!
Maybe instead I will be the ‘one’ someday. A sweet dream -ain’t it?!
Always good to read your blogs – long or short; you are a such a Treat to me!
My son, who is 22 yrs. old, put up our artifical Christmas Tree and took out all the decorations on Friday; something that I (or we) hadn’t done in a long time. Today (Sunday) we decorated the tree with our Hallmark Christmas Decorations. I have also (since last Monday) been watching at least 2 Hallmark Movies on the Hallmark Channel. It’s been relaxing for me.
Choosing my favorite thing from this past week is easy – there’s no question. My husband and I drove to Houston to be with his brother & sister-in-law (and their 4 children) as well as his parents. One morning, my husband was playing a handheld game while we were waiting for most of the family to wake up. Our 4-year-old nephew had been sitting with me showing me his own game, but then he crawled over to my husband and curled up next to him. For about 30-45 minutes, they sat there, both enthralled with the games and cuddling. I took pictures, much to my husband’s chagrin. It was so precious seeing them together, seeing my husband be so gentle with the little guy. By far, my favorite memory from this past week!
~Rachel, Surprise, AZ
My oldest daughter shared with me and her sister how the Lord gave her a very special touch not long ago. It’s too private to give details, but He showed her how very much He loves and cares about her. I’m so thankful for the way the Lord ministered to my grown-up little girl.
We had a great day with tons of extended family and some Thanksgiving orphans as well. Good times. But I loved our Friday this year as I went to our local Festival of Trees with my little girls, sister, auntie and about 10 other gals in our family. We drank tea, watched a vintage style show and had some laughs. Then all the little girls in the crowd had their turns at modeling up on the stage to show their darling dresses. They were so excited and all the mamas’ buttons were busting. 🙂 How perfect. This is an annual tradition for our black friday.
After a wonderful Thanksgiving day, I looked forward to waking up the next morning to make a favorite breakfast for my now 16 year old “turkey baby.” All day Friday we celebrated my third born’s special day, but the BEST part was checking Facebook that night and having a sweet thankful message posted from him thanking his dad and me for making the day great for him. Oh, isn’t it good when all those moments of teaching and modeling thankfulness come to fruition?! I want to keep making my teens feel like the special children of God they are!
Spent my first Thanksgiving without a parent (Mother and Daddy are both now in Heaven). But it was also my first Thanksgiving with my first grandbaby who’s a little over a month old. And for the first time in years, I didn’t have to cook. My husband & I drove to Houston where my son, daughter-in-love, and new granddaughter live, and my son made His first Thanksgiving meal. So many firsts–so much to be thankful for! 🙂
This thanksgiving was a little different for me. My husband worked all day so we were not able to go home to Michigan to be with family (and we are moving this week, so there was no way I could host!) a friend invited me over to their thanksgiving. She had her family there and a few other random people. Before we sat down to eat we went around in a circle telling what we were thankful for. The usual things were said, family, friends etc…. When it came to my friends foster daughter (their first holiday together, she’s 5) my friend asked her “k***, what are you thankful for?” K*** thought for a second, didn’t say a word, but pointed to my friend, with a huge smile on her face. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.
Hello Ms. Beth, We had as SUPER SPECIAL Thanksgiving this year. Our second grandchild was born on November 23, her faternal grandfather’s 73rd birthday. Our only grandchild the day before, was 19 last week. So you see the blessing of this new little girl, Harper Erickson Langle. She was three weeks early but is perfect and beautiful. Mom,43 and baby doing fine. Thank you Lord for your gracious provisions for my 44 year old son and his new daughter.
My younger son (26) was the only one of our 4 children with us Thanksgiving.
The three of us- my husband, son, and I- went to our local zoo- a small, 6 acre zoo- on Friday and had “Encounters” with a sassy 15 week-old white bengal tiger cub and 4 of the sweetest lemurs you ever saw! We got to play with these darling creatures for quite a while. It was a beautiful fall day on the Gulf coast and such a fun thing to share with each other. We took lots of pictures and brought home a very unique Thanksgiving memory!
My favorite memory is my husband doing everything and I do mean everything for our 2 Thanksgivings dinners. I had surgery on Nov 14 to do reconstruction (from breast cancer surgery I had in May). I knew we were having our holiday on Saturday at my I laws so I didn’t worry about it. He agreed to cook both the turkey and ham tot that and did. But he also decided that we needed our own on Thanksgiving day with 2 of our college age children (the 3rd one was with the TCU football team beating UT in Austin that day) and he cooked everything for that..ham, turkey, salad.., green bean casserole..corn..rolls..mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie!! Plus he cleaned up and washed the dishes. Very thankful God found me such a kind hearted husband. I’m going great from the surgery and will attempt to go back to work tomorrow.
I loved hearing about your holiday, and the details that keep your marriage strong. Thank you, as always, for sharing.
This year is our first set of holidays without my mother-in-law, who was the sweetest woman I’ve known and who passed away (at age 59) in April. I was nervous about inviting over my niece (11) and nephews (21 and 20) for dinner here, as we are not nearly as cool, food-wise or other-wise, and… well… we can’t replace her as their grandma. I wondered if the day would just be a reminder of the hole she left. But we did invite them (hubby and I and our two girls, 13 and 5), and I am so glad we did. My favorite memory was watching all the “kids” playing hide and seek as best you can in our tiny apartment, and them just being hilarious (hiding under a pillow etc). I laughed so much.
I picked up my husband at the airport late Wednesday night….I still get butter-flies every time, knowing he is mine! This Thanksgiving was yet another reminder of how blessed we are. Thank you, Lord.
Was just blogging yesterday about how Thanksgiving is the hardest overseas holiday for us-we surprised our girls by letting them stay home from school so we could all be together all day, then my husband was able to upgrade our satellite and we were able to watch the Macy’s parade live. My favorite moment was when my parents skyped us from my family gathering in the states. I’m Memphis born and bred and Thankgiving with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins has been THE SAME for as long as I can remember- well, that is until our family headed overseas. My precious, precious Memommy turned 89 on Thanksgiving day and just being able to see her sweet little gray head through the computer screen and hear her telling us how proud she is of the work (I first met my husband through a mission trip that she took). It was all my mom could do to get her to talk to the computer screen but then when we got the video workign and she got to see all her great grand daughters it was precious. Wish I could have hugged her neck in person and smelled the holiday fragrances of her home that I’ve smelled for 30 something years but we did our best to duplicate as many of those smells in our home as we could. Crying now! Miss my Memommy!
This Thanksgiving was my first one away from home, but it was absolutely amazing! I am working with Campus Crusade for Christ in Bologna, Italy, and we had a Thanksgiving Outreach this year. We had 100 of our Italian friends come and enjoy the American feast.
My favorite part about it was watching the Italian’s faces as they tasted all of the American food! An interesting fact about this culture is that Italians hardly ever have meat and a starch on the same plate. They normally begin with pasta, then have a meat, then salad, dessert and cafe. Each of these items are on a separate plate. Although putting all the food on one plate and eating it at the same time was very different, the Italian’s enjoyed the meal so much!
I love stepping into my daughters house and smelling the wonderful aroma’s filling the whole house with anticipation of a wonderful meal and sweet fellowship with my family. I was not disappointed. Also loved it when the evening ended with us sitting around the fire pit in the backyard. It was the best of times.
My husband and I are beginning the adoption process, and our Thanksgiving weekend goal was to complete home study paperwork! It was a lofty goal. Our Thanksgiving hilarity all happened yesterday, as we enjoyed my in-loves at their farm in Burns Flat, OK. I had received some e-mails from a lady at church saying she had a Facebook connection looking for an adoptive family for 6 month old TRIPLET girls from Honduras!! We did not have international adoption on our radar, and the excitement has died down some, but if you could have seen the looks on their faces…the thought of us 41 yr olds having our first children…6 month old triplets…’twas priceless! My husband’s filter-free 90 year old grandmother said “I love little children, but you don’t need a whole pile of ‘me at once!”
The Honduras thing may not be our way to go, but it is a blissful holiday season as we anticipate the building of our family through adoption, and God willing someday conception as well. Beth, if you want some beautiful Christmas worship, I have Dennis Jernigan’s “Christmas All Year Round” blaring steadily in my car. It is fabulous! Ta-ta!
The memories are many because we had our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren overnight for TWO nights. We all laughed so hard. Our son was with us on Thanksgiving.
In the wee hours of Saturday morning, they packed up the babes and headed for home. Our 2 1/2 year old grandson announced to his mommy that “Nana’s house, very, very fun!!”
Seriously – how could that not bring joy to my heart.
(And if you knew the mess our family had been for sooooooo many years, well this makes it all the sweeter. Thank you Jesus)
Having a son who decides at 17 to try out for the local football team has turned me into a “Friday Night Lights” mom since August. I was thrilled to go to our small town stadium Friday with family from out of town who had never seen their nephew play and cheer our team to the District championship. Laughed so much as the sister-in-laws are right there with me in knowing about zero about this game……but we had a wonderful time.
We spent Thanksgiving alone this year (my husband, three kids and me). Our extended family lives too far away. Our oldest is a freshman in college and he was home for the holiday. My sweetest memory was of the three kids playing a game and I could hear their loud, belly laughter when I was doing laundry in the basement. . . precious to this mama’s heart. Praising God for their close relationship with Him and one another!