We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It all began Wednesday night at our annual Thanksgiving service at Emmaus Church. We gather for praise and worship along with our traditional “circling around the sanctuary, holding hands and speaking our thanks in prayer together.” Then we head downstairs to the fellowship hall for a pie social! Folks bring pies to share, and everyone eats one or two pieces as they visit.
The next morning Gary and I helped at Northfield’s community meal. Laura Baker Services Association (housing, educational and support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) provides a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community. No need to sign up, just show up for a delicious meal. This was their 19th year of arranging this wonderful event. They baked 22 turkeys, and made potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, salad, cranberries and pie! Last year we ate dinner at LBSA – this year we volunteered to serve. It was fun.
After we left LBSA we joined a family from church, who had invited us to come for dinner when they found out…at the pie social Wednesday eve…that we would not be with our family Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautiful thing, sitting around the table with old friends and new, sharing a meal together. We were blessed by their kindness, and by being at their family celebration.
The blessings continued as we joined our son and his wife and 1 ½ year old daughter at their home the next day, for another feast. My brother and his wife, their daughter and son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren came also. One grandchild is a baby boy…nine days old. The other is a three year old boy. The two “older” toddlers had fun playing together and exuded a lot of energy.
After our tradition of reading children’s stories, and eating dessert, the others said good-bye, so only our immediate family was left. In the living room, soon before we were going to depart, there was one more blessing. My daughter-in-love explained our granddaughter, Aria, “sets the stage often.” Aria points to the sound bar to have the music start (mom turns it on), then points to the gas fireplace to have it turned on (mom flips the switch), and then Aria starts dancing. What a joy to watch.
It was a special time…this blessed thanksgiving…and our hearts are full.
Now we’re moving into the Christmas season as I start to decorate the house, in anticipation of our other two grandchildren (along with mom and dad) coming over from Africa and living with us for a while. I hope their eyes light up when they see our Christmas tree full of colored lights. We’re so excited.
A wonderful Thanksgiving indeed❣️ I am so happy for you, Gary and your whole family. Hugs, Lori
Thank you Lori.
What a wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving in thanks, volunteering and being with family and friends and that bonus dance. Our granddaughter also likes to dance for us.
I love the idea of your church family holding hands and speaking your individual thanks followed by that pie social.
And your friends’ holiday table looks like something out of a magazine. Simply stunning.
I bet you’re counting the days until the arrival of your family from Africa.
Yes, we are counting the days…we miss them at these family events. It will be nice to have them living right here with us for awhile.
I love to see children dance…ihey’re so uninhibited.
What a wonderful way to spend the holiday ! We were in Battle Lake with my family and the next morning we saw Eldy’s son-in-law clear trees and shrubs on Eldy’s son Paul’s new property on Norway Lake near Underwood, MN. He used a magic machine that trimmed a great deal in an hour.
New property on a lake? That sounds wonderful!