Thanksgiving is a gerund. Ha Ha Ha Ha! I just had to say that -- you know an ing verb used as a noun. No not a participle. Okay, I've gone too far now.
We've been lucky this year with the calendar giving us one more week in November to enjoy our blessings before rushing into the Christmas season. It's been nice to have November hang around this extra week after Thanksgiving. Many years ago I gave a talk in church on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I think it was about twenty years ago. I like to read it over again around the turkey holiday to keep life in perspective. It's also been fun to read the month of gratitude on facebook from friends and it's a good reminder for us to be grateful for what we have.
Quoting from my talk -- and I'm quoting someone else -- a grateful heart is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. And Cicero said that gratitude is the mother of all virtues. We are told in the scriptures "thank God in all things". Not for God's benefit but our own. Social science has shown that a person who is ungrateful cannot stay emotionally balanced. So there you have it. Yet another charge from the scriptures that benefits us personally. A blessing to ourselves if you will!
So it's nice to recount all of our blessings -- especially on those days when we feel like we have no blessings. You know you have those down days sometimes. November is a good reminder to be grateful. So I have lots of events to report during the month of November celebrating Thanksgiving (a gerund).
Thanksgiving with Charlotte's Kindergarten
Well, here is the face of an angel Indian Princess at the kindergarten celebration.
She was beaming from ear to ear. The classes sang sweet Thanksgiving song and then feasted. What a sweet girl she is.
Gabe and Nathan
We had a fun afternoon visiting Charlotte's class. She is such an amazing girl.
Thanksgiving Day with the Crowley Family
We had a very fun Thanksgiving Day in Culpeper this year. We hosted the Crowley family from Maryland so together with the Virginia Crowleys {Matt and Andrew's gang) we had 18 in our home for the day. We started with appetizers and then broke up into teams for the Crowley Family Amazing Race around Culpeper.
Check this out
Our own turkey veggie platter. How fun! Shannon and Tricia brought this fun creation.
Andrew, Shannon, Drew, Audrey and Charlotte won the Amazing Race with Audrey (4 yr old) as the MVP of the team. The adults couldn't find the big red ball in Culppeper after googling it etc., Audrey said, "Let's go to Target." Yes they won. No pictures tho' . Oops!
We had a great feast with everyone contributing. Uncle Ken ALWAYS carves the turkey and does a masterful job. Rich ALWAYS makes the mashed potatoes and this year they were perfect. We had to split into two tables this year with sixteen needing to be seated. We all have our favorites and the pies end the feast. We had lemon cream, pumpkin, chocolate mouse, regular chocolate, apple and coconut cream. Something for everyone and I noticed some were sampling many.
First the kids table! Okay so most of the kids were adults -- Andrew, Drew, Matthew, Shannon, Charlotte, Audrey and Jocelyn. No pictures of the people. Darn.
Okay I know I went a little bit overboard with the table pics and no pics of people. What a dope. Just love my mom's china. My sterling I started collecting when I was in high school. It took many years to complete all of the settings, but the table looked beautiful. I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart.
We had a wonderful day and just so you know, all of the Crowley women beat the Crowley men in basketball. We didn't get to finish the little tourney as the Redskins game started. Yes, the Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys. Finally! Retribution Clint Longley! What a fun family day.
Thankful Tree
After the feast the girls, Charlotte and Audrey took their apples around to all of the guests to find out what they were thankful for! They had a great time. I really like the apple that said, "I'm thankful Andrea is my grandma."
We have so much to be grateful for in our lives. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been to have all of the Neiders and Crowleys here. We escpecially missed Lauren and Jeremy's family, Shelly, Tanner, Carsen, Emery and Chase.
We rounded out the month in Charlottesville where Rich had yet another surgery. This one wasn't as tough as the last two and he is doing very well. He's tough. So grateful he has such fortitude. Love that guy so much.
So now it's time to turn all of our gratitude (our Thanksgiving gerund - a verb used as a noun) back into a verb of action. Giving to others. Thanking others. Serving others. What a great thing to do during the month of December. My good friend Patty Z once gave a talk in church and said that every Thanksgiving she picks someone who is very dear to her and sends them a letter of thanks. Such a great idea. Can you imagine a real hand written letter? I'm somewhat late, and haven't done it yet, but I'm still going to write that letter this year.
Thinking about my blessings, and I have so many, I am singularly grateful for the cheerful and willing spirit with which I have been blessed. On the days I can't find my muchness, I just start counting my blessings and that cheerful and willing spirit returns.
We've been lucky this year with the calendar giving us one more week in November to enjoy our blessings before rushing into the Christmas season. It's been nice to have November hang around this extra week after Thanksgiving. Many years ago I gave a talk in church on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I think it was about twenty years ago. I like to read it over again around the turkey holiday to keep life in perspective. It's also been fun to read the month of gratitude on facebook from friends and it's a good reminder for us to be grateful for what we have.
Quoting from my talk -- and I'm quoting someone else -- a grateful heart is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. And Cicero said that gratitude is the mother of all virtues. We are told in the scriptures "thank God in all things". Not for God's benefit but our own. Social science has shown that a person who is ungrateful cannot stay emotionally balanced. So there you have it. Yet another charge from the scriptures that benefits us personally. A blessing to ourselves if you will!
So it's nice to recount all of our blessings -- especially on those days when we feel like we have no blessings. You know you have those down days sometimes. November is a good reminder to be grateful. So I have lots of events to report during the month of November celebrating Thanksgiving (a gerund).
Thanksgiving with Charlotte's Kindergarten
She was beaming from ear to ear. The classes sang sweet Thanksgiving song and then feasted. What a sweet girl she is.
Gabe and Nathan
Matthew and Nathan
Thanksgiving Day with the Crowley Family
We had a very fun Thanksgiving Day in Culpeper this year. We hosted the Crowley family from Maryland so together with the Virginia Crowleys {Matt and Andrew's gang) we had 18 in our home for the day. We started with appetizers and then broke up into teams for the Crowley Family Amazing Race around Culpeper.
Check this out
Andrew, Shannon, Drew, Audrey and Charlotte won the Amazing Race with Audrey (4 yr old) as the MVP of the team. The adults couldn't find the big red ball in Culppeper after googling it etc., Audrey said, "Let's go to Target." Yes they won. No pictures tho' . Oops!
We had a great feast with everyone contributing. Uncle Ken ALWAYS carves the turkey and does a masterful job. Rich ALWAYS makes the mashed potatoes and this year they were perfect. We had to split into two tables this year with sixteen needing to be seated. We all have our favorites and the pies end the feast. We had lemon cream, pumpkin, chocolate mouse, regular chocolate, apple and coconut cream. Something for everyone and I noticed some were sampling many.
First the kids table! Okay so most of the kids were adults -- Andrew, Drew, Matthew, Shannon, Charlotte, Audrey and Jocelyn. No pictures of the people. Darn.
Here's my mother's beautiful china. When I was visiting her in Utah several years ago, she told me she wanted me to have her china. I was thrilled to say the least. We went straight to the storage locker and then shipped it to Virginia! What a prize I have.
I was a little girl when this set of china arrived in a big wooden barrel (I think). I remember all of the
excelsior in which it was packed. Mother and all of her sisters and Grandma Hansen received a beautiful set of china. It was sent by Uncle Nathan and Aunt June who were living in Japan after WWII. Our Neider family had many family gatherings and especially Thanksgiving using these beautiful dishes. They are a precious gift!
And look who showed up for the centerpiece -- we'll call him Tom. Yes, he is also a part of our tradition.
Okay I know I went a little bit overboard with the table pics and no pics of people. What a dope. Just love my mom's china. My sterling I started collecting when I was in high school. It took many years to complete all of the settings, but the table looked beautiful. I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart.
We had a wonderful day and just so you know, all of the Crowley women beat the Crowley men in basketball. We didn't get to finish the little tourney as the Redskins game started. Yes, the Redskins beat the Dallas Cowboys. Finally! Retribution Clint Longley! What a fun family day.
Thankful Tree
After the feast the girls, Charlotte and Audrey took their apples around to all of the guests to find out what they were thankful for! They had a great time. I really like the apple that said, "I'm thankful Andrea is my grandma."
Gabe drew the cute tree and Nathan and Jocelyn were too young to get the idea. The two year olds just posted the green apples on the tree. Those green apples were posted in other places as well. One of the little ones got tired of the apples and stuck the whole post it pad on the tree.
We rounded out the month in Charlottesville where Rich had yet another surgery. This one wasn't as tough as the last two and he is doing very well. He's tough. So grateful he has such fortitude. Love that guy so much.
So now it's time to turn all of our gratitude (our Thanksgiving gerund - a verb used as a noun) back into a verb of action. Giving to others. Thanking others. Serving others. What a great thing to do during the month of December. My good friend Patty Z once gave a talk in church and said that every Thanksgiving she picks someone who is very dear to her and sends them a letter of thanks. Such a great idea. Can you imagine a real hand written letter? I'm somewhat late, and haven't done it yet, but I'm still going to write that letter this year.
Thinking about my blessings, and I have so many, I am singularly grateful for the cheerful and willing spirit with which I have been blessed. On the days I can't find my muchness, I just start counting my blessings and that cheerful and willing spirit returns.
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