A Day of Thanksgiving

There's a “special” day for just about any reason you can think of, but my favorite of all has got to be Thanksgiving. We tend to take a whole lot for granted as we go on about our day to day lives, and it's good to have a time where we slow down and look around, and see just how good God has been to us. And what sorry people we are, because we don't deserve a bit of it.

I'm not a big fan of turkey anyway, and it really grates on me to have Thanksgiving Day denigrated to the status of “Turkey Day”. In fact, I seldom cook turkey. Usually we have roast beef and ham. And once in awhile, since we often have guests that expect the obligatory turkey, I will even roast a turkey breast, so we won't be deemed quite as weird as we are.

When the kids were little, we often went to Grandma and Grandpa's-- either one. Both sides of the family had lots of kids, and having all the cousins together was a lot of fun. Sometimes I wonder how the grandparents kept their sanity.



2 of my brothers, myself, and our kids at my folks when they lived in Canada. 
(Confusing since Canada's Thanksgiving is in October.)  Brother standing behind Dad on
 the right, and his bride on the left, are responsible for 5 of the boys-- and a little girl.

But the years when ranch-work wouldn't allow us to get away, I'd cook dinner at home, and invite the single cowboys, or people that didn't have anywhere to go. Old, young, it didn't matter. Thanksgiving is a time for family and sharing, and no one should have to eat alone. Those were special times, and when the kids were in college, they'd always bring home a stray—or two—or three. Apiece. We loved it.


Kids and friend from the Youth Challenge program playing on the ditch after dinner, Thanksgiving 2010

One year we had about six college age kids camped out in the basement. We were way out in the sticks, which worked well. They came to our Wednesday night church service with the kids, and when they got home they got started on a game of pinochle-- and didn't quit. All...Night...L-o-n-n-g!

They killed the pumpkin pie to keep them going. We could hear EVERY thing, all the giggling, roars of victory, and smart remarks. Even with pillows over our heads! I think Clayton and Nate finally crashed about 3 or 4 a.m. Because they had big hunting plans for 6 a.m. That was one of our all time favorite Thanksgivings.

This year it seemed like a week-long Thanksgiving. It has to be one of the best ever.

Our housewarming party was the Saturday before. In spite of hunting, preg-testing, and football championships, we still ended up with over 70 friends, family, and neighbors who stopped by and stuck around most of the afternoon. It was the coldest day of the year so far, but it was warm and comfortable in the house, and we had loads of food and a good time just doing some old-fashioned visiting.

I don't know if we could have pulled it off without those 3 lovely young ladies who we are fortunate to be able to call our daughters. Once the first door-bell rang, I pretty much left them on their own, to make sure all the food and drinks were out, to meet, to greet, to visit, and to make sure kids had help getting served.

We had plenty left for Thanksgiving, and I just left the table extended all the way out because all the kids and the 2 grand-babies were coming and staying overnight. Everybody else who had been invited already had other plans, so this year it was just us. That was special too.

Thanks to little miss “Happiness Captured”, we had the first family photos we've had since Clayton got married. We even color coordinated for the first time ever! Another good day to remember. And to remember how blessed we as a family, and we as a nation, are.

God forgive us for our un-thankfulness.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. PS 68:19