Thanksgiving 2012

Our nephew Brian had a grand idea last year when he thought to get us all together here to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's one of those key family holidays, so it was a joy to be able to get to do it again. It's a tradition we're thoroughly grateful for and one we hope we can keep up for a reeeeeally long time.

Brett and Lydia entertained her mom and brother as they visited them for the first time in Colorado Springs. They'll be with us for Christmas, but we sure missed them among us this year.

Amy got to come though! Her first Thanksgiving away from home, away from any family. We're going to be family though, and we loved having her. She was so helpful and fun to have around. She's extremely lovable, easy-going, and she's a perfect fit.

Kev and Brian know how to juggle, so they picked up some tangerines and figured out how to juggle them to each other. It looked pretty cool when they figured it out. Mel captured this picture of their circus act.

There was plenty to do to prepare for dinner, and I was thankful for all the help. Jylle came home Tuesday night, and she picked which jobs she wanted to do off my list. Of course, I had her do even more than that. You know, 'cause I'm the mom, and I can.

Amy got to meet the West side Mulligans, and they were glad for the chance to meet Ryan's fiancée. Mom really enjoyed her and is looking forward to the wedding. (But not more as I am!)

Doreen and I waiting for the turkeys to be done.

Clockwise from top:  Me, Kev, Mom, Doreen, Jamie, Amy, Ryan, Jyllea, Brian, Wayneen, Alan

Post-meal, Day of, Pre-Christmas Photo Set-up

Amy and Jamie helping us center the cameras

Someone's camera went off too soon...

Aren't they cuuute?

Randomness

Our Thanksgiving Day surprise! We didn't think she'd calve until January. So we have Lily (mom), Billy (bull), and Willy (steer). What to name this one... I thought of Grilly. Amy called him Turk because of Thanksgiving, and Kev calls him Junior. 

If everyone enjoyed even a tenth of the fun and love we did, they would indeed be blessed. It's a warmer, more thoughtful, deeper kind of appreciation when you know there is one less chair at the table. It will not always be like this, but for now, I am deeply grateful.

Thanksgiving 2011

This last weekend could be dubbed "The Best Thanksgiving Ever," or at least the best in a really long time, but that title's too long. For being the first one without my mom, only my God could turn it into a scrapbook full of wonderful memories.

Kev's brother's family came over and brought their mom with them. My nephew Brian lives in LA, and it was his idea for us to all get together here. He's a brilliant young man! It was his first time here, as well as his sister Jamie's, and Mel's. Doreen and Mom came up in 2009 for my folks' 50th.

Jamie with my Sahib

Brian with Sahib

The boys went on a Thanksgiving Day ride, one of the two things Brian wanted to do during this visit. The other thing was do some shooting, but the next day's ride went into sunset, and it was just too dark.
On Friday's ride, Mel drove the four-wheeler, and Brian and Jamie switched on and off Sahib since she didn't get to go the day before. Here, Brett and Brian are tooling around the fields.

Dinner! We deep-fried two turkeys to make sure we'd have leftovers after 13 people ate. Alan's was absolutely deluxe. He injects his with a buttery garlic marinade--eeYUM!

Mom, Doreen, and Wayneen

The Kids' Table

We all rambled outside after dinner to get some pictures. Three cameras, one tripod. We are a talented lot. This is the one I used for our Christmas cards. The original had Doolie's butt in it, so I digitized it right outta there. Wish I'd cleaned up Jylle's hair before I had 50 cards printed, but I honestly didn't notice it was all fly-away on top until she pointed it out. It's fixed here.

We don't have very many pictures of just the two of us. I'm sure that'll change some if we retire and do some traveling. I'm just glad this one turned out.

"Brydia"

This is one of my very most favorite pictures. I liked it so much that I had it printed, and it's sitting in a lovely frame on my kitchen window sill where it cheers me 50 times a day. He does not get why everyone likes it so much, but WE do. He might not think it's uncharacteristic, but we know better.

All of us

All the Mulligans

We liked this one so much that we had an 8x10 enlargement made for a Western style frame that Kev made last year. We'd been waiting for just the right picture, and this was it.

What a grand weekend. One of the things that impressed me is that for three days, 11 of us were pretty much together all the time, and there was no friction. There were no jabs, offenses, or hurt feelings to my knowledge. It was absolutely great.

There was one time that might have produced some disappointment. It was quite accidental, and again, I'm really sorry, Lydia, that Ryan and I managed to forget one of only two grocery items you needed. We cannot be left to do the job of one normal person. What can I say--we must always be supervised by an adult.

Sweet, sweet days altogether. Thank You, Lord, for your goodness and grace.

Thanksgiving Thought

I am surrounded and embraced by family, friends, love, and comfort. This is an incredibly rich life I'm talking about. The dysfunction is minimal, as compared with others', and honestly, it's almost embarrassing.

On the outermost edges of this blessed life exist the lonely, the invisible, and the broken. It's not that I don't care about them; I simply don't know them. Admittedly, I haven't tried to find them, much less know them. There is a niggling in my brain: What if I stepped out of my verdant, lovely, peaceful world and entered theirs...?

Perhaps lives would be changed on both sides, and I would realize that we have more in common than I ever imagined.

Thanksgiving 2008

Notes:

• "Bill" is Ryan's college roommate. He chose this American name when he was 12 because he liked Bill Nye the Science Guy. He was a wonderful guest, and we had a lot of fun with him.
• Zeb, aka "my youngest son," hung out for 24 hours, including most of Thanksgiving Day. It was fantastic.
• When I asked Ryan if there was a food he'd like me to make for when he came home, chocolate mousse is what he really wanted.
• Jyllea was vacuuming the stairs, and it fell and hit her in the face. Urgent Care put a liquid bandage on it, and it made her look like she had a runny nose. It swelled too.
  
• I used a flour sack towel as a splash guard while whipping cream, and the beaters ate it the moment I stopped paying attention.
• Bill shot a gun for the first time ever, and clearly his instructors were ace because he hit the bullseye more than once! =)

With two Thanksgiving days/dinners this year, gratitude was a theme that was in the forefront of our thoughts more than usual. It was a pleasure.

I miss my family the most right after I've seen them. I want to be thankful for whatever time we have together. Having attended a funeral on Friday for a man killed in a car accident, this desire is more pressing than ever. Kev took the boys back to college yesterday. He drove them there and turned around and drove home, seven hours each way. I'm extremely thankful for their safety!

Thank You, Lord, for this past week. Help me to keep a thankful mind heading into the rush and press that the Christmas season can bring.

lengthy but not exhaustive

Surely the world is not big enough, deep enough, or real enough to contain all the words it would take to thank You for everything You've given, done, and are. My tiny offering here is feeble in light of all that I am not and should be, but You don't see me like that, which is why I love You so much and keep trying. With my eyes closed and my heart full on, "I want to look right at You, I want to sing right to You."

I want to step out of me and into Your life in me, and I want to want that not so much for me but because that would give You great pleasure and the world would see the supernatural on wheels--Jesus alive and well and going about the Father's business as a 48-year old woman and all that means.

Thank You for the desire for a higher life, for the abundant life, and for the next life. I'm thankful that this world is not my home.

Kevin: He is a wonder, Your love manifested to me in flesh and bone, heart and soul.
My children: They teach me more about how to live and love than any how-to book (save Your word and anointed books).
Dad: His integrity, humility, and steadfastness are a northern star for me.
Mom: Her generosity and capacity for love and fun are a constant inspiration.
My Ya-Yas: Their devoted friendship is an anchor in the wilderness of life. They have seen me at my nastiest and loved me along all the same.
Alan: His sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and genuinely loving heart makes me love him not just 'cause he's my brother, but 'cause he is my friend.
Wayneen: She makes my brother so happy, and she is a beautiful soul.
Sandy and Betty: Their Christlike lives and attitudes are incredible.
Debbie: Her deep kindness, intentional friendship, and real presence were a godsend and remain a profound blessing.
Kathy: With the heart of a poet and the spirit of a prophet, she ministers to me, encourages, advises, humors, listens, shares, and I don't know what I'd do without her.
Barb: She challenges me to be the person she thinks I am. The little girl inside her loves the little girl in me, and she just makes me feel so wanted.
Kim: We have solved the world's problems together and continue to work on each other's. I miss her next-doorness, but we will always strive to "pop through the hedge" whenever we can.

I am thankful for salvation, hope, sunshine, cloud art, baby laughter, our church, our pastors, kind words, good food, good health, kindness, smiles, color, pets, clean water, fresh air, dessert, pictures, good movies, flowers, music, my kids' friends, heart shapes in nature, God-hugs that pop up when I need them most, funny jokes, great stories, being remembered, being relevant, just BEing.........

Thanksgiving

It was a sweet day. There were nine of us at the table, the presence of the absent ones strongly visible in our minds. Thanks were expressed one by one, the corn kernels deposited in the bowl as symbols. The sun was winter bright and so very welcome. We drank in the faces we love that we just don't see as much as we'd like.

My poor Kevin... He's so sensitive. He wanted someone else to say grace over the meal, but they deferred. I would so have loved for my dad to say it, but he remained silent, and we remained respectful. He made it through though, I think the first time ever. Mom began the "corn praises." We each get two kernels of unpopped corn and express two things for which we're thankful. Mom started us off, and because Kev was the one who announced the praise time, Mom looked at him when she began. It only took her one sentence to launch into prayer mode though. She closed her eyes, and she began to speak to Him instead of to us. Out poured one thing after another, a veritable cornucopia of heartfelt gratitude for family, health, relationships, and most of all, Jesus. Kev summoned all of his steeliest machismo to keep it together.

This was my first attempt at injecting a turkey with a basting concoction, and it turned out great! I just love garlic butter. I'd eat that on just about any meaty or bready kinda thing. Alan brought his turkey fryer, which I love for two reasons: 1) The turkey turns out delicious in only an hour, and 2) Someone else cooks it. I made the pie crusts with butter this year instead of shortening, and I decided I like that better. Thanks, Hosey.

My folks only stay a few hours so they don't have to drive in the dark, so they took Jeslyn back with them, but Alan and Wayneen stayed. Ryan and Jylle disappeared downstairs, and we four adults settled in the living room for football and conversation. Within two hours after dinner though, the three of them had gotten in a nice little nap while I surfed the 'Net for jobs for Wayneen in hopes of getting her over here a little quicker than April.

Hearts we know and love sitting round the table. Absent ones we know and miss still with us in the missing. Lives so full--of family, true friends, good health (well, Mom's is mediocre, but at least it's not horrid), almost shameful material abundance (almost =)....... It won't always be like this. At the next holiday get-together there could be an empty chair, even two. I won't future-trip, but I acknowledge how quickly life can change.

I just want to say simply and meaningfully, Thank You, Daddy. You are everything Good and Lovely, and this silly wee lamb just wants to say Thank You. XO