This is the table that was set up at the family reunion for a fun family auction.
Different ones contributed all sorts of little things that were to be auctioned off, with the proceeds going toward a project.
There was everything from dishtowels to books to yarn to crochet hooks to shoes, home-canned jam or salsa, Christmas items, notebook, quilt strips, shoes, etc.
Our Hannah had knitted these sets of dish cloths with matching scrubbies--and I couldn't help noticing how the prices were bid up nicely for these--just because a little girl had made them by hand and four different moms happily paid up for them.I was proud of the way my family valued a little girl's hours of loving labor to make something beautiful and useful all at once.
One person, we won't say names, kindly bid on anything that wouldn't sell,
to make sure it sold for something and the auction could keep going. He also gave some of the rest of us a run for our money! There was a lot of banter and fun and laughter--especially when Fain was the auctioneer with a corny remark for everything that he was trying to auction off!
"I think as you grow older your Christmas list gets shorter, because the things you want can't be bought."
That was a quote I saw on Facebook recently.
Gifts and things are nice, but what can't be gotten for money are what we value most of all.
Family.
Love.
Forgiveness.
Laughter.
A merry heart.
Kindness.
Sharing.
Joy.
The ability to laugh at oneself when others tease or play tricks on you.
A grateful heart.
Appreciation.
Valuing one another.
One way my mom requested we value each other was to stay off any screens while together there for those couple days. It was a blessing to have family willing to cooperate. Everyone helped with the work, and everyone helped with the play!
AND, of course, everyone helped with the eating!!!
It is always kind of hard to get the food line started because no one really wants to act like they want to be the first one. So Craig, my brother-law, and I tried to help organize fun ways to start the food line.
Once we asked trivia questions about family history (like what year was the first set of bells gotten, and who was the landlord at a certain place and what was the second name of a certain cousin who was not present) and whoever answered first got to take their turn in the line plus choose a second person to go with them. Otherwise we'd have to wade through 50 different questions!
Another time, everyone with January birthdays were asked to go first, and then ones with February birthdays and so on. This helped things move along, while giving different ones a turn to go sooner rather than later.
**********
We had set up a table with little "sunshine basket" gifts for Mom and Dad.There were jars of homecanned jam or jelly or salsa or pickled beets or applesauce or honey.
There was a bird feeder built by Samuel Morley the week before while he was at our house, and a bag of used cards for my mom to go through to make again into her own delightful homemade greeting cards. She still sends out probably hundreds of cards and letters a year to friends and family.
I decorated this table with another of Carrie's strings of lit up autumn leaves.
We let Mom and Dad open a few of their gifts right away. Elon and Anita had brought Dad a much needed new, warm jacket, and for Mom there was a pillow that said, "Grandmothers give the biggest hugs!" And there were two sets of brand new flannel sheets. I think my parents were quite overwhelmed with those brand new sets of flannel sheets. (Thanks, Gabriel and Elizabeth for your generous thoughtfulness with those!)
The other gifts were left for Mom and Dad to open one or two a day after everyone was gone back home.
Kindness.
Sharing.
Joy.
The ability to laugh at oneself when others tease or play tricks on you.
A grateful heart.
Appreciation.
Valuing one another.
One way my mom requested we value each other was to stay off any screens while together there for those couple days. It was a blessing to have family willing to cooperate. Everyone helped with the work, and everyone helped with the play!
It is always kind of hard to get the food line started because no one really wants to act like they want to be the first one. So Craig, my brother-law, and I tried to help organize fun ways to start the food line.
Once we asked trivia questions about family history (like what year was the first set of bells gotten, and who was the landlord at a certain place and what was the second name of a certain cousin who was not present) and whoever answered first got to take their turn in the line plus choose a second person to go with them. Otherwise we'd have to wade through 50 different questions!
**********
We had set up a table with little "sunshine basket" gifts for Mom and Dad.There were jars of homecanned jam or jelly or salsa or pickled beets or applesauce or honey.
There was a bird feeder built by Samuel Morley the week before while he was at our house, and a bag of used cards for my mom to go through to make again into her own delightful homemade greeting cards. She still sends out probably hundreds of cards and letters a year to friends and family.
I decorated this table with another of Carrie's strings of lit up autumn leaves.
The other gifts were left for Mom and Dad to open one or two a day after everyone was gone back home.
After the auction, Fain had brought the most hilarious book I ever heard, The Wonky Donkey. He said Mom would have to read it to the little ones.
Well, Mom had never heard of this book, but Fain had all the little ones gather around Mom so she could read them the story.
Well, as you can see, more than the little children gathered round!
That simple, funny little story was a winner!
Definitely a highlight of the reunion.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
Candace got a whole bunch of us, (even Chris Jackman and me of the adults) to play Fishbowl.
Well, Mom had never heard of this book, but Fain had all the little ones gather around Mom so she could read them the story.
Well, as you can see, more than the little children gathered round!
Definitely a highlight of the reunion.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
Candace got a whole bunch of us, (even Chris Jackman and me of the adults) to play Fishbowl.
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