Giving Thanks for the Giggling Girls!

Friday night after the work day and before the volleyball games, Joella hosted a Girls Time while Fain's home hosted the guys.

I hear that the guys had steaks (including elk steaks we brought along and steaks made from chuck roast and pork) but we gals had fun, too!

Several cousins helped make chicken/spinach stuffed rotini. 

Nobody's hiding from the camera here!!

While Rose was rolling out dough for cheese-stuffed rolls (maybe there was a more delectable name for them, but that's what I call them!)

 

Kezia's oldest daughter Elizabeth played her Christmas pieces she is learning on the piano for her recital. Whoever her piano teacher is certainly is doing a good job!

And back in the music room, Kezia tried out the folk harp. 

And I admired the blooming Christmas cactus.
Or is it Thanksgiving cactus?

Time to gather in, girls!

I had found these charming paper plates at Mardels here in town.  

The girls had also made the yummiest cheesecake desserts.

Lemon was my favorite! Mm! 

Such a fun time!

 Of course the ladies had the babies and little ones, and not everyone could fit in the kitchen at the two tables! A few of us gals were in the living room.

For the little girls, after supper it was dress up time. Laura got to dress up in her mother's wedding dress, and Elizabeth got to dress up in another wedding dress that Natasha said she had picked up at a yard sale for about 50 cents! 

And Lydia dressed up in Laura's princess dress.

They put on a little skit down the hall, for the rest of us to watch from the living room.  

They were in France, the girls said, and I guess it was in between air raids.  :) 

They were having a great time having tea, bossing their servant (who was not cooperating very well) and playing music. Oh, and drawing!

Perfect activities for in between air raids in France!

As can be seen, one of the mothers of the actors might have been a little embarrassed, while the rest of us were delightfully amused!

The happy actresses!

"All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy"

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," my father used to often quote.

Everyone was expected to work and help carry his share of the load at home growing up,

but then there was always time for play--whether games of volleyball,

(a tradition that has carried on to this day),

or reading good books (another tradition carried on to the third and fourth generation!

Day after Thanksgiving, after Breakfast on the Bus, (probably my favorite experience this year!)

most everyone got together at my folks' place to rake leaves, and take care of other needed work.

 

Ezra fixing something on a door in the laundry room.

Carrie washing windows.

Bigger boys sawing down a dead tree.

And no end of leaves to burn.

 

 

But after all the day's work was done, it was time for volley ball.

There were so many cousins (and extras such as brothers-in-law and Susanna's boyfriend) that there were two volleyball games--one in the front yard and one in the back yard! 

 

Breakfast on the Bus

One of the biggest hits this Thanksgiving season at our clan reunion in Missouri was Breakfast on the Bus hosted by my brother Fain's family the morning after Thanksgiving.

Fain purchased this old bus that was originally used, I think, for senior citizens, and has been little by little remodeling it into a mobile cafe which he hopes to use in outreach, such as inner city ministry to homeless, or possibly in disaster relief.

Candace (on the right) stayed busy frying eggs and pancakes, while behind her bacon stayed warm in the microwave oven. Gabriel's wife Elizabeth is getting ready to cut cinnamon rolls to serve. 

Natasha is working on another pan of cinnamon rolls. 

As soon as the first wave of "customers" came through, more were flooding in, so people like me hustled right along and went inside Fain's home to help with the stacks and stacks of dishes!

Meanwhile, up front, Ezra, the computer geek, is working on the bus's computer system so that it will say words on the front, on this particular morning, welcoming each couple who arrived. 

So here are our names! John and Anna, even if John is not the correct spelling.  

Erika is ready to serve cinnamon rolls with a smile! 

The youngest grandchild of my parents is ready for her breakfast at the window table. 

My favorite photo of the day--a table full of boys bowing to thank God for their food

during Breakfast on the Bus!

May God bless this unusual bus ministry that Fain wants to begin, and allow it to be used effectively in the kingdom of God.

Thanksgiving 2021 in Missouri

Six of my siblings and extended families were blessed to gather in Missouri at a rented venue over Thanksgiving.

Here is a photo of the clan Sunday morning.

Our family had pulled in after dark, about 8 in the evening night before Thanksgiving, at the home of Craig and Joella's, where the sound of music greeted my ears as I climbed out of our van, still weaving from traveling 13 hours. 

No sweeter sound! I took a picture through the window of the singers practicing!

Then we dropped some of our children at Fain's place a few miles away, where nephew David was doing some blacksmithing, before Jonathan and I went on to another house to stay overnights.

Nephew Nathaniel basting one of the three Thanksgiving turkeys!

 And his wife Erika carving it!

A couple less-than-professional photos of the kind of difficult moments one encounters in a new old venue where the gas oven is much needed but is not turning on!

Certain girl cousins putting on their best faces! 

Happy little girl sitting up high while her mommy slices pumpkin rolls.  

Same happy girl playing a game with Hannah. 

Girl cousins decorated a very plain basement so beautifully with simple things like gallons of homemade apple snitz and a folk harp.  

Amaris's wheel chair becomes the engine to a very fun train, ridden by Rose and a little cousin!

Gotta have the coal car and the little blue caboose, too! 

 

Elon and Anita's granddaughter Kari is eagerly looking forward to a new baby brother most any time now!

Grandma and pa arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Nathaniel sets on the huge bowl of turkey gravy. 

Huge bowls of cranberry salad and broccoli salad.

Not sure it's the right size table, but at least it's the right size chair!

 More of the littlest littles there!

And of course, plenty of pies! 

 

We do indeed count our many blessings!