laughing right now because I just wrote a post about walking on water… and now I am swimming… well makes me laugh

last night was sensational… and Katherine said it correctly…

There was so much “storm” before the party got goin’, but I tell ya, once we sat down to eat…pure bliss. Friends, family, food….turkey, talent, tears…it was a family event like no other.

Tony and i began early in the day… with some baking (Beth) and guitar playing (Tony) … kids got up bit by bit… we had warmed up some of the pioneer woman cinnamon rolls, and with the Macys parade on… various baking happened.

Jenni was helping in the morning and then got terribly sick… I was worried she would not be with us celebrating.

Tony had to go to work later in the day… something he usually doesn’t have to do.

The kids began packing up the car … I stayed at the house to finish up stuffing and gravy, Katherine prepared a present for Sarah and decorated Laurel’s sugar cookies, Earl helped us pack up the 2nd trip… and Melinda, Mary, my mom, Emily and Hannah set up the church.

When we arrived the room was awesome…

and people were hard at work…

for appetizers… our family salsa with Tostitos, Jenni’s world famous egg curry dip with triscuits, potato chips, chili spiced nuts…

for dinner… Turkey expertly carved and sliced by Trevor, mashed potatoes, fried rice, roasted green beans, pan roasted carrots, fresh cranberry relish, fresh apple salad, creamed corn, homemade yeast rolls from Hannah and Laurel, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, a relish tray with pickled vegetables from my mom. Our friend, Tim brought spring rolls.

after dinner… on the table… mixed nuts in the shell, fruit, and dried fruit.

and then for dessert… oreo mini cheesecakes from Laurel, melting moments, sweet cheese puffs, frangipane tartlets, Melinda’s pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin, raw apple cake, custard sauce, a splendiferous bowl of homemade whipped cream.

In the youth group room we had the wii and rock band set up… (Tim and Eugene got it working there.)

We celebrated Sarah’s birthday… with cupcakes Desley baked and decorated with icing I has made…

and there was the talent show… Tony introduced the show telling everyone , of course they were nervous, but you dont have to be great… it is about the sharing. Tim bravely began, borrowing Tony’s guitar and singing “Blackbird.” Melinda signed “I Will Rise.” Tim played piano while he and Eugene sang “Hey, Jude.” Antonio recited a bible verse. Bethany and Trevor did stupid human tricks… lol, actually quite good, Bethany throws food from across the room and Trevor catches it with his mouth. Sariah sang “Jesus loves me.”

Samuel volunteered… he is only four years old and he said he would do something. But when he got up there… he stood smiling. Tony told him… that volunteering is a gift… one we needed more of. I was thinking that Tony was right… Sammy’s spirit is so giving, so ready to love, so ready to help.

Mary had wanted to burn one of her films to DVD to show, but there was so much other stuff going on that she had no time to do that. She also had sugegsted that resurrect an act I had forced upon them many years ago… when guests came over, I used to make them do the “so long farewell” song from The Sound of Music… but there was no time to practice…. dinner for 40 takes some time.

Rose sang “I’m Forgiven,” while Dana accompanied her on the piano. Carson had sat in the audience and at one point, sang loudly, “Veggie-tales, Veggie-tales;” we thought randomly. But noooooo. he got up with his mom, and Samuel jumped up next to him…

out came some blasts from the trumpet… which was the beginning of the veggietales song… Earl was impressed he could produce such strong sound.

Tony sang a song he wrote in the last few weeks, telling us God loves a new song , and that we all have songs we can write… lots of tears while he sang… and then because i forgot the poem i had written, I asked Tony to “be my talent.” He had put music to a poem i had written based on the book of Jude. And he sang a portion of that.

Jenni had brought a CD and then with the soundtrack of Grease she danced … brought the house down.

Katherine spoke, sharing our family’s gift (her words) for finding the brightness in trying times… and offered some thoughts on the people in the room. Yeah,  lots of tears here.

I basically cried with everyone’s talent… watching people share their gifts thrills me…

everyone helped clean up… but Wil and Desley did so much work… and Antonio vacuumed… i love that family. I sent Nik home as he was trying to help because Master Chip was running a fever. I went too long without pain medication and it overtook me, so Leona and Sydney took me home.

40-some people ate most all of our 25 lb turkey so we came home and roasted another one we had marinating in mojo…

this morning, the kids cleaned the house, taking down the thanksgiving decorations… and another turkey for dinner.

right now i hear Earl upstairs playing the bass which one of the treats of him being home … i love the deep resonance of Earl and the bass.

they have plans to visit Dana and fam… tonight they will put up some Christmas decorations…

Tony will publish many more photos … this was just a taste of a glorious time.

many unknowns loom in front of us, and saying good-bye will be difficult (Melinda and Earl leave tomorrow as Shachah has a gig [ I called it a playdate the other day… and Laurel corrected me] on Sunday: Mary and Katherine leave on Sunday.) But our hearts are full with love and many memories. God is sovereign… and sovereign with perfection.

Tags: Food, Glorious God, Kids, Thanksgiving

This entry was posted on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Food, Kids, Our glorious God, Thanksgiving, United States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.