Thanksgiving has come and gone and we were with the Bennett Family, but if I had a choice, I would want to be transported back to my childhood Thanksgiving Family Dinners.
I remember the table all full of food...my brother's oyster stuffing, the candied yams (ick) and all sorts of other side dishes and of course the turkey. Those dinners were always so good - my mom could cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner just as good as all the Indo food that she cooked - nothing really compares!
Those days were so long ago and at age 46 I have spent more Thanksgivings without my mom than with her. I miss her every Thanksgiving as it was the first holiday we celebrated without her after she passed away 25 years ago. You would think that it would get easier, but with these memories...it just seems like yesterday that our little family sat down together at the table together.
Thankful for those memories - hoping that they never fade.
For many years Felida has been participating in Operation Christmas Child - a program through Samaritan's Purse. This past weekend was our packing party at the church and it was so incredible!
In the early days we would do a couple hundred boxes and think we were doing alright. We would send out the challenge to families to pack boxes and bring them to the church ready to go. That had changed a few years back and we decided to be very intentional about making this program the best that we could make it.
Throughout the year items would be collected and stored until the big day. In recent years we have sent out messages on the church website that would alert members of sales of items that we would be collecting that particular day and by November we had just about everything that was needed - including shoe boxes. I don't know who all is buying shoes, because I know I may have contributed one or two boxes this year and with 200+ regular weekly attenders, it's hard to say just WHO is bring all those shoe boxes in...hmmmm....
SO - At our 2010 party we partnered with another small church and we exceeded the goal that we set for last year and packed over 600. Someone decided to dream big and said that we would pack 750 boxes this year.
November 19th was the day and volunteers and so many people from our church family showed up and we ended up with a grand total of 786 boxes!!!!
Seven Hundred Eighty Six...that many kids all around the world will be receiving one of those gifts that was so lovingly and enthusiastically packed by a member of our church...so amazing! Each box was prayed for and we continue to pray for the children who will receive a gift this year. God is so good!
What I love about this video the most....this VERY excited boy hasn't even OPENED the box yet. Can you imagine what THAT would look like?!
We have already gone to Biscuits Cafe for breakfast and to Starbucks for coffee. This evening is a special dinner made by me and then off to get a dessert...to the Body Worlds exhibit Saturday and then on Sunday to Lapellah with our buddies.
Up until very recently I haven't really been that interested in wearing much in the way of accessories, you know, bracelets, necklaces...etc. I have been pretty happy with wearing my wedding ring and a watch - a very old sports watch. Actually, the ring is an anniversary ring, but still it's one ring. I can't bear to wear too many items on my fingers even though I like the idea.
A couple of years ago my friend Mary had a Premier Designs jewelry party at her home and for fun, I decided to go and check it out. Premier Designs has a lot of nice necklaces, but can be a bit on the spendy side, so I only bought one necklace. A necklace that I only wear occasionally.
Toward the end of September this year Mary had yet another jewelry party and I booked a party from her party. So a couple of weeks ago I had a Premier Designs Jewelry party and invited some of my friends to come over and "play" with some pretty jewelry...this last week the box came to my back door! Who knew? Who knew that I would like to wear jewelry?
Ooooh, look at all the pretty boxes
I like that each order is all bundled up and ready to deliver
These are 5 necklaces and 1 bracelet
Let's get pretty...oh wait...how does this work?
Oh look, a nice little necklace to help make me less dorky!
I have gone through and unpacked all of my pretty boxes!
Don't know which is my favorite - this one is so colorful.
This one will go with a few outfits that I have....
It has been a few years since we have gone Trick or Treating - darn Andrew growing up!
Last night we went around Doug & Mary's neighborhood and had a fun time watching all the kids running around the and getting their treats. It's hard to say who had more fun, the little kids or the big "kids."
