Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Day...

The American Tradition of taking a holiday and eating so much food that you fall asleep and gain 5 pounds in one meal. It is a time to celebrate with family and friends, and a time to remember all the blessing you have been shown. It is a time to remember the history of this country and to celebrate the harvest. It is a time to give thanks....

This year we have much to give thanks for. The Lord has blessed my family so much in this last year. Dad graduated from the seminary and is now pastoring an amazing little church. I was accepted at the Master's College and I have almost finished my first semester there. Beckie has been accepted at the College also, and will (Lord willing) start in January. Then there are the little blessings...things like, the family I am living with, the boyfriend that I love so very much, the ministry that I have with the highschoolers of Grace Church, and the friends that make life enjoyable.

Tonight, I joined Sam and his siblings in their annual Pie-making. 7 of us started making the pies...and the four of us women finished them. We made 18 pies in all with fillings like, pumpkin, apple, blueberry, cherry, blackberry and boysenberry. Sam and I left about 11:30pm with the pies all made, but still needing to be cooked. Poor Julia (Sam's sister) stayed up till 3:30am cooking the rest of them. It was so much fun to spend this time with the VanDykes and to see them laughing with each other. And oh yes, there was a lot of laughter.

Tomorrow, Sam and I will be spending the day with my family. We will first be going for a hike, to build up an appetite, and then we will be going down to my Aunts house where I have no doubt that there will be more food than any of us can eat. And of course lots of pie. Mum and Dad, Beckie and Reu are also going to be there. They drove down this morning, and I got to see them for a little bit before they headed on to Aunty Kates. I am so excited to be able to spend some time with them and for them to spend time with Sam. It is going to be a great day.