Sharing Thanksgiving at Helen's house

Here are the sports fans enjoying a football game after lunch.  This picture should have been last and the last, first.  I'm too lazy to change them around;)  I think we counted 24 people there for lunch.  If the rest of our clan could have been there we would have had 30.

My sister, Allene, and Helen's girls, Barbara and Donna, looking at a gazillion of Barbara's vacation pictures she made out West while visiting several National parks, including Glacier National Park.  Barbara is a medical doctor and Donna is a home health physical therapist.

Our grandson, Jackson, enjoyed climbing on the roots of this huge oak tree.  He stood there and sang a Thanksgiving song he learned at day care.  I think it's to the tune of "Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, brother John?"  ♫ "Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey, Run away, Run away. ♪ If you are not careful, you will be a mouthful,  ♫ on Thanksgiving Day,  on Thanksgiving Day ♪!"  I wish I hadn't lost or deleted the video I made of him singing this!

This is Jackson's Mom, Jennifer.  She entertained us for two hours with her singing and playing at Aromas Cafe in Columbus on Friday night after Thanksgiving.  The room was full and a good time was had by all.  A furnished playroom for the children was very helpfull!

In all fairness, this is Jennifer's husband, Bryan.   I think he wants to play football with Jackson;-)

This area included home canned greened beans, peas, creamed corn, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole and bread and butter.  We had sweet tea, peach tea, and cokes, etc. to drink.  I didn't even get a picture of the dessert table! Suffice it to say, there was plenty!  I remember a chocolate cake, chocolate chip bars, strawberry-cheesecake pies and more!

Just past the corn on the cob was a dish of delicious oven roasted mixed veggies, which were super good.  I have to try that sometime.  It included cauliflower and broccoli flowerettes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, red onion, squash and I can't remember what else.  She said use any veggies you like, sprinkle with olive oil and seasoned salt and roast on a cookie sheet until done.  What could be more healthful or simple?

Corn salad, marinated bean salad, broccoli-cauliflower salad and fresh veggies with dip are on this bar.

The meats were: a turkey breast, a honey baked spiral-cut ham and a barbecued Boston Butt.  All were good, but I heard more raves over the Boston Butt.  There were three different cranberry relishes.

This touch of the Christmas season was in the living room.

Helen had this table set in the formal dining space and not a soul ate there!! Lots of folks opted to enjoy the perfect Fall weather while eating outside.  Other tables were set in the breakfast area and the den.

Mutt and Jeff!  Well, it's really my grandson, Jesse and my nephew Steve's wife, Cheryl.  Jesse is 6 feet tall and Cheryl is below 5 feet tall :)  Cheryl's grandson, Nathan, is in the foreground.

Mums in a wicker turkey basket.

Cardboard turkey hanging over a doorway.

Many of you know my son, Joe.  He is doing well.  He and his family got back from a Smoky Mountain vacation just in time for this Thanksgiving day.

 

This picture should have been first.  It's Dr. Barbara starting to uncover the food!  Barbara is my sister Helen's oldest child.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  We sure have a lot to be thankful for!

May God Bless and Guide You!

I think I've mentioned it here before, but Jeep started this past Sunday preaching at the United Methodist Churches on the McAdams Charge, Starkville (MS) District.  This includes McAdams UMC, Bethel UMC, and Salem UMC.  We look forward to serving these small churches.


This is my hubby, Jeep, as we started to Sunday school and church one day.  (Yes ladies, he still opens the car door for me!  It's one of the old fashioned curtesies that seems to be going by the wayside :(

This coming Sunday will be the first time Jeep will preach at McAdams United Methodist Church.

Above, he is filling in at Eupora First United Methodist Church in the absence of the Pastor.

Entertaining a group at Winona, MS

After a marriage ceremony at Lebanon UMC

Teaching our Wesley Bible Class at Eupora First United Methodist Church

 

 Please remember us in your prayers. We need strength, wisdom, courage and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I think Jeep will do a great job, and I'm excited to support him in any way I am able.  (Upon asking a pastor's wife for advice, she said, "Smile a lot and keep your mouth shut :)

Jennifer will be singing in MS

This is a  picture of a poster advertising a gig Jennifer will be singing and playing at Cafe Aromas at 404 Main Street, Columbus, MS  from 7:30 to 9:30   Nov. 23 (Friday night after Thanksgiving).  If you are in the area, come out and join the fun.

Look who's coming to visit us...our grandson, Jackson and his Dad and Mom, Bryan and Jennifer!!

Here's a video of Jennifer singing "Hey, Soul Sister"

 

I hope she does my favorites, "I wish that I could Shimmy like my sister Kate" and the medley of  "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World ".   That medley is beautiful and shows off the great range of Jennifer's lovely voice.

Churches

Here are some of the churches we saw on our trip to Jennifer's  (plus two of the churches Jeep will be serving soon).  I didn't get pictures of nearly all the churches that we saw.   There were many churches with spires dotted over the area and we were not in position to get pictures of all of them.



I didn't get the name of this church.

I like these quaint little churches!

 

 

A Catholic Church

This is a Catholic church.  Isn't it beautiful!

 

 

 

This is a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I think this is a Catholic Church.

These last two churches are two of the three little churches that Jeep will begin serving the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.   The Pastor who was serving these churches became ill and unable to preach anymore.

The District Superintendent asked Jeep if he would do them the favor of serving in place of the regular pastor.  Since Jeep has always felt he was called to preach at small churches, he decided to fill in for them.  We think this will only be until June, when regular appointments are made.

 

These churches are about 65 miles away from us and some of the services are at 9:00 A.M.  We will have to get used to getting up early and getting on the road by 7:30!  He will preach at one of the churches on the 1st and 3rd Sundays and the other two churches on the 2nd and 4th Sundays (one has an early service and the other service is at 11 o'clock).  He will have 5th Sundays off.  On those Sundays we can attend our regular churches here:)  Since Jeep retired right after we married about 5 1/2 years ago, I will have to learn how to be a Pastor's wife!  Any tips?
Happy Sunday!