Thanksgiving Time

Our days were filled with laughter, jokes, sharing, games, movies, shows, cooking, wood-piling, hiking, feasting, a bonfire, crafting, singing, chatting, and delving into deeper conversations- as any truly great holiday should be spent!

Jim spent parts of his break studying (no surprise!) and I had some good therapy/energizer/brainstorming ideas sessions with my fellow teachers on both sides of the family!

Leif did give us a slight scare when he impaled himself on a stick while running through the woods, but he's recovering with a little help from some medicine and rest. No more hikes for us this weekend! Well, maybe just him ;)

Nevertheless, we've had a wonderful time with both of our families. Here are a few pictures/highlights:

Pheebs received this awesome hat from a friend and wanted a picture with the other "bearded"members of the family! :)

We became the wanna-bes!

This blog would not be complete without mentioning the two biggest highlights of this weekend, though! The first came when we had just finished the our incredible feast and Dad hopped up from the table and went to the piano (which happens to be in the same room). Without even announcing what he was doing, he proceeded to play a song that signifies Thanksgiving to our family. 

Dad was working at a Friends school in Maryland when a lead sheet just randomly appeared on his piano. He never could find the person who put it there, but when he looked over the it he decided it was the perfect Thanksgiving song- and it is! He has brought Thanksgiving Time into the lives of so many people. Every school he has taught for sang the song each Thanksgiving, some still keeping the tradition long after he moved on to another school. I even taught it to my Kindergarteners for a Thanksgiving Chapel in Louisiana!

So, when the chords began... we leapt aboard, some unable to sing because they were too choked up, and those normally too stubborn to submit to a moment like this also became swept into the mood and belted the melody with their full heart. It was heart-warming and may just turn into our own family tradition, since none of us are able to sing it as students in school anymore!

The second highlight was the opportunity for Jim's family to chat with Christine for more than an hour. She is currently studying at St. Andrews in Scotland and will be home for Christmas, but was not able to return for Thanksgiving. So, we brought her into our dining room for some of the afternoon! The first few minutes were spent like this and then people moved, got comfortable, rotated chairs, and just pretended she was right in the room with us. Technology is wonderful!

We hope you had a joyous Thanksgiving time!!!!