Remember hOW wE gOT hERE
We wish you great happiness during this Thanksgiving holiday, a day of remembrance that is fast losing its importance in our society. But we encourage you to take time to stop and remember why we celebrate. Just as God instructed the Israelites to stop and remember the events that He performed down through the ages, we also, must stop and remember how God was involved in bringing these United States to this point.
Stop and remember How Christopher Columbus was brave and determined to cross the ocean, Remember how the pilgrims risked their lives to leave Europe and come to this new land for freedom to worship, remember how there were native Americans who were kind and reached out to teach the pilgrims how to survive and others that served as guides into this new land. Remember how we became a new nation and created a constitution that would create a new form of democracy where the people could be involved in making the decisions of the land. And how we needed to learn how to treat others and how ALL men were created equal. Remember that we didn’t always do the right thing but that we are still working to treat all men equally.
Remember in your own families how God has brought you through hard times. How he has blessed your family through the generations. Think of all the things that he has blessed you with. And praise Him for it.
Today Michele and I want to remember and share a few things from our own family memories. We love for you to share in the comments about your own traditions and memories of Thanksgiving and the blessings God has bestowed upon you.
Thanksgiving Traditions
Michele: Moving away from our family gave us a different perspective on holidays. Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday. It is untouched by commercialism and is genuine.
Mandy: I agree with Michele. When you live away from family a lot of things change. On the farm, we had the whole family together but usually others as well. In Wisconsin, Dad usually took the kids in the morning to the Christmas tree farm. if there was snow on the ground, they had the sleigh set up to take folks out to choose their tree. I remember one year that somehow, I ended up alone or with just my younger brother. I had no concept of height so we came home with a huge tree. Dad had to cut a foot or two off the bottom … and we had pretty high ceilings in the family room.
Most Memorable Thanksgiving
Mandy: The most memorable Thanksgiving has to be 1989, the year that I got engaged and brought Mike and his boys up to the farm to meet the family. My mother thought it would be so nice if the boys got to see snow, so she started praying for snow. We had so much snow that we nearly didn’t get there. Our son, Brian wrote about it in my memoirs.
Michele: I would have to say that our first year in Minnesota, we went back home for Thanksgiving. We were able to attend both families’ Thanksgiving dinners and have a nice time visiting and eating…. and eating… uffda! Good times though!
Share a Favorite Thanksgiving Picture or Two
Sharing a bowl of food- Tucker and Ninja (Michele)
Thanksgiving This or That
Ham or Turkey?
Michele: Definitely at brined turkey. Deliciously tender and leftovers are awesome!
Mandy: a fried turkey! Yum!
Stuffing/Dressing or Mashed Potatoes?
Michele: I have to choose? Well… stuffing.
Mandy: Everyone has to have mashed potatoes. Growing up I didn’t care much for stuffing. Mom’s had celery in it which I still don’t like. But once a moved south and started doing things the “Right” way, I came to love cornbread dressing.
Sweet Potatoes or Cranberry Sauce?
Michele: Seriously!? I have to choose again… Cranberry Sauce
Mandy: I’ll pass on the cranberry sauce every time. In order to have something red on the table, my mom made a hot cinnamon applesauce jello. She made it with Red hot Candies melted in it. I have changed the recipe to use Hot Cinnamon Tea replacing the Hed Hots. Here’s the recipe. Oh, One time I made this and took it to our church Thanksgiving dinner. Our music director thought it was cranberry sauce and plopped it right on his turkey. Boy, was he surprised when he took that first bite! ha!
Cornbread or Dinner Roll?
Michele: Dinner Roll hands down!
Mandy: I’d agree that dinner rolls are most awesome. But being a converted southerner now, they are seldom offered. The choice is between cornbread and biscuits. I choose the biscuits every time since there are no dinner rolls. Then add a little applebutter! oh, yeah!
Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?
Michele: Pumpkin!
Mandy: Oh yes! Pumpkin pie. IT might be the only pie I ever eat.
Best China or Paper Plates?
Michele: Best China… it’s a celebration of thanks! People are special!
Mandy: I always loved using china. I say, why have it if you never use it. I would look for special times to pull out the china. Regrettably, we haven’t used it in years. It’s just so much easier to use Chinet. As a matter of fact, china stayed packed after we downsized and moved in 2015. When our daughter got married this summer, the china moved with the china cabinet to her apartment. I think it is still in boxes though.
With Family or With Friends?
Michele: Mostly we just have friends over as family seldom travels during this time of year.
Mandy: Growing up, it was a big event for friends and family. After I married, it became just family. You know, some traditions have to change when you marry.
Football games or Christmas movies?
Michele: Great conversations and dominoes.
Mandy: Personally, I like watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade followed by the movie, Miracle on 34th Street. Sometimes, both versions! HOWEVER, with all the men I’ve been surrounded by all my life, I have had to give in to football at times. Usually, I find my way to the attic and start bringing out the Christmas decorations.
Black Friday Shopping or Christmas Decorating
Michele: Christmas decorating… fa la la la la, la la la la!
Mandy: I am NOT a shopper. My goal is to have all shopping done and Christmas cards sent out by Thanksgiving. I don’t like crowds. Shopping has always been a tiring job to me possibly because I didn’t know that I had fatigue from fibromyalgia.
We would love to hear your responses.
Leave a comment below and tell us your This or That’s
Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 says Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
That is why my we, Mandy and Michele, have decided to join together to hold each other up and at the same time, we hope that you are lifted up as well. We will share about chronic pain issues and raising children with ADHD, Things we’ve learned about leaving a legacy, and then some fun and laughter along the way as well.
We will be sharing about how God helps us through the worst of trials and the best of days. We hope that you will sign up for our newsletter.
I always get emotional during Thanksgiving. We all know the narrative that we were taught in school but look what happened to Native Americans afterwards…their land was stolen from them, they were tortured and murdered…so sad. Anyway, I do thank you so much for linking up at A Themed Linkup 82 for All Things Thanksgiving. Pinned!
I’m with you on the treatment of the Native Americans. I have a post about Native American Heritage Month the week of Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to share it. Thanks for all you do to help promote our blogs