Give Thanks!

For this years Thanksgiving celebrations we once again traveled up to Uncle Tim and Aunt Carmen's house for our annual family gathering. This year though, the weather arrangements were quite different. Where as last November there was snow on the ground, this year the forcast was predicting high 50's. Heading up north on our hour and fifteen minute drive this picture shows what Joshua, our driver, had to deal with! Praise God we were able to get through the worst part safely and sooner than later we broke into a sunny patch of sky and it was clear sailing the rest of the way!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
and tell of all Your wondrous works.
Psalm 26:7

What a feast there was to have as we filled our plates with the many scrumptious dishes brought.

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!
Psalm 68:19

A delicious and delicately designed pumpkin pie with cinnamon swirls on top! Christianna and our friend Theresa were the chefs who created this traditional dish for our thanksgiving feast! 

The breaking of the "Wish Bone". Can you guess who won? 

Because we had not been able to get a family picture with us all dressed up at our Church's Harvest Festival, we therefore took the opportunity at hand and celebrated our national holiday in tradition garb and captured this photo at the end of the day of us all together!

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.
I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

Abraham Lincoln 1863

Celebration of commitment and love...

More Surprises!

These past few weeks -or was it months?- have been filled with planning, suspense, disasters, and secrets as we were helping prepare for yet another surprise 25th wedding anniversary party, this time for our dear friends Stuart and Michele Eddy!
As the day arrived, our nerves a-quaking the Sauve clan traveled up North and joined the Shepherds and Theresa (Shawn was helping his dad gut a deer) in preparing for this very exciting event! After a few almost disastrous and hair-pulling circumstances ( it's a looonnnngggg story!) we started decorating the hall.



The beautiful cake made by Mrs. Crane





The official ribbon bow creators


As the guests arrived...

...friendly greetings given...

...introductions made...

... the suspense was building till...


SURPRISE!!!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!


(( Hugs all around ))


Then dinner began with the helpful assistance of...


The Kitchen Crew!








Visiting with friends










After most everyone had satisfied themselves fully, dad had every household leader get up and tell about their acquaintance with the Eddys.




Laughter filled the room as stories were told and old times remembered.




Following the friendly reminiscences we presented to Mr. and Mrs. Eddy a gift certificate for a nights stay at a special bed and breakfast down in Shipshawana...



... and then the 'bride and groom' cut the cake!

To our dear friends and brother and sister in Christ, we pray for the Lord's continuous blessings on you and your family, and praise the Lord with you for His faithfulness, love and watchful care over you these past 25 years!

May you be blessed by the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 115:15

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations. Psalm 119:89-90

 

A late Gift

On August 8th, 2006 Aunt Carmen and Uncle Tim celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, but didn't receive their gift from our family until the first week in November. They were very patient and understanding when told that we were putting together and hand quilting a queen size quilt.

When we started this "labor of love," we weren't aware of how much work and hours it would require to complete it. The boys offered to buy the material, while the 5 of us ladies did the needlework. (The above photo shows the design we chose which was a log cabin- barn raising star!)





There were times that 4 of us worked each side of the quilt at the same time!






Before we finished quilting all the edges, we made sure that we embroidered one of the corners with our signatures. The girls sewed most of the names, but Josiah sewed his own name on, and did an excellent job!
___________________________________________________

On Sunday afternoon we took the finished gift and delivered it to its rightful owners. We were glad to have it done, but it leaves an empty feeling after working on it for 2 months. I guess we'll have to find another project for the upcoming months (or not!). ;) -Cathy





"Happy (belated) Anniversary Uncle Tim and Aunt Carmen! May God bless you with many more!