Family Thanksgiving Party

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pic is of Roxie with two of her teammates, Kelci and Claire, after the Tip-Off Tournament last night. As you can see, Miss Kelci is on crutches for a couple of weeks, but she can still light up a room with that mega-smile. We may not have won last night, but we're looking forward to next week's game. I have a feeling it's going to be a good season!

TOPIC OF THE WEEK - Matters of the Heart - Today's post is a little "lengthy," so we'll continue the Topic of the week first thing in the morning!

NOVEMBER SPECIAL GUEST - ROXIE FAULKNER - PART THREE - The week is flying by, and it's already time to say good-bye to Miss Roxie. She was a very cooperative guest, and it was fun seeing "this side" of her.

21. Where is your "happy place?"

In the car on the way somewhere fun... listening to my I-pod.

22. Who are you most like... your mother or your father?

Mother. (Sorry about that, Chick.)

23. What is your favorite holiday, and why?

Christmas. I love the smells and the warm feeling inside because you are giving to others as well as receiving.

24. What is one food you cannot force yourself to eat?

Hominy. (We had canned hominy one night with a meal because I saw it at the store, and I remembered how much I liked it as a kid. Austin, Josh and Roxie have all been scarred for life because I made them take a bite of HOMINY! They even shudder when they hear the word... which I think is HILARIOUS! I say it all the time just to see their reaction.)

25. Are you a "glass half-full" person or a "glass half-empty" person?

I think this is a dumb question. (Perhaps for a 14 year-old, but most adults know exactly what they are.)

26. If you were an animal, which animal would you be?

Chinchilla. (I didn't even ask. I'm assuming it is because they get to wear a fur coat all year long.)

27. What is your favorite book of the Bible?

Proverbs. (Good one.)

28. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night owl. (But what she doesn't realize yet... Being a night owl is the reason you are NOT a morning person!

29. What is your favorite cereal?

Marshmallow Maties. (Well, the secret it out. We eat cereal by the BAG, not the BOX!)

30. Name your three best physical features.

Hair color, freckles and my hands. (She does have pretty hands. Very graceful.)

31. What is your current obsession?

Uh, Basketball, basketball, basketball!

And now you know everything you've always wanted to know about Roxie... or at least the important stuff. If she ever comes over for dinner, be sure and put a big bowl of hominy on the table. It's fun to watch her squirm!

Wednesday Wisdom - "Thanksgiving" shall be our Wednesday Wisdom word for the entire month of November. I'll start out with a few witty insights on this most wonderful holiday.

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" Erma Bombeck

"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often." Johnny Carson

"May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize.
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!" Anonymous

Amen... and Amen!

Family Thanksgiving Party

Some of the following ideas are from Family Fun Magazine November, 2010. I've added a couple of extra ideas to keep it interesting!

Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season when families take a break from busy schedules and come together for good company and great food. Treat the day like the party it is by incorporating fun activities into the festivities. There are plenty of ways to celebrate beyond feasting.

Start a Thanksgiving tablecloth. Upon arrival, ask everyone to sign in on a Thanksgiving tablecloth using different colored fabric paint pens. Beside their name, ask them to write their age and one thing they are thankful for. You can add to this tablecloth year after year after year.

Have EVERYONE help with the meal. (If there are five members in one family, each member can contribute something!) Consider going potluck so that everyone, including the hostess, is free to enjoy themselves.

Play together. After the dishes are done and everyone's finished a second helping of pie, the lure of the couch is especially hard to resist. Ward off stuffing stupor and cranberry coma with some all-ages games, and serve up some wonderful post-meal memories. Play a few rounds of Pictionary, test everyone's familial knowledge with Family Trivia or head outdoors for fun with touch football or a basketball game.

Prepare an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox as a family. After you have chosen the sex and age of the child the shoebox will be delivered to, talk to the adults about the basic gifts (toothpaste, toothbrush, socks, etc.). Let the children in the family pick out the "fun" items (small toys, coloring books, food items, stuffed animals, etc.). Have each member of the family bring a gift for the shoebox. Take a picture of the family standing around the items and the box. After you seal the box, have each member of the family go around in a circle and pray for the child who will receive that most marvelous gift. Pray for their health. Pray for their family. Pray they have enough food to eat. And lastly, pray for the child's salvation... so one day your family will be able to meet them face to face in Heaven.

Write a Thanksgiving letter. If you have a family member or loved one who lives away and is not able to participate in your Thanksgiving festivities, have everyone take a moment or two to write them a paragraph or two on some festive stationery. Set up a card table in a corner of a room, and sometime during the day encourage each member of the family to sit down and write. The letter can simply be an "I miss you" type message or it can be an encouraging letter. Anything goes. If you have ten family members at Thanksgiving this year, it could be a three or four-pager... which would be wonderful. NOTE - If there are children who are too young to write, have crayons available for them to add a little artwork to the written word!

Have a windy Wednesday. It is definitely a blustery day in this "neck of the woods." I'm looking forward to the return of Mikie this afternoon. He has been gone TOO LONG, and I've definitely missed him... A LOT! Thursday's date will be fun, and as always, I have some Blog Linkage to share.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda