Even though everyone else in Blogland and in the stores (and, truthfully, even at my house) has moved on to Christmas, here in this space I am going to linger at Thanksgiving just a bit longer to record the blessings of the day.
Kati had some extra days off during Thanksgiving week. I am thankful that we girls were able to enjoy planning, decorating, cooking, and preparing for Thanksgiving Day together.
This year we used brown transferware and green accents, inspired by one of Jenny Steffens Hobick's tables. We found some muted gold ribbon to tie the napkins and tucked in a sprig of rosemary from the herb garden.
Then we gathered up pumpkins and gourds from inside and outside to decorate the tables. This one is my favorite stem of the year! Kati bought it to decorate her room (chosen for that stem, of course), but she donated it to the cause on Thanksgiving Eve.
We always sing a hymn before we pray and feast. We have sung "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come," "We Gather Together," and "For the Beauty of the Earth."
This year Kristin suggested a new one (new to me, at least): "My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness" by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. What a song! It is my new favorite Thanksgiving hymn because it speaks thanks for our spiritual blessings. (Hear Keith Getty talk about this song ~here~.)
I am thankful for all of our precious family who gathered to celebrate! I am thankful for the happy noise of young children. I am thankful for teenagers who are more "present" with the adults now. I am thankful for my adult children and for their spouses and that we are friends. I am thankful for my husband and for the life that we have together. I am thankful that my parents are still with me and that they enjoy hanging out with all of us. I am thankful for the servers and for the cleaner-uppers at our Thanksgiving dinner.
Instead of "Wrapping Paper Antics," we had "Table Setting Antics"! You might guess the initiator of this game by the number of times he appears in this collage. 😁 But he was quickly joined in his creativity. (A few more participated, but I didn't get a good photo.)
The grand finale of our feast!
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God
and the great King above all gods.
Psalm 95: 2, 3
It all looks so lovely! I'm curious about the pieces of paper behind the goblets above the pies. Place cards? Beverage identifiers?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheri!
DeleteThe pieces of paper above the goblets are the place cards from dinner. After dinner, we took down the table that was extending into the living room to make it less crowded, so those who had been sitting at that table moved their drinks to the sideboard. My daughter Kati suggested that they move their place cards as well so everyone would know whose was whose. It worked! :)
oh my goodness .. such warmth and beauty.
ReplyDeletethank you for the 'new to me' links for
music and jenny's blog. squirreling away
time to peruse and save. ♥
is that 'corn pudding' is see on a plate?
we enjoyed corn pudding at our table as
well... so yUmmy.
your dessert table is lovely and i
think your idea using place cards for
beverage glasses is amazingly creative!
{{hug}}
Thank you for your sweet comments, Sherry! I know that you will love Jenny's blog when you have the opportunity to visit there. She is full of simple but elegant ideas!
DeleteYes, corn pudding, a favorite here! My daughter Kristin brings it to Thanksgiving dinner every year.
About the place cards . . . necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. (I explained in my reply to Cheri's comment above.)
It all looks very lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabethd!
DeleteCheryl, your table is full of wonderful blessings- From your beautiful table to the food servers (so nice) to each one present. It's great you can extend your table into the next room to accomodate all of your family members. You and your girls did a beautiful job setting the stage for thankfulness! ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha Ellen, for all of your kind words!
DeleteYes, we think our house is perfect for a large extended family! When we lived at The Farmhouse, I would dream about how we could add on a room or remodel to allow for everyone to sit at one table. I love that feature at Pineapple House!
YOur Thankfulness is a sweet gift to your Father (Praise the LORD O my soul and all that is within me praise His holy name) and those around you. Just so precious!!! I got to see most of the pic's this time !! Such warmth!! And i will just say that little hand with that big fork, what a joy!!! Melts my wanna be grandma heart!!! <3 Rejoicing with you in such a sweet time of gathering!!~tammy
ReplyDeleteTammy, you have warmed my heart by rejoicing with me! Yes, Praise the Lord O my soul!
DeleteWhen you have the opportunity to be a grandma, you will love it!
What a joyous Thanksgiving! Your photos are stunning. My favorite Thanksgiving song is Oh Come ye Thankful People Come.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a beautiful family!
Thank you so much, Linda! We are blessed!
DeleteI love that song ("Come, Ye Thankful People Come") too! Did you sing it when you were a child? I did. Maybe that's why I love it so. It just "feels" like Thanksgiving when I hear it!
What a wonderful celebration! Lingering over Thanksgiving is one more reason I'm glad ours is in October.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lorrie!
DeleteI love the Canadian tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving in October!
You know I love it all, but my favorite photo is the one of the table with the elegant crystal goblet and the next place settings’ sippy cup! The perfect beauty of a family meal!
ReplyDeleteLovely gathering and so much Thanksgiving!
Oh, yes . . . you know that kind of beauty so well!
DeleteThanks for all of your kind words, friend!
So many things to comment on from the “new song” to the beauty of the
ReplyDeletetablescape. I am imagining the pre-Thanksgiving camaraderie as you and
your girls worked together to create another family holiday. And your mom
looks so cute with her pine cone earrings or are they pine one ears? Ryan
is lovably incorrigible.
You are imagining well! I so love working with my girls to create special occasions. When they no longer live at home, I may have to take it down a notch!
DeleteMom got right in on the fun! And your description of Ryan is perfect! :)
Dear Cheryl ~ What a lovely and delightful Thanksgiving you had. The post was filled with love, joy and thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteLove & hugs ~ FlowerLady
I thank you, Lorraine, for your sweet comment! Love and hugs back to you!
DeleteNo wonder you didn't want to move so quickly past Thanksgiving into the Christmas season! Your experience captured in wonderful photos and beautiful words is the epitome of a true Thanksgiving celebration. Thank you for sharing it ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing it with me, Rebecca . . . through the wonders of cyber space, if not in person. Do you like to linger with each special day? I am glad, at least, for a few extra days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!
DeleteIt looks like a wonderful day! Your table is beautiful, as is the family gathered around it. So the glasses lined up on top of the pies--is that their name with their glasses to use later?
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely day for us! Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteYes, the glasses were moved when we took down the third table (we had two folding tables extending our dining table to seat 20) after dinner to make more room to move around in the living room. Those whose glasses were at that table moved them to the sideboard along with their place cards from dinner!
What sweet photos! I especially like the one with "Grandpa" reading the words of that lovely song (thank you for the recommendation, it's now on my Spotify list) and the dropped teddy bear (?) on the floor.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa!
DeleteYou know, I hadn't even noticed the bear! I had to scroll back through the photos to see what you were referring to. It is, indeed, Peter's teddy bear, Leo, who he had tucked under his chair for safe keeping. :)
I LOVE coming to your house ... your posts are almost like being there. Your table setting was so pretty. And I can tell everyone had a wonderful time. I'm glad you are taking a moment longer for this season just past. Time enough for the next celebration.
ReplyDeleteSending hugs...
Brenda
Brenda, I just love that you almost feel as if you're here . . . and, of course, you'd be more than welcome to be here if you're ever in our neck of the woods!
DeleteOh Cheryl - what a precious and warm Thanksgiving post! I love that you sing together and the song choices were so beautiful. The door was open and I can imagine myself outside hearing your sweet voices. Your table looks amazing in every way. You are truly blessed and know how to bless your dear family. Love the table setting antics.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much, Rosella! I feel very blessed!
DeleteOur group loves antics! :)
Lindas imagens. Bom fim de semana.
ReplyDelete
DeleteThank you, Sandra! Weekend blessings to you too!
I'm so late in visiting but I'm glad I finally made it. Love the idea of table setting antics. Love the table setting! Looks like a wonderful family gathering. And here we are in December...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ellen! The tables setting antics were totally spontaneous, but it didn't take long for everyone to get in on the game!
DeleteDecember sure got here quickly, didn't it?!