11.27.2008

For the first time in several years our entire family gathered at mom and dad's for Thanksgiving. Marty and his family, Anthony, Maigan, and McLean traveled from Idaho, Arizona, and California to spend the holiday weekend with their Utah families.

Today was a lesson of learning as dad instructed Marty how to cook a perfect turkey Dutch Oven style. Once the bird was cooked dad instructed Anthony on how to carve the perfect bird.
We each brought respective parts of the meal and all 27 of us gathered around tables set with the finest of china and crystal. Dad offered a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer where each of us were taught the sacred manner in which we should each convey our profound gratitude to our maker. Through quivering words we were witnesses to tender expressions of grace and humility as our sweet father laid his heart and soul on the table while offering humble gratitude for the miracles performed in his behalf. A lesson never to be forgotten.

As we were eating dad brought our attention to the number of generations represented at our Thanksgiving meal; we were using the china and silver from mom and dad's wedding (49 years ago), we were sitting at a table that had belonged to dads parents, and we were serving and dishing up recipes brought down through the years using silver and crystal dating back to our great- grandmother.

The annual "Ringing of the Crystal" and the 2008 Arm Wrestling Challenge took place before we cleared the table. Many hands made light work as we quickly cleaned up the dishes while the cousins played, worked on their Thanksgiving game books, and the men got dad settled in front of a fire in the family room.

Although dad's feet remain very swollen and uncomfortable we have much to be grateful for. We are touched by the endless prayers being offered in behalf of our family, we are inspired by our parents steadfast courage and examples of righteous living, and we are humbled by the opportunity we have to do hard things.

I, personally, am so thankful for the gifts of adversity and challenge; for I know that through acceptance of these gifts we are blessed with some of our Father in Heaven's most tender mercies. I am witnessing each day that these gifts are wrapped in grace and hope; they provide each one of us the opportunity to renew our faith, increase our testimonies, practice patience and remind us to "Be Believing" in Heavenly Father's plan. I am discovering beauty in the gift our parents have accepted in our behalf, thank you mom and dad.