Come Ye Thankful People Come

Day Twenty-seven - Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

Like many families, ours has the tradition of each person at the table sharing something they're thankful for before we give thanks for the food and ask for a blessing. My heart overflows with gratitude and I can't think of just one thing. So I usually express thanks for my Savior, Jesus Christ, my family, and being together with plenty of delicious food.

I hope that you too can be together with family and friends expressing love and gratitude for your many blessings. It seems appropriate to take stock of them, count them one by one, and see what God hath done.

Moms' Cafe

When our children were very young we lived in a suburb of Washington DC in Northern Virginia. Often we would meet Daddy after work and stop at a fast food place for supper. Our children became VERY familiar with them. However, as our family grew to five children we decided that eating out was too expensive. The first time we chose to eat at home the children asked, "Where are we going to eat tonight?" And we answered, "At Mom's Cafe!" They were so excited to try a new place. Ha ha! We pulled into the driveway and they were totally puzzled. It only worked a few times before they caught on and didn't want to go to "Mom's Cafe". But we didn't care, we went anyway.

Hence, my kitchen became known as Mom's Cafe.

Fast forward many years and all the children are leaving home. They asked me to put together a cookbook with all the family favorites. I promised, worked on it a bit, procrastinated and promised some more. 

This summer I decided to get it done. 

Tah-Dah! (And yes, I'm inadvertently revealing my true identity, but hey, we're among friends here.)

Each child got a different colored book.

Each Section is labeled and on the other side (sorry no photo) is a list of recipes in the section.

On a few recipes I included photos.

The Housekeeping section is to remind them of what I taught them, plus a few things for grownups

such as defrosting a chest freezer and cleaning an oven.

That's a huge project completed and crossed off my list. Now on to some T-shirt quilts and photo albums. 

Oh my. I'm tired already!

Noble's Birthday

Tuesday evening we celebrated Noble's twenty-sixth birthday. She fixed Bibimbap (Korean food) for her birthday dinner. Bibimbap is a bowl of rice, veggies and meat, topped with a fried egg, then red pepper paste is stirred in. Yummy!!! Korean meals are always served with several side dishes, Noble served Fresh Cabbage Kimchi, dried squid, and chopped and seasoned seaweed.

Bibimbap as served

With pepper paste (After I took this picture I added more red pepper paste) -- so delicious!

(L_R) Toasted Sesame Seeds, Red Pepper Paste, Cabbage Kimchi, Dried Squid, Seaweed

(L-R) Dandylion, TopDad, Noble and Mr. Movie

Photos of my loved ones!

Dandylion -- glasses are his fashion accessory!

The Birthday Girl - Noble

TopDad - The Provider and Protector of us all

Mr. Movie - caught smiling for once!

I did my usual sterling job of wrapping presents in brown paper bags:

Noble with Wolf Puzzle (purchased at a thrift store for 99 cents.)

Noble was delighted with two children's books by one of her favorite authors!

Purple canning jars! For use in the kitchen instead of plastic leftover containers.

We had cake later -- (actually I frosted the two pieces of cake I'd cut off to make the layers even and then cut that into five pieces for some "pre-cake" which made everyone so full no one was ready for cake until much later!)

While the boys did the dishes, Noble and I watched an episode of a Korean romantic comedy called Producers. The curtains behind the TV were open and we noticed the changing light as the sun went down. It was so beautiful we paused the show and went out to take pictures.

The very air glowed yellow!

I believe the air was yellow because of the dense moisture and the refraction of light. I've seen this phenomenon before, especially in Mount Vernon, Washington. It's magical as well as gorgeous!

A Quarter of a Century

Twenty-five years ago today, TopDad and I were married. The only thing I've done longer than that is simply live. We are in the midst of the first annual Thoelke Family Reunion. It's a tradition I've wanted to have for a long time. With three adult children I figured now was the right time to begin, then the habit will be established that each summer right around June 25 everyone will gather at Papa and Nana Thoelke's for a family reunion, which will include the Thoelke Family Golf Classic.

For our anniversary we are getting a couple of trees to plant in our yard. We did that for our 20th also. We hope we stay here longer and can actually see the trees grow up.

In other news, Noble is across the ocean and the international date line, so I now call her Future Girl. As we are getting up she is winding down her day; when we are going to bed, she is eating lunch the next day. Mind boggling, but fun.

PW is taller than TopDad, JET is still the tallest, Dr. Hair is not far behind, just a bit shorter than TopDad, with Dandylion bringing up the rear, and taller than PFCMom. I'm the shrimp now! But it is fun to be surrounded by five tall, handsome males.

Here's looking at the next 25 years and planning on even better things to come.

Catch Up Time - In Pictures

April 22 we had a Korean Meal to celebrate Noble's selection for the six-week immersion program in Korea. We enjoyed Noodle Bowls (Spicy Beef, Spicy Chicken and Spicy Kimchi) with steamed vegetables to put on top. Everyone ate with chopsticks! (Saranghae, Miyoonah!)

PW & JET

TopDad

Dandylion & Dr. Hair

PFCMom

I participated in an Apron Swap at the blog Down To Earth by making these two aprons and sending them to gals in Australia:

From them in return I received these two lovely aprons!

Thank you Fay!

Thank you Jacqui!

While with my Father in San Diego I had a three generation photo taken:

PFCMom - Grandpa W - Noble

Here's my traditional Mother's Day photo for 2012:

Back: Dandylion and Dr. Hair
Front: PW, PFCMom and JET

PW's been making faces since he was born!

Lastly, I had the frugal thought today to label important cords so I know what appliance it goes to; seems every time we move we gather up a bunch of electronics cords and no one knows what piece of equipment it goes to, so we discard it, only to find later that something is missing its cord. Solution? Label the darn things!

And that's about it. Noble is giddy with excitement about her departure Saturday, May 26 for her adventure in Korea; PW works long hours at two jobs, saving money for college this fall; JET is busy working for his college's TV studio and a contract project to promote tourism in Western Iowa, as well as his regular job as a lot porter at a Chevy Dealership; Dr. Hair is currently in San Antonio with his High School Band; Dandylion is home enjoying summer and helping us around the house. TopDad and PFCMom are working together on projects at home and enjoying some couple time.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

When JET was a baby I sat nursing him in the glow of the Christmas tree lights at midnight on Christmas Eve. I loved having a baby and felt close to Mary and her baby. As I looked at the tree with its lights and baubles I wondered "What does a green tree and lights and shiny baubles have to do with the birth of the Savior?" I couldn't answer except to say "nothing." I pondered for months on what would be a better symbol of the birth of Jesus Christ. Finally the light came on in my brain and out popped the answer: A manger and a baby doll. While visiting my parents that summer (1994) I was able to leave the children with someone responsible and make a trip to the toy store alone where I found the perfect little newborn baby doll. In the fall we moved from Washington state to Virginia and just before Christmas I had my husband build a manger for me. I couldn't draw what I wanted so he put together what he thought I wanted and when I saw it I said "It's just fine, dear." (He built another, much nicer one in Utah.) Our children were five, three and sixteen months that Christmas and the older two enacted and re-enacted the Christmas story all through December and into January. We didn't have a Christmas tree that year as I wanted to keep the focus on Christ and not telling the toddler NO NO NO.

The peace I felt that Christmas convinced me that I was onto something great. For a while we alternated not having a tree and having one according to whether we had a toddler or not. I noticed during the years we had a tree that the manger with Jesus in it was pushed to the back and the children were much more me-centered and contentious. During the years we had only the manger the children were sweeter and more service minded. Finally one year we had a tree and the fighting during just the decorating of it was more than I could tolerate so I decided to forego trees in the future.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Christmas trees, but in our home it caused contention and I realized that after I had spent so much time pondering and then getting my answer that I should follow what was personal revelation for our family. As much as I love Christmas trees I can do without them; I can't do without my manger and baby Jesus.

I truly love my Savior and am so grateful for his condescension in coming to earth. Seeing the sweet baby in the manger reminds me of several truths:

1. I must humble myself as a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven.
2. When I give a gift it is as if I'm giving to Jesus
3. He sees me at all times
4. He lived a mortal life and knows my pains and sorrows, along with my joys and triumphs

Last year Noble begged for a tree, saying it didn't feel like Christmas without one. I consented and found that now the children are older they can handle it. I believe all the training has paid off. We bought a little tree that allows room for the manger to be central to our decorations.

So, however it is that you celebrate, I hope you'll keep Jesus at the center of your heart if not your room too.

Our sweet baby Jesus

Nativity Tree Skirt 

Some of our homemade, handmade ornaments

The whole picture

We love giving gifts to each other and remind our children that "Inasmuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Pajama Party Game Night

Day Twenty-five of Count Your Blessings

Did you know you can establish a family tradition any time you want? We've had a number of "traditions" over the years. Some have lasted a long time, others weren't so popular. The current one we're trying is a Friday night Pajama Party Game Night. I felt we were watching too many movies and not interacting enough, so a couple weeks ago I invited everyone to a Pajama Party Game Night.  After dinner and then kitchen clean up we changed into our favorite jammies and pull out a bunch of games. Each person got to choose a game from the pile to play in turn. We had simple refreshments and snacks during the evening.

Dandylion getting a Yahtzee!

At the end of the first party Dr. Hair went to bed chanting "Fun night; fun, fun night; we had a fun, fun night." He was so HAPPY! I found that my simple efforts were worth it for my 15 year old to go to bed that night so happy. Tonight was our third party and it was just as fun. I think this is a tradition to keep.

I'm grateful for family traditions and making happy memories with my children.

A round of "Presto-Chango"

Playing "Warriors from the Book of Mormon"

P.S. One month from today is Christmas!

Humor

Day Eight of Count Your Blessings

Where would we be without humor?  I love a good joke, riddle or pun.  I love laughing with my family. Take time to make happy memories with your loved ones!  True humor and joy are closely connected, at least in my mind.  Looking for the bright side, seeing the humor in a tense situation, looking hopefully to the future, enjoying the present are all part of faith, hope and charity.

Today I enjoyed some laughs with JET, our 6'4" eighteen year old son.  He has an artist's soul--he even likes his food to look pretty! When he was, I don't know, ten or so, he frequently spilled milked as he was pouring it into his glass.  One day I watched him as he poured and noticed that he was watching the milk as it flowed out of the container.  He continued watching it until the milk was overflowing his glass!  Then I realized that my artistic son was enjoying the beauty of the flow of milk and not watching the level in the glass.  Aha! I didn't have to scold him, I just reminded him to pay attention to the level of milk in the glass and not get carried away watching the "pretty flow of milk."

What does that have to do with humor?  Well, it's just one of the many funny stories from the lives of our children.  As they've grown up I write down (at the moment, on any scrap of paper handy) the funny things they do or say and then put it in a file.  Now that they are mostly grown we get that file out when we're together and relive the funniest moments of our lives together.  These are our private family jokes that we repeat like lines from a movie when we're together.

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. - Proverbs 15:13

Handkerchiefs and other foreign objects

Last night I did a batch of ironing which included handkerchiefs for both my husband and me.  I learned to iron on hankies for my dad and mom and have used them myself all my life.  I find gorgeous linen ones at thrift stores, probably donated when a grandma dies and her things are cleaned out.

Why do I love and use cloth hankies?
  1. They are softer on noses than paper tissues.
  2. They do not shred and fall apart when wet, or put dust in my eyes when dry.
  3. They dry and can be used again.
  4. They can be dampened and used to wash things, especially children's hands and faces.
  5. They can be used as a container for small items (tied).
  6. They can be made into a "rocking baby" to entertain children in church.
  7. They are pretty.
  8. They are romantic.
  9. They can become heirlooms.
10. They remind me of my mother and grandmothers.

Other objects found in my home, foreign to many, are tablecloths and cloth napkins. During my high school years my mother went on an economy kick and had me make white cloth napkins for our family to use.  Years later when everyone was grown she gave me those same napkins to wear out with my family.  When I married and began our family I continued the tradition of cloth table coverings and cloth napkins.  I have dozens of napkins; everyday ones in woven cottons and fancy linen ones for special occasions.

I'm always amazed, though I shouldn't be, that people don't know how to use a cloth napkin.  One little visitor to our home didn't even know what it was.  Oh well, my children know, and they're the only ones I'm responsible for.

Why do I love and use cloth napkins?
1. They absorb and protect better.
2. They can be reused; I bought napkins rings for that purpose.
3. They are cheaper in the long run.
4. Ummm, well, I just like them!

Now, these two objects require ironing (or look better when ironed) and that is one reason more people don't use them.  I enjoy ironing. For me it is relaxing because of it's mindless nature and I can justify watching a movie while I do it.

I love the old-fashioned, genteel feeling of using both handkerchiefs and cloth napkins. Wiping away a tear with a lace trimmed hanky just feels more romantic than a paper tissue.  Try it sometime!

Blessings of the Sabbath

This weekend was a truly enjoyable Stake Conference.  We live an hour and a half away from the stake center so TopDad reserves a suite at a Marriott with a swimming pool and we check in Saturday afternoon.  TopDad attends the priesthood leadership meeting while the rest of us relax at the hotel.  He picks me up for the supper and adult session right after his meeting.  This time after a quick swim in the pool, Dr. Hair and Dandylion walked a couple blocks to a movie theater while we were gone.  After our meeting we hit the stores for a few things (frugally combining trips here) and then returned to the hotel for a dip in the Jacuzzi and pool.  It is so refreshing to relax in a hot tub and then splash about in a pool.  Sometimes we play games, but this time we just read books and ate treats after our swim.  In the morning I went down for breakfast while the males showered and dressed, then they retreat for breakfast while I shower and dress.  Our meetings began at nine so we drove to the church and while TopDad and Dr. Hair attended a Media Blitz Kick-off, Dandylion and I saved a bench in the front part of the chapel.  The conference was wonderful with much good counsel about how to keep our families safe and progressing.  Afterward, we chose to have an adventure and drove a different way home, avoiding the interstate and enjoying the beauty of the early autumn countryside.  Once home I pulled together a quick lunch and after reading a couple of chapters of 1 Corinthians we relaxed the rest of the day, taking turns on the computer to write to Elder PW, read comics and the news.  TopDad and I took Charlie, the dog, for a walk to give him some needed attention and exercise.  Later I watched the Music and the Spoken Word special tribute for 9/11, which was wonderful.  Then when the two youngest had finished the dishes we watched an episode (on DVD) of Green Acres for a clean humored ending to the day.


The change of pace and activities is what makes the Sabbath a blessing to me.  I set aside all the weekday worries and stresses and just enjoy church and family.  This break in the action is restful and renewing.  We don't shop, or participate in sports or entertainment; we attend church together, read scriptures, watch "gentle" movies, go for walks, write letters, call family, and spend time together talking, sometimes playing games.


Monday morning comes and I feel ready to face the week, full of renewed resolve to do better than I did last week.  I believe this is what Jesus was talking about when he said "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath;" (Mark 2:27)


I like what Isaiah recorded too: "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 58:13-14)


I know how difficult it is to keep the Sabbath in a calm restful way with little children; but I also know that all the effort to teach them pays off, for when they are older the habits are established and there is little questioning of what is appropriate or not.  That makes the day truly restful!

Family Traditions - Conference Weekend

Watching General Conference is a tradition I've worked to establish in our home since we began our family.  We've experienced conference in Washington State, Virginia, Utah and now Iowa.  Each place has it's own set of challenges.  In Washington when our two oldest were tiny I think I took just Noble with me to the church to watch a session or two.  In those days I devoured the May Ensign when it arrived because I hadn't been able to watch all the sessions.  Also, TopDad wasn't a member of the church so I was sensitive about not forcing him to participate.  He was baptized the spring before we moved to Virginia.  Now we had three children under five and it was a circus attending the broadcast at the church building; but I persevered as best I could.  After a couple of years I got the brilliant idea to subscribe to cable for conference weekend and enjoy it at home.  The cable company usually had a special going around conference time so it cost less than thirty dollars for the weekend and I thought that a bargain for the blessing of watching conference at home.  I'd call on the Monday before conference and order the hook-up for Friday.  We'd enjoy all the sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and then on Monday I'd call and ask for the disconnect.  After a few times they knew me and didn't ask questions anymore.

Being able to watch conference at home was the beginning of the tradition of special foods for the weekend.  I wanted it to feel like a holiday and make associations in the minds of my children: Conference = good food.  It worked.  The foods have varied over the years but everyone knows that it is worth it to be home for conference weekend.

In Utah we were able to enjoy conference on the regular broadcast station and found that between sessions there were wonderful special documentaries about the church, it's history and people, put together by the religion correspondent on the television station.  They were fantastic and we looked forward to those as much as conference.  By this time, after about eight years of conference watching in Virginia the children didn't need to be reminded or called to the family room.  Conference watching, and taking notes, was a tradition.  Several times we got tickets to a session and were able to attend at the Conference Center, which was a special treat.  Once you've been there, watching the sessions becomes even more real.  The challenge during this time was that not all the others in the ward and neighborhood watched ALL the sessions of conference and would ask for this child or that child to come out and play.  We were firm, but loving, about insisting that our children stay inside and participate.  We'd invite the friend in also, but few took that offer.

Here in Iowa we watch conference online at lds.org.  Our little branch tried to have everyone attend the church and watch it together but few attended and so that was dropped.  I prefer to be away from the distractions and noise of others and in the comfort of my own home. 

What are our traditional foods?  Over the years we have had Breakfast Casseroles, Citrus Scones and omelets, lots of fruit, cinnamon rolls, a variety of cookies, hogie sandwiches with deli meats and cheeses, chips and more fruits, Swiss Steak, Ziti Casserole, Lasagna, Ham and Good Potatoes.  I try to make it as delicious and special as I can.  Sometimes we're flush with money and other times we've been "starving students."  I put on a Sunday tablecloth and napkins, use my best dishes and set things out as beautifully as I can.  I have wanted our family to associate Conference weekend with both physical and spiritual feasting.  My hope is that as our children move away from home, marry and establish their own families they will want to continue the tradition in their own homes.

When I struggled with little children during the early years in Virginia I would feel like giving up, thinking it would never work.  Now I am glad that I didn't give in to weakness and kept working to establish our traditions for Conference.  I know we are blessed for watching and listening and taking notes.  Our hearts are filled with encouragement and our resolves to live the gospel are strengthened.  The unity we feel as a family and the happy memories make it all worthwhile.

P.S. I managed to maintain my weight loss this weekend, in spite of all the delicious food, by taking small portions of the rich stuff and chewing very slowly to savor each bite.  I loaded up on veggies and fruit to feel full.