Thanksgivings from the past

As I was blogging about Thanksgiving this year, I started browsing through old photos and came across a few from Thanksgivings in the past.

These next two were from 1984 at my Grandma Seamons home in Hyde Park. I would have been 8 going on 9. My two favorite cousins were Craig (#82) and Stephanie (sitting next to him). All three of us were the oldest in our families and were born within 9 months of each other.


My Grandma and Grandpa DeLaMare came to our home that year (1988). This was taken in our old home in Ferron. The dining was quite small. Two extra guests were probably all that we could squeeze in.


1992. We hosted Thanksgiving by ourselves this year. Natalie was just a baby. We had purchased the lot for our new home and were making preparations to start building. Same small dining room but some of the decor has changed. The blue, vertical, hanging thing was a gift from me. Lucky mom :)


First Thanksgiving in our new home (1994). Loie Beach was our guest, an elderly lady from Ferron. My dad has always had a soft spot for the elderly, the crippled. I remember visiting the nursing home for family home evening one Monday night. There was a gentleman living there by the name of Dee. He had no teeth but his smile was a mile long. I watched my dad hug him and love him and talk with him. Being the shy, awkward, insecure teenager that I was, I kind of shied away from him. It's a moment I will always remember and I regret that I was not more confident in my association with people.

Thanksgiving

Several months ago my sister Angie begged us to host Thanksgiving dinner so she wouldn't have to go her in-laws. Theirs is not a great relationship, and with mom and dad on a mission, there really was no other place for them to go.

So why not! We had the space. We had the table. But I didn't really have matching dishes. After 18 years of marriage that new set is not so new and a few pieces have been sent to the bone yard.

I invited all my siblings, knowing my brothers probably wouldn't come. And they didn't. But we did get a couple of bonus guests when my parents came home early from their mission.

I ordered new china and goblets and came up with the menu.

My family is so great about volunteering to bring stuff. When it comes to food with the Seamons, we never go hungry and tend to end up a little on the gourmet side. There were two types of turkey . . . Tyler injected Jacob's turkey and Jeff brought a smoked turkey. There was ham, Erik's famous mashed potatoes, gravy, green salad, Keegan's raspberry goodness (unfortunately he belongs on the other family side and didn't get to partake), homemade rolls with cinnamon honey butter, stuffing made from scratch (oh, I'm in love!), yams, green bean salad, yummy drink. Holy cow, we ate well. I didn't even mention the pies . . . chocolate, banana, pecan, raspberry, lemon, pumpkin. We are a group that enjoys being in the kitchen together and digesting good food.

At book club this week, the ladies were discussing their Thanksgiving plans and having to endure family. It made me sad that they didn't enjoy being with family. I came home that night feeling incredibly grateful that I like getting together with family on both sides. It's not something to be endured.

The snow has come earlier than it has for quite a few years. And with that out 
came the hot chocolate. We are connoisseurs of hot chocolate and drink way too much of the stuff. Ash begged me to let her try out the tea cups that came with the new china. Don't you love her pinky! Our new Sunday dinner tradition involves setting the table with the good dishes. When I bought them, I intended to use them. It's made our Sabbath meal just a tad bit more special.

I sustain a prophet of God

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

--Isaiah 55:8-9

This week has been an particularly trying week, yesterday especially as I visually watched my Facebook feed blow up with the recent news and decision from the LDS Church regarding same-sex marriages and children. I've been tossed to and fro upon the winds of the internet.

The headline of the first post I saw read: "LDS Church says children of same-sex couples cannot be members" and I kind of went numb and panicked. That didn't seem right. That didn't seem like the church I belong to.

I went to the LDS newsroom and found nothing. I felt better, thinking someone has certainly got their story wrong.

But posts continue to filter in and when KSL posted something similar, I knew it was for real. Again, it didn't seem like the right thing to do. It seemed harsh and I was not at peace.

The Jesus Christ I know and reverence is kind and one of the greatest defenders of children, never wanting them to be hurt in any way.

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6)

". . . he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them" (3 Nephi 21:17).

I had a hard time coming to terms with my knowledge of Jesus Christ's character and this new policy that, at first glance, did not seem to favor children very kindly. Either Christ isn't who he says he is or this new policy was not entirely what I thought it was at cursory glance.

As I've read comments and opinion pieces and have prayed and digested everything, I've had a calm come over my heart. If I believe there is a prophet on the earth today, and I positively do, then as I raise my hand to sustain him, I also raise my hand to support him when he acts as the Lord's mouthpiece.

My finite mind may not understand everything and I'm okay with that. Because I know one day all things will be revealed and all questions will be answered in their due time. I do believe the decision today has the best interests of everybody. I am a witness to the divide that occurs when two adults have differing religious beliefs within a marriage and a family. I would hate to see a child baptized into this church, not having the full support of at least one parent, and watch them try to navigate on their own between what is taught at church and what is taught at home. With this policy the church is trying to ensure that children are not merely pawns in a religious game of life.

If you truly understand covenants, then you understand they are not something to be taken lightly. The church simply does not want a child entering into a covenant that they know will be terribly hard to keep, given the circumstances in their home. Nor do they want to pit the child against their parents.

I also believe the church's policy is strict because we are a worldwide church that encompasses so many different, complex situations. This way they can make allowances where needed. Any parent can vouch for that. You set strict rules in your home that can be tweaked for different children and different circumstances. BUT it's much more difficult to go the opposite direction, setting weak rules and trying to enforce them more strictly.

For me, when a prophet speaks, the debate is over. HOWEVER, I always fall to my knees and ask for guidance and peace and comfort when new changes happen within the church, local or worldwide. Yesterday I did just that.

This past month I gave my young women a challenge to ponderize on 4 scriptures for 4 weeks. As I look at the scriptures I've been working on, it seems the Lord was preparing me for this week.

2 Nephi 4:16 -- Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

Jeremiah 33:3 -- Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Isaiah 55:8-9 -- For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:28 -- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Peace has been restored as my heart and mind both feel comfortable in accepting this new change in policy. This is simply a change in policy not doctrine which means it could last indefinitely or it may be short lived. It certainly isn't something to base my membership in the church on. Unfortunately change is inevitable as world standards and God's standards grow exponentially in different directions. What was not even an issue 30 years ago is being shouted from the rooftops today. Change is hard in any circumstance.

As always I choose to believe.

An October wrap-up

I know life is crazy when I only manage to squeeze out three blog posts. May was the same. October should not be that way but for some reason it was. Maybe it's that my children are out of school for almost an entire week . . . two days here and two days there and I seem to think we need to do something, anything. I've just been feeling like I need to wring out every opportunity I have with them as time just ticks on. Kiersten will be flying the coop before I know it.

Her friend Rachel came over to spend conference with us. I love that she feels comfortable enough with us to come over. They've know each other for ten years and, despite our move to Lake Point, have remained really good friends.

Kiersten's friend Marybeth has been her running partner at cross country. They happen to run about the same pace and became fast friends. However, Marybeth really is flying the coop this year and Kiersten's already feeling a little lost for next year's cross country season.

And I should mention that the girls cross country team took state this year. To celebrate, they got to ride a fire truck and throw out candy to the school.

It's been an awesome season with races and pasta parties.

 I love that this team prays before they race. How awesome are these girls that they take time to remember their God who has given them so much and ask him to help them perform well.

This little boy was the Super Star in his class. When asked questions for his questionnaire, he responded that God was his hero. Gotta love that boy! And no, he was not prompted.

His older brother was also nominated by his P.E. teacher for student of the month. Mr. Vickers said: "Nate is a great kid to have in class. He always works hard and is enthusiastic in all he does. He helps me and other students in class and after. He's not afraid to try new things and has fun doing anything. Even out of class he always does his best and has a great positive attitude."


For UEA break I was really hoping to get to go the cabin, but sadly it was already taken. Instead we met up with cousins and visited the Bean Museum on BYU campus and sampled their ice cream. Then it was off to Bridal Veil Falls and a picnic. And the one thing they all wanted to do was a corn maze which ended our rather fun day. Having cousins to hang with made our day off much more enjoyable.