girltalk Blog
2005 at 8:20 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Hey everyone, we have a winner! Well, actually, I should say winners. Thank you so much for all of you who participated in this contest. We had so much fun reading about your traditions. After much agonizing, we were able to narrow it down to three women. Enjoy…
Briana Almengor
As for our tradition, let me provide a little background to my family dynamics which may help you appreciate my mother’s effort a bit more. When I was 12, (I am now 29) my father died from a malignant brain tumor. My mother had 4 children at the time. In the same year that my father passed away, a gentleman named Galen lost his wife in a hit and run car accident. She was walking with a friend alongside a country road and was hit by a car and killed instantly. Galen had three boys at the time. My mom was “fixed up” on a blind date with this gentleman, and about four months later, married him. My mom and her four children, myself included, moved an hour from where we grew up, changed churches, schools, friendships, everything to begin a new life altogether as a new family of 9. This all took place within a year’s time of my father’s death and Galen’s wife’s death. My mom now was at home with 7 children ranging in age from 2 to 15!
Needless to say, the transition was anything but smooth. In the world’s estimation, there was no way this was going to or should have worked. But, I believe despite all the many difficult bumps in the road, God gave abundant grace to both of my parents to hem us together as one family. I believe one pivotal way God used to bring this unity as a family about was in creating “new traditions.” Both sets of families came together having their own traditions. My mom had a very difficult task in paving the path for new traditions to emerge. Initially, my older sister and I in particular were resistant to yet more changes, but I am grateful now my mom did not give up. I can say today, 17 years later, that these traditions hold such a cherished place in my heart.
So, here are a few:
1. The day after Thanksgiving, while the rest of America shops, we stay home and bake all our Christmas cookies. Because most of my sisters are out of the house now and some of us with children, we each bring two cookie dough recipes all made up and just bake them all day to “simplify” things. My mom has an Amish made table that extends about 13 feet ( a much needed item for a family of 9) and the table is FULL of cookies by the end of the day. We bring our own Christmas tins and pick an assortment of cookies to take home with us for the holiday season.
2. My mom initiated a “memory box” for our Christmas celebration. Each of the kids and now the ones who married into the family, all have to write one or several favorite memories from the year that is ending. We all put them into the “memory box” and then as a family we read them before we open our gifts. Each year we laugh and cry and are reminded of how good and faithful God has been to us in the last year.
Jen Silard
Each year at Thanksgiving we get together with my mom’s sister and her family, as well as my grandma (mom’s mom) and her husband. For years, when this time rolled around, the most important job for older children (me and my sister, who are 6+ years older than most of the younglings of the family) was keeping the little ones occupied while the adults chatted/watched football and prepared the meal.
Consequently, every Thanksgiving took a lot of preparation on my part to come up with something fun and interesting that the little guys (3 boys 4 girls) would enjoy. The problem was the age range—it went from 4 to 9—and I could never quite find something that they all enjoyed, until one year when I came across something in a magazine.
It’s really just a simple, easily constructed treat to make with your kids around Thanksgiving.
Ingredients: (per child)
- 1 large red apple
- gumdrops
- marshmallows
- orange slices
- any other kind of candy that can be speared onto blunt toothpicks
Supplies:
- blunt toothpicks
- construction paper (orange, red, and brown)
- scissors
- pen/pencil
- tape
The first step is giving the child a pen/pencil and paper and asking them to draw a turkey head and turkey feet. (I’ve heard of this being modified where people use a large marshamallow for the head and draw a face on it) Needless to say, the results vary and are quite amusing. We cut these out and tape them to toothpicks, inserting the feet horizontally (so the apple can still rest on it’s base/core) and the “head” in the middle/side area. The fun part is the next step. Each child spears the candy in creative patterns (like shishkabobs or however you spell that) onto the toothpicks and inserts them (all over the opposite end of the apple from the head) upright like a turkey’s tail. After proudly displaying the creations to the adults, the “turkeys” are placed on the mantlepiece where they rest (so cute!) while we eat our dinner. Then, when the adults are still eating/talking and the kids get restless, they are allowed to go and begin devouring their respective works of art.
It has kept them occupied every year, and even now that they are older, we still enjoy this little tradition!
p.s. we always wind up with a lot of leftover apples, which we like to cut up and saturate in apple-pie ingredients like cinnamon, sugar, lemon, etc. and roll in tiny pieces of lightly buttered leftover apple-pie crust and bake. mmmm!
Kris Grant
One of the traditions we have that makes the day more fun and less overwhelming is that we all share the work.
A basket goes around with “before dinner jobs” written on little pieces of paper: peel potatoes, set the table with china, silverware; fold napkins, take beverage orders, put ice in glasses, make relish tray, put food in serving dishes, make the gravy, carve the turkey, mash the potatoes etc.
Then, when everyone is stuffed, the “after dinner” basket goes around: scrape plates, put silverware in dishwasher, pick the turkey carcass, put leftovers in plasticware, wash pots and pans, wash serving dishes, serve coffee/tea, take orders for pie etc.
There is always a lot of laughing and trading of jobs, and of course if a young child gets “carve the turkey,” the person who got “fold the napkins” will graciously trade. There is always one slip of paper among the “after dinner” jobs that says “crawl under the table and take a nap,” so everyone hopes for that one!
Weren’t those great? Thanks so much for the ideas, ladies! Be sure to check back in tomorrow as our “Thanksgiving Countdown” continues.
While you are going about your preparations this week—cleaning your house, making your pies, or getting your family ready for an out of town trip—why not listen to a sermon? Our recommended choice for your listening pleasure this week is a message by Eric Simmons, one of the pastors from Covenant Life Church. He recently preached an excellent message on the topic of evangelism (“Invite and Invest, Pt. 3”). This sermon will help prepare you to relate to the non-Christians who may be participating in your family holiday celebration. Actually this message will equip you in your efforts to reach out to any non-Christian, regardless of the context. It certainly has been helpful to me!
P.S. Janelle will be posting the winning entries for our Thanksgiving traditions’ contest later today. Be sure to check back!
As we express our gratefulness to God this Thanksgiving (and all year round), it is helpful to read the prayers of others to be reminded of all we have to be thankful for. From The Valley of Vision
, this is one such prayer.
“Praise and Thanksgiving”
O my God,
Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly,
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.
Even though I’m not as loud or talkative as my two sisters, I can be
fiercely competitive when it comes to playing games—especially the
annual Mahaney Family Turkey Bowl.
For years, Dad has insisted that the family football game be a fixed
part of our holiday, and like everything else, “What we do we do
together.” That means everyone participates. It doesn’t matter how cold
it is, or whether you want to or not, or even if you are pregnant!
I know a lot of families watch or play football on Thanksgiving. But
I doubt you’ve ever seen a game quite like ours. There are still first
downs and fourth downs and touch-downs and punts. However, the
permanent quarterback (Dad) likes to have a little fun. So he calls
plays like: “Go three steps, drop to the ground, do a summersault, and
then break to the right” or “Everyone hold hands and go in a circle and
then scatter while Mike goes long” or “All players tackle Brian before
running their route.”
And for years, this game has taken place in the center of Colonial
Williamsburg on the lawn next to the courthouse. We’ve definitely
received some funny looks and even attracted the occasional fan.
Even though Mom, Nicole, Janelle, and I sometimes complain about how
cold it is or how we don’t feel like playing this year, it is actually
a treasured memory for all of us. It’s so fun to laugh and joke about
the funny moments from past years—especially when the game is over and
you’re in a warm place with some hot chocolate! And now it’s a
tradition I can share with my boys, as Andrew is old enough to join in
the game.
However, my greatest satisfaction comes from the fact that my little
brother Chad still can’t cover me. To Chuckie: You can “trash talk” and
deny it all you want, but my record still stands. You have never beaten
your sister, a girl, and I still remain Dad’s go-to receiver. And this
Thanksgiving isn’t going to be any different!
I hope you’re inspired to organize your own Turkey Bowl this year.
You’re sure to have affectionate rivalries and wonderful memories for
years to come.
Usually Friday Funnies is our way of signing off for the weekend, but this week we are going to make an exception. Our Thanksgiving count down will continue Saturday and Sunday. So check back tomorrow for more Thanksgiving fun.
Here’s another Friday Funnies especially for moms with young children. Chances are, you may have already read this as it’s been around a while. But no doubt, you can relate. Enjoy!
If You Give A Mom A Muffin
Original Author Unknown
If you give a mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She’ll look for her cookbook (“101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger”).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are…
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
We cannot have any more posts about Thanksgiving until we talk about one of the best things about this holiday. Yep, you guessed it, FOOD! Thanksgiving comes with that wonderful thing called Thanksgiving dinner.
The Mahaney family’s Thanksgiving dinner ranks rather high in the calorie department. It would be very interesting to see the percentage of daily-recommended saturated fat contained in our Thanksgiving meal. We are way beyond the 100 percent mark, I’m sure. (Good thing we don’t eat this way the rest of the year!)
We’ve got the turkey (of course) with stuffing and gravy, sour cream mashed potatoes, Green Bean Supreme (don’t let the name fool you,it’s one of my favorites), homemade dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. This gets topped off by homemade pumpkin, cherry, chocolate cream, and banana cream pies. Why so many pies, you might ask? Because of course everyone has a different favorite.
The other day, Nicole was trying to convince us to veer from this perfect meal and add some strange things that I had never heard of from Gourmet Magazine. She was quickly voted down. Thanksgiving dinner is one of those meals that you just don’t mess with. I mean, who wants to eat squash soup (yes, this really was one of her suggestions) when sour cream mashed potatoes are calling your name? No,Thanksgiving dinner at the Mahaney table will remain unchanged for yet another year.
Now, this post would not be complete if I did not mention Thanksgiving breakfast. Our breakfast consists of my mom’s famous homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh oranges and grapefruits (all peeled and sectioned by my mom), and those cute little cereal boxes that come in a pack with a bunch of different kinds. I’m already gearing up to fight off my little brother and my nephews to secure my box of Corn Pops.
As you can tell, I’m getting rather excited about Thanksgiving. Now that I am officially “eating for two”, my portions will need to be a little larger than usual this year.
I threw a couple of our recipes into a Word document in case you want to take a look. Just click here.
I hope you enjoy all of your Thanksgiving food as much as I will be enjoying mine!!!
2005 at 12:58 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Mom has an article posted at Crosswalk.com today. Moms and daughters—check it out! Thanksgiving Countdown and Friday Funnies are coming to you shortly.
2005 at 5:39 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
Hey everyone, I have to tell you what happened to me. The other day I posted about a Thanksgiving tradition where my mom would give us coupon books (click here if you haven’t read it). I mentioned that she stopped when we reached our later teens and that I really missed this little tradition.
Anyways, I was in my kitchen yesterday when I noticed something hanging on my refrigerator. I glanced over and saw a little stack of torn notebook paper (no ribbons, no construction paper, no stickers) suspended by a magnet. It had “Thanksgiving Coupons” written on the front. Yes, my friends, my amazing husband read my post and made me my very own, first in years, Thanksgiving coupons. They were great. There was “One night off dishes,” “One 30-minute back-rub,” “Game night,” etc. I’m so excited and now I feel that old dilemma creeping back in…Should I have one amazing day where I use ALL of my coupons or should I space them out???
For all you husbands reading this blog—why not rip up some notebook paper yourself? Think through five or six things that would really bless your wifey and present her with her very own Thanksgiving coupon book. She’s gonna love it!
P.S. Love you, Mike!
Sometimes the very people with whom we have the most difficulty (see yesterday’s post by Nicole) are members of our own family. Since the holidays typically provide opportunities to spend time with extended family, it is important that we prepare our hearts to honor God on these occasions. This year (and every year that follows, of course!) let’s choose the way of the prudent, described in Proverbs 22:3: “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
In other words, we need to think about the unique temptations that we face each holiday when we are with our families (this is seeing danger), and then we need to devise a plan to not sin and please God instead (this is hiding ourselves). Below is a simple 2-part plan that is guaranteed to help us honor God if we but implement it:
1. Pray to get ready.
Prayer is an act of humility. It is an honest acknowledgment that we can do nothing apart from God’s help. We can’t even spend God-honoring time with relatives without His aid. Therefore let’s pray. And do you know what will happen when we do? James 4:6 informs us that God will give us grace. Grace to not sin. Grace to love others. Grace to please God this holiday season.
2. Get ready to love.
First Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us “the way of love.” In order to get our hearts ready to love that family member whom we may have trouble loving, it can be helpful to insert their name into this passage. How can I be patient and kind with “Uncle Harry?” How can I make sure I am not envying or boasting when I interact with “Suzy?” What is my plan to not be irritable with my mom or resentful toward my dad? And then let’s ask the Holy Spirit to equip us to love in this way.
We do not want to be like “the simple” in our proverb who “go on and suffer,” or more specifically in this case, who go on to reap the same consequences of sin year after year at our family celebrations. Instead, we must be prudent. So, let’s pray. Let’s love. And thankfully, we still have one whole week to get ready!
P.S. Holiday celebrations with family are also a wonderful opportunity for the gospel. We will consider the topic of evangelism in an upcoming post.
Well, once again we are going to defer Q&A for another Wednesday. For all of you who have sent in questions—we have not forgotten about you! We’ve saved all the questions in our folder and will continue to try to answer them. You may have sent a question in June and figured it was lost in cyberspace somewhere. But keep checking back. One day you might be pleasantly surprised to find we’ve attempted to answer your question!
On a different matter, we have received several requests for a downloadable pdf version of Dr. Powlison’s Personal Reflection, and he has graciously agreed to allow us to make it available to you. We hope everyone who reads this blog will download this material, re-read it, and apply it often. We don’t say this lightly: many questions can be answered as we simply learn to bring Scripture into the details of our lives.
(Personal Reflection, copyright Dr. David Powlison, editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling, published by the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation.)
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