Thanksgiving Gathering: So many good things at once!

I know that we have already rounded that corner and Christmas is dead ahead, but I wanted to remember back to that time, long long ago and remember that I had a great Thanksgiving with my JV Family from Czech, Slovakia and Poland. 

I know that we all live very far from our American homeland but the roots go deep with the traditions of the day.

Football is still the main attraction for the mid-morning entertainment.  In the past few years we have played with a layer of snow on the field, but this year it was practically tropical!
In years past Dave Patty and Mel Ellenwood have been known to break bones…of others while playing.  So this year the elderly statesmen thought it best for the health of the team to cheer from the sidelines.  Mel is of course very familiar with this due to his extensive and competitive history of being a cheerleader!  If you ever get the chance, ask Mel to tell you stories of cheer camp, he always loves it! Or better yet, just ask him to do a toe touch!

And we certainly don’t forget the very American tradition of good eats.  It’s always funny to try to explain Thanksgiving to a Czech because what ends up happening is that everyone is recounting their favorite dish that they like to make, or what their mom is famous for each year.  I’ve had a Czech friend listening to our descriptions and ask, “So is Thanksgiving an American holiday to celebrate food?”  And if I’m honest I have to say, “Well yeah, kinda…and we are really thankful for it!”

And then after we over indulge on so many yummy treats, the time to relax and watch an NFL game or just be together and catch up on life and ministry is food to our souls!

And then, ladies and gentlemen…the grand finale of the day is the annual JV Thanksgiving Talent Show!!  This year I had a new co-host Rob Chestnut and we went with a USO type of vibe.  Just because we went for it doesn’t mean that we landed it…just sayin
But the real talent was to be seen by all the cutie patootie kiddos that shared their songs, dances, videos and cooking recipes.


Check out some of the talent from Noah Ellenwood and Caleb Patty – are they old enough to have ‘original recording’ or a remix?

Even Rob and I attempted to get in on the action, drawing inspiration from the singing duo Garth and Kat on SNL, we came up with our own little diddly, inspired by the day!

All in all, a great day to celebrate with the family that God has given me here and to remember all that we are thankful for each season!

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