Thanksgiving 1997

Oops! This first one is back to 1980.
Uncle Dwight is getting some hearing help, I guess.

Back to 1997 - we stayed overnight in Minto the night before Thanksgiving.
That was before we moved to Minto. The next day we were to have Thanksgiving at the
Millers' in Fredericton. It had snowed quite a bit during the night and continued to snow during the day. We pushed snow all the way to F'ton and figured no one else would make it for our celebration. We were right, but the day was not wasted on the guys. They must have spent hours plowing and pulling cars out of snow banks. You can see how happy they are! We did finally get them in for our meal. I think by evening things had cleared enough for us to drive home, but I am not sure about that. I do remember staying overnight one night with Murray and Pat.

Murray with his steamed up glasses
That looks like a rolling pin collection behind him which he without a doubt made himself.
He is a master carpenter and has a special love of Birdseye maple.

We miss all those who have scattered and our Thanksgivings together.

Thanksgiving Memories

We are very thankful at this time of year and all year long for God's many,
many blessings to us! Our Thanksgiving Day plans fell through, but we celebrated together anyway. Since then I have been shuffling through old photos especially looking for pics of Thanksgivings past. For years since moving to New Brunswick, we gathered all the Americans in the area for a celebration. They were very wonderful times! We will never forget Pat Miller's dessert buffet and Mel Reed carving the turkey and washing dishes! (Canadian Thanksgiving just ain't the same! But then we did get to have TWO THANKSGIVINGS!!!)

Right now we are stepping around photos in two rooms AND the hall. I hope to rectify that soon. I may, hopefully, come up with more photos, but here are a few
and I'll warn you, some go REALLY FAR BACK! Mel and Betty Reed were almost always part of our celebrations, but they are not in any pics that I have located so far. I am hoping to find them and also a special pic from years ago in Minneapolis when the kids were set up at a table in our hallway. At that time, we always had Thanksgiving at our house because it was the biggest. We had a church service at about 11:00 AM and that was a very special service.
We had the benefit of my mom coming in to work on the dinner while we were in church because her service was on Wednesday night.

The Green family

The Warner family

As far as I can tell, the two previous pics are from 1998 at the Millers' house in Frederiction.

1996 at the Millers' (building & renovation going on here)
I am sure the Reeds were there that year.
I'll keep looking!

1995 at our lovely home in Saint John
I can say that because God gave it to us to use for Him!
Left: Paula and Shane Belding
Right: Judi Coats' brother and sister-in-law from Connecticut

Paul, Danita Miller and Jennie Coats
Danita is married, has a little girl and another one on the way, I think.
Jennie is married and has 2 children, a boy and a girl!

Coats' cousin, Jon Coats, Heather Belding, Jennie and Danita
By this time Andy and Sara were grown and gone. Sara was at Maranatha BBC and Andy was living in British Columbia. If I'm right about that being Heather, she was married last summer!

1980 in Minneapolis
I said, "Is that Kari or Mari?'
Paul says Kari, but...
what do you think, Cheryl? I never thought they looked that much alike!??

1970 It looks like people must have been coming and going because different families are represented in each of these two pics, but it is obviously the same year.
One the couch from left: Kirk and Kristy Carlson, Mari with Andy taking care of her, Kari
On the floor from left: David and Stephen Refsell, Steve and Susan Kahler

From left: Duane, Barb, Jeanine & Eileen
Roy and Judy Vasquez, Raquel and little brother whose name I don't even remember
Orris, Louise Refsell and their boys
Cheryl, Dwight and Kari Turbett
Andy and Mari must have been napping. Paul was the photographer.

Some years we went to the Refsells'. I was always a little disappointed there because Louise was so organized that the turkey was cut when we arrived and I didn't get a taste of the skin. After eating ourselves under the table, the guys would go across the parking lot to play in the gym...
and almost die.
Last winter Louise went home to glory. She was a wonderful person and I sure should have learned a whole lot from her about organization!

Vintage Hardware Store

If you can't find something in the hardware department,
Moffit's is the place to go.
It is in Mural town.
We enjoy the old floors, ceiling, counter, you name it.
It is a fun trip down memory lane and usually is a successful stop!

Hugh Mungus, the moose

Just a Memory!

The leaves are gone now,
but they were beautiful while they lasted.
Since I never had or took the time to show them off,
here they are!

Don't you wonder what's behind the yellow gate? I do!

I wish there had been time to shuffle through the leaves like we did in college.

Our street is STILL tied up!

Things are a little better here now because our curbs are in
and some of the missing soil has been replaced. This pic is "before."

WE RETURNED!!!

Three minutes after posting on Friday about the weather and our bridge crossing to PEI, I decided that someone who was riding over with us might see it and panic. So I deleted it, or thought I did. Also I had clicked on "urgent prayer request" as a label just because it was the only label which seemed to apply. I thought that was a bit over the top too! I have to admit that I prayed all day that our bridge crossing would not be as traumatic as last year's. My prayer was answered! Although the rain and wind were awful, before and after the bridge, the bridge was not bad at all. The bridge was closed all day to high-sided vehicles but there was no cross wind which had tried to throw us around last year.

The Bible Conference was WONDERFUL! We heard wonderful, challenging messages from Paul, Jacques Brind'Amour, Jason Cochran and Glen Gardiner. Lots and lots of good music too! We saw many "old" friends, were fed wonderful food and the overnight at the Reeds' B&B was great, as always. We have become regulars there for the conference.

However I have come to the conclusion that the first weekend in November is a bad weather weekend. We have had record rainfall all around the area with high winds. A man was swept off the rocks at Peggy's Cove and lost. I am thankful that our lives are in God's hands!

On our way to PEI...

for the November Bible Conference and the bridge is currently closed to high-sided vehicles, buses, motorcycles, cars pulling vehicles... HERE WE GO AGAIN! Last year the winds were gusting to 90 km/h. This year they are gusting to 95! Did they ever return? Check back!

SUPER CUTE PUMPKINS!

I can't wait to make some of these pumpkins! Check out the crackle technique too. I love crackle and cheap crackle even more. The crackle stuff they market is expensive!