Turkey Day

Turkey Day has arrived and I have two dead animals in my sink. A huge ham, and a Butterball. Thelma and Louise. Thelma is a honey glazed ham that had to have come from some ginormous pig, and Louise...well Louise is kinda the middle of the road for size. My oven will be chowing down on her in a few hours.

When asking my son Kylar how to make a turkey here is what he said (he's 7): You get a 7lb turkey and you put it in the oven at 6 degrees for 10 minutes. You put stuff on it, like gravy and pepper. Put it on the table so everyone can break a piece off.

Kasen (He's 5) says Thanksgiving means: Who you are Thankful for--which are: Kylar, Mommy, Angel, Daddy, Kevan, KayTee, and Aunt Vern, God and Jesus. I'm thankful for Kylar because he pummels me; for Mommy because I love her; for Angel because she makes cookies; for Daddy because he does awesome things like pulls his finger; for Kevan because I like playing with him; for KayTee because she's our dog and I love her; for Aunt Vern because she comes to see us a lot and she brings us presents and she takes us to McDonalds; for God because He loves us; for Jesus because He loves us and He died for my sins. I'm also thankful for toys because I like playing with them, and cartoons because we watch them a lot; chicken nuggets because that's what I like to eat. I'm thankful for school and church because it makes us smart. I am also Thankful for Nana Judy because she brings us costumes; Nana Mare because she be's nice and Papa Duane because he's nice and 31 feet tall. Papa Fred because he takes us camping and we roasted marshmallows. Uncle Wyatt because he sometimes includes me when he plays with Kylar. Nana Suze because she loves us and took us camping.

Kylar (He's 7) says Thanksgiving means: Giving Thanks for everyone on the whole world--I am thankful for Mommy, Kasen, KayTee, Angel, Kevan, and Daddy and Aunt Vern, Nana Judy, Wyatt, Nana Suze, Papa Fred, Nana Mare, Papa Duane, Jon Smith
I am thankful for Mommy because she loves me; for Kasen because he wrestles with me alot; for KayTee because I love her, she's my dog and she sits on my lap sometimes; for Angel because she helps me play video games, for Kevan because he wrestles with me; for Daddy cuz he loves me; for Aunt Vern because she loves me and she sometimes brings me toys; for Nana Judy cuz everytime she visits she brings us toys, and she loves us; for Wyatt because he wrestles with me and he sometimes brings some of his toys so that I can play with them; Nana Suze because sometimes she brings me clothes and she loves me; for Papa Fred because he took me camping and taught me to pee next to a tree; for Nana Mare because she gave us Rescue Hero's ; for Papa Duane cuz he lets us play video games at his house; for Jon Smith because he plays basketball with us outside and taught me how to win the video game Lego Star Wars. I'm also thankful for my girlfriend Kaitlin because she was my girlfriend since I was like 5 or 6 and she loves me and she calls me sometimes and I miss her.

Angel (18) says Thanksgiving means: Giving Thanks for all the things that you have. And those are: Jennifer because she's a great sister; Ang and Jer because they give me a place to live; Kevan because he makes me laugh; Kylar because he's so smart; Kasen because he plays computer games with me and goes to the store with me; and KayTee because I've always wanted a dog; my mom because she is a good cook; my dad because he taught me a lot about sports and computers; God because He can pull me thru when the going get's tough and He's always with me; that I have a good college to go to; that I have the opportunity to work at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch; for Jeremy cuz he's organized like me, and he's an easy person to talk to because we have personalities that are similar; for Ang because she's a good person to talk to cuz of her honesty and gave me the opportunity to come to Georgia, she taught me how to cook, and makes me feel normal.

Jeremy (33) says Thanksgiving means: "Pumpkin Pie!" I am thankful for family and friends and all those that are serving over seas during this holiday season.
For my dad, Duane because we can hang out and talk sports. He is the person I look up to and aspire to be like in terms of a father and husband. For my mom, Marilynn because she is a voice of reason to me (& Dad). They love me, my wife and boys and continue to provide an example of how staying married and committed to each other works!
I am thankful for my boys Kylar, Kasen and Kevan because they are so smart, full of wit and are a joy to watch grow up. They are tender hearted toward the Lord and look at the world through such innocent eyes. I also get to play with their toys! I am thankful for my wife Ang because she is witty and is my very best friend. I never know what to expect from one day to the next. Angel has been a great addition to our family because she has a servant heart and loves our boys like her little brothers. And I'm thankful for KayTee Ann because she is a new playmate for the boys. I am thankful to the Lord for all that He provides.

And then Ang-- what is the Ang thankful for: This year I think I've noticed the providence of the Lord more than ever before. The accidentals and incidentals that change the direction of your life that you don't even notice as being significant, yet they start a chain reaction that lead to such a life changing event---and God looks at His work and smiles. I am thankful that a phone call to ACU to check on a major led to a call to a volleball coach that brought me to ACU on full scholarship. From that call, I am thankful that Jeremy called my house 9 years ago and wanted to talk to a roommate and I told him to go fly a kite. From that call,I am thankful that a doctor told me I would not likely become pregnant and then followed Kylar, Kasen & Kevan followed. I am thankful that being so young and married required Jeremy to find a stable job in the US Air Force for 6 years. That while in the Air Force was sent to a temporary duty assignment in Atlanta where he called his old Youth Group leader Craig Bridges and stayed with him for a weekend at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. That upon telling his mom and dad, they moved from Alaska to work at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch as houseparents. That 6 months later we were considering a job at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. Well, here we are! This Thanksgiving we are in Georgia, and my sister from Maine, my brother from Chicago and my parents from Missouri are all making a voyage to Georgia because of a phone call 10 years ago.

Providence. It's never an accident. It's God smiling because He knows that the accidents and incidents that happen today will trigger events 10 years from now. So whether this year you are happy or sad, remember that you never know how His providence is playing a role and how His smile will light up the next 10 years!