A Day to Give Thanks

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year.  We invited over friends, the sisters down the hill, and all the staff and teachers at the guardaria.  It was a blessed time and we were happy to have welcomed 30 adults and 5 children into our home.

Emma hamming with some of the teachers.

Father Salvatore started washing dishes as soon as he got in the house.

We started out with just a few friends and the Sisters, but after talking to some of the teachers and seeing their interest, we decided to invite the whole school.  So Wed, the day before Thanksgiving, our dinner jumped from 9 to 22 invited, and we went from needing two chickens to four for dinner (turkey was too expensive).  Tara cleaned the house and made apple crisp and Miriam cooked and stuffed the chickens (from our "chicken guys" that morning. It was a pretty fun outing. Fresh and I had them cut off the head and feet). Emma was sick but helped me get food prepped the night before (potatoes, carrots, brownies, pumpkin, green bean casserole, etc). 

Part of our crowd (pretty happy, huh?)

We had to work that day, so people started arriving around 7pm.  It was a joy to be able to welcome them into our house for the first time. The first teacher to arrive was pretty nervous, but a big crowd started arriving at 7:30, some bringing wine or refreshments and the preschool director brought a cake and her son, daughter, and baby grandchild. Other people brought children and other family members. Though we had room in the sitting room, almost everyone crowded into the kitchen and about 10-15 of them crammed themselves on a wooden church pew we had set out, other people chose other seating on the spiral stairs, and various other seats we had out. The sisters from down he hill got there around 8pm. I had to run back over to the parish to pick up more silverware and plates as we didn't expect that many. We were all a little worried about having enough food, but everyone had generous helpings with quite a bit of food let over (Praise God!  I kept on thinking of the multiplication of the loaves!). While I was gone getting more plates and such, everyone went around and said one thing that they were thankful for. That was nice.  At least one person got a little emotional. I think people loosened up with the food. We started eating around 8:30, and a few people starters leaving around 10pm. But the majority left around 10:30 with a few staying until 11pm. Father and Miriam stayed a little late. God bless Father, as soon as he had got in the door that night, he started washing dishes (of his own accord), and and did not stop for a good half an hour or more.  Still with that help, we stayed up till 1am cleaning and storing away all the left-overs.  It was a good night, and it was wonderful how God turned a simple conversation with a few teachers into a way to invite them all over to our house for time of fun and fellowship.  

A couple of the teachers' daughters hanging out.