Thanksgiving and Christmas Preparation

I had to get this in before Christmas Day! I have been distracted from my normal duties by a book called Everyday Justice. Not all of the book is totally convincing, but it has launched me into researching how my everyday choices about what and where I buy have impacts on people and the world. Of course, this generality does not sound like a huge revelation, but to sum it up, I didn't realize that many corporate businesses whose products I purchase fail to put forth an effort to assure that their supply chain is free from slavery and child labor. In fact, many when asked about slave and child labor and unfair wages, claim that it is not their responsibility to prevent it or say that it is impossible to regulate because of the way they contract. For example, if I buy chocolate, it is nearly guaranteed some portion of it was grown and harvested by slaves, yet these companies have responded with apathy, token efforts, or have not implemented change in a way that addresses the urgency of the situation. The same can be said of many coffee brands. For a quick read click here. Anyway, I have found this a little shocking and am definitely on a path to different choices. SO, back to Thanksgiving, when I was slightly more naive and innocent...

Making Mr. Eggplant, a Tinsley Thanksgiving tradition...not sure how it got started or why.

Their wagon got filled with produce. It's kind of like a Cornucopia-concept I guess.

I would have put a picture of the meal and family, but I think everyone will thank me for not. Meal pictures always come out strange. I always wonder if I really look that weird eating my food, or is it just the split second that the picture is taken. (I don't really want to know, btw, so don't inform me).

Having a great time with cousin Benjamin. They are only months apart, and each time we get together is more fun than the last.

Playing in the leaves with Grandmama.

After meal soccer game.

Guess the kids didn't get enough to eat at the Thanksgiving meal.

Then we had a big bonfire. Here is the pile before they set it on fire.

The inferno. I have to laugh though, because, Alden and Rhianwen are looking at a picture of the fire on Grandaddy's camera. Do your kids do that? Miss life because they want to see the picture.

Wally, Rhianwen, Alden, Grandaddy and Grandmama all camped out in the backyard in very cold weather. Corwin and Benjamin had a blast playing in the tents beforehand.

Grandmama made "hobos" but not in the fire. We also were glad to spend lots of time with cousin Virginia!

Then it was "Christmas-time" since we'll be at my parents, we let the kids open gifts from Wally's parents so they could see them do it.

Rhianwen looooves her new nightgown and so does Marie-Grace.

The most exciting part of the whole trip was getting to see my new baby niece. (I hope it's ok to post this pic, if not, someone please tell me.) She is just SO precious. Sadly, we couldn't spend much time b/c the boys had nasty colds, so they have yet to meet her.


Then it was back home with a pit-stop for a Christmas tree on the way. (I do want to say to the Filbert people, we miss and love you and aren't shunning you by leaving on Saturdays. We just SO benefit from fully resting on Sunday instead of driving!).

Helping Wally.

Sadly, the tractor pulling the train was not working, so this is just a photo-op.

Finally, back to Christmas reading! One of my favorite quotes is from A Christmas Carol by Dickens: "unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, they were not forty children conducting themselves as one, but every child was conducting itself like forty". Yes, sounds like my house exactly.

Now, I just proved myself wrong. As seems to be the case for whoever is the youngest child, Corwin's favorite thing was unwrapping all of the ornaments and discovering what each was.

Just look at that branch. 

  Ta da! So many special ornaments from Wally's childhood, mine, and, now, the children's. 

My favorite Christmas tradition, the advent tree. Each day focuses on prophecy or the fufulfillment of Scripture surrounding the birth of Christ, the Messiah, the Rescuer.

Continuing a Sunday nap. They got up from bed, sat in the recliner, and went back to sleep. 

Now, back to finding out what my role is in doing justly and loving mercy as a consumer.