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Cerwin’s Family Christmas Dinner

Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Children, Grandchildren

This entry is especially for our children who could not attend (Mark & Diane’s family in Maine, Jere on business in Minnesota, and Ivan and Deb in Southern Pennsylvania). 

However, my Xanga friends are welcome to visit as well!

Aunt Emma reading her Christmas cards.

Aunt Alice and her daughter Sharon making gravy.

Aunt Esther in the foreground – keeping an eye on melting butter.

Aunt Gloria and Aunt Betty

My sister-in-law Velda and her granddaughter Megan

Cerwin’s mother and our daughter-in-law Chris

Our granddaughter Jenna sorting our mail at the “Family Mailbox”.

Our nephew Rod and Cerwin. 

Cerwin said he was counting how many days of work he has left until he retires.  Conclusion: eight.

Cousin Larry’s wife Mae and Cousin Karen

Rod’s son Justin, Rod, Cerwin

Jeff, Cerwin’s brother Elvin, don’t know his name, and cousin Larry

Our daughters-in-law (Chris and Kristen) talking to our niece Dorretta and her daughter Megan

Cousin Eric and his wife.

Cousin Dawn unwrapping her delicious cookies.

Velda (Cerwin’s sister) with our cousins Karen and Linda.

Uncles Sam and Harvey visiting Karen’s husband (can’t remember his name)

Uncle Eli

Cousin’s husbands, Roy and Don

Guess who was first in the buffet line?  That would be grandsons Nathan, Josh, and Jordan!

The buffet line was a popular place at 12:30 PM.

Elvin’s (Cerwin’s brother) family in the foreground.

Left to right:  Bryan, Leslie, Crystal – across the table Pat  – hidden by Elvin, and Gary

Aunt Emma, Uncle Harvey, Mother, and Uncle Ivan

Mark & Diane and Ivan & Deb the next two pictures are for you.

The footer for Jere and Kristen’s barn.

Jere and Kristen’s newly blacktopped driveway.

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary ~ Bunny & Peg O’Hare

 Saturday Evening

What fun to participate in surprising them – and they were surprised!

Bunny (right) visiting with their pastor and Cerwin (left).

TFC President Scott Weidner and Bunny, who is Office of Chaplains Director

In Background:  Howard Moses, Director of Pastoral Care

The Biggest Surprise Came From Massachusetts

 Their Children

 Peg and son Rob

Peg and daughter Kelly

Youngest son Tim and Peg

The Family

Peg with hostess Fran Stauffer

Sam Rittenhouse, Associate of Pastoral Care, and host Jay Stauffer

The kitchen – where the food was located

 The Cake

The evening was sealed with a kiss!

An Early Morning ~ A Great Prayer Breakfast

Our alarm went off at 4:30 this morning, because we needed about half an hour to do a few last-minute things, and the remaining time to get our bodies presentable to be in public.  We were out of the house in time to make the one-and-half-hour drive to Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA, by 7:30 AM.

Hennings is a fabulous grocery market with an upper room (I think they call it The Mezzanine) that holds about sixty people. 

They serve wonderful buffet meals all day long in the grocery store, however this buffet was set up just for our breakfast.

The Paul Fehr Family highlighted the morning with beautiful gospel and Christmas songs.  Left to Right:  Paul, his granddaughter Vermonica, grandson David, and daughter Marjorie.  Marjorie is in a wheelchair due to the ravages of MS.

Several TFC staff gave short greetings, and Cerwin and I showed PowerPoint pictures of some recent happenings in TFC.

Gloria’s 6th Birthday

I love going to our grandchildren’s birthday parties!

I also treasure their cards and artwork.

She gave us these cards when we arrived tonight.

Finally it was time to open the present from her parents.

Do you think she is pleased with what she sees?

Her very own suitcase – something she has wanted for quite awhile.  Now she is anxious to come to our place for her birthday overnight stay and visit to Chuck E. Cheeses.

Another birthday is coming to a close – and she is on her way to age 7.

~ ~ ~

I’m trying to remember my 6th birthday.  That would have been 1950.  I was in first grade, and walked half a mile – usually by myself – to a one room schoolhouse.  My dad had just taken over the family farm and we had recently moved into the main part of the farm house.  I had only one brother at the time. 

Now we live next to that one room schoolhouse, which has been turned into a residence.  In some ways that seems like a long time ago – then again, it doesn’t seem that far away. 

The Bethlehem Project

Tonight we attended the Christmas program presented by kindergarten through grade 5 at the Christian school where our granddaughter attends.

Jana was looking pretty for her part in second grade chorus.

Parade of the Toy Soldiers

The view from her parents’ camcorder.

Leaving the stage after singing “Song of the Littlest Angel”

4th & 5th Grade presented “The Bethlehem Project”

My favorite character was Joseph and Mary’s donkey, who was a bit contrary – according to script.  This is the view we had of him during the closing song, and noticed the cutest thing.  He got a hold of his tail with one of his hands (hooves) and kept time with the music – not according to script!  It was so funny.

Our Brazilian Evening Continued

After the meal, Inge introduced us to her cats Timothy and Barnabas

One of her gifts to us was this beautiful, wooden dish made out of Pau Brasa (Brazilwood) and designed in the shape of the fruit and nut of the cashew.

I had forgotten that cashews grow at the base of a fruit (Caju).

I found these two pictures on the Internet.

 ~ ~ ~

Tea Gourd

I don’t remember ever hearing about drinking tea from a gourd with a metal straw.

The tea can be purchased in bags.

We joked that it looked like cattle feed!

I was surprised at how much tea Inge poured into the gourd.

Inge did not add hot water, but demonstrated how to drink it.

From the Internet:  The infusion called mate is prepared by steeping the dried leaves in hot water rather than boiling water like tea or coffee. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd (also called a mate in Spanish, or cabaça or cuia in Portuguese) with a metal straw (a bombilla in Spanish, bomba or canudo in Portuguese) is an extremely common social practice in Argentina, Uruguay, southern Paraguay, the east side of Chile and southern Bolivia and Brazil.

This metal straw (photo from the Internet) is similar to the one Inge had. 

We did drink Brazilian tea with the meal, but not from a gourd.  I would like to try that sometime!

 Notice two tea gourds with her Brazilian memorabilia.

 ~ ~ ~

Amethyst Chips

Another pretty Brazilian gift from Inge.

~ ~ ~

I love learning things about other cultures – and ours.

~ ~ ~

Thanks Inge for a great evening!

A Brazilian Meal

Tonight we were honored to be invited to Inge Koenig’s home for feijoada.

Inge is TFC’s Executive Assistant to the President and a native of Brazil. 

 A Beautiful Table Setting

It was delightful to share the meal with Angie and Howard Moses.  Angie serves TFC as Senior Donor Relations Associate and Howard is Assistant Director of Pastoral Care.

Inge said oranges are usually the only “salad” that accompanies this particular meal.

Collard Greens and Kale with Farofa (dried, ground, seasoned, roasted yucca)

Black Turtle Beans and Smoked Sausage

Rice

Everything on a plate.  It was delicious!

For dessert we had Cajuzinhos and Beijinhos – delicious cashew and coconut flavored dainties.  Inge didn’t have cashews – the usual topping for Cajuzinhos – so used almonds.  The finale to the meal was fabulous Brazilian coffee.

(There will be a second installment on our Brazilian evening tomorrow.)

If Only…

All Confessed Christians

(Including me)

Lived a Christ-like Life.

A Restful Sunday

Because our life is usually filled with deadlines, meetings, and busyness, it was a treasure to have a quiet weekend.  Cerwin is on his last weekend of being on call at Ferrellgas where he drives propane truck – before retiring at the end of the year.  He had two calls yesterday, and two calls this morning, so I went to Sunday School and church alone. 

Our moderating minister, Marv, preached a power-filled sermon on II Timothy 2.

Summary

Arrange Your Life Around Christ

Do Not Arrange Christ Around Your life

~~~

The highlight of our afternoon

Illinois venison steak on the grill.

Delicious!

The Lord Is Faithful

To All His Promises

And

Loving Toward All He Has Made.

Psalm 145:13 NIV