Turkey Time!

Tomorrow we load up as much stuff as we can into our Honda Pilot and our Thule roof-rack compartment, including the two little munchkins and Barret (in the car and not the roof-rack, of course), and journey north to Oregon for our traditional Thanksgiving gathering at the Box "R" Ranch. We'll caravan with our good friends from church, the Denny's (some of the nicest people God's created, all six of them). We should get up there at about 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., if all goes well. Austin (and Austin's Meagan) and Annie will hook up with us, together with our good friend-from-Seattle's son, Luke Larson (now studying at BIOLA), sometime around around 2:00 a.m. or so. (Poor souls, they have about a 10 to 11 hour drive compared to our 6 hour one.) My sweet nieces from Portland, Oregon (Caitlin & Meghan Tholen - Victoria's side of the family) will arrive on Thanksgiving morning.

The Box "R" Ranch comes complete with virtual isolation from any civilization as we commonly know it; 1,500 acres of virgin and pristine land covered with loge pines set against the backdrop of the Siskiyou Mountains and the snow capped Shasta peak, a couple of log cabins (constructed from timber felled on the Ranch) with river rock fireplaces, cattle (some of whom we branded last year), draw horses, goats, chickens (who's eggs we eat for breakfast after robbing their coups the day before), dozens of wild cats and kittens (where our own little Carmel came from), and some of the most hallowed ground I've encountered. It's here where I contemplate the Lord like no other place on earth. My favorite spot is across a craggy gorge carved by a shallow stream where I can view three crosses reminiscent of Calvary; the rolling eastern hills serve as their backdrop. And it's there that I usually meditate and ruminate on Psalm 19, and consider that the heavens declare the majesty of the Lord. If I've ever come close to actually hearing from God, this is where it happens.

Most importantly, these remarkably tender moments with family and friends build layer upon layer of solid memories, traditions and intimacy that simply cannot be duplicated most anywhere else. This is the kind of experience that stays with you for a whole year until you do it again, and on the way out of the driveway from the Ranch everyone asking, begging, and even demanding that we simply have to come back next year. Lord willing, we will.

Thankfully Thankful,

Tom (& Victoria)