Minnesota Thanksgiving

Enjoying a meal out at Lord Fletchers with the Hukee and Miller cousins!

Upside down tree in our hotel!

Thanksgiving in Minnesota

We spent thanksgiving in Minnesota with my parents. 

It was filled with family, food, football, and fun!

Leighton, Luke and Grandpa went out to eat at Fogo De Chao, an all you can eat meat Brazilian steakhouse, followed by first row tickets to the Timberwolves game. 

We also skyped with my sister Amber and her family from Virginia.  Here are the cousins talking ...

 Great Aunt Colette brought High Ho Cherri-O.  The boys really loved playing that.  It was a great idea and kept the kids still for a few minutes every couple of hours.  Hopefully the time playing childrens games will eventually evolve into hours of the Ludemann family favorite game, Zionchek! Hopefully that is just a few more thanksgivings away. 

The boys saw their first snow of the season and took turns opening the back door to stick their fingers into the snow accumulating on the deck. 

 McCabe enjoyed Grandma's utensils; He stirred just about all of the toys around in Grandma's bowls. 

 

Thanksgiving

We are a very thankful family. God has richly blessed us with many things and we are thankful for who he is and how real he makes himself to our family. We enjoy learning more about him and expereincing more of his love daily. We are thankful for his provision of many things, his comfort, his peace, his wisdom, that he is kind, that he prepares us, that he perfects us, that he cares, that he is personal, that he helps us, that he is gracious, that he disciplines us, that he has granted us these wonderful children, and mostly for his choice to send his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and give us the chance to accept his love and payment for our wages.

I asked Leighton what he was thankful and Leighton would like to add that he is thankful for:

Quinn and Leighton

Mommy

God and The Sun

Baby Jesus

Daddy

Grandmas and Papas

God

So sweet!

We got to spend Thanksgiving in Redwood Falls, Minnesota with Grandma and Grandpa Ludemann and Great Grandma Christensen. We enjoyed great food and even better company. I am, however, sad to report that we didn't get to play a single game of cards! I think that is a first for a trip to Bea's house! Nonetheless we had a great time there and safe travels.

4 Generations Pictures

Pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Ludemann

The 5 Hukee's

Leighton, McCabe and Brooks as CUTE as ever!

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

This past year has brought forth numerous reasons to give the Lord praise for his gracious work in our lives.

I could list countless answers to prayers, unexpected blessings, and amazing displays of the Lord's character in our lives.

I think Abraham Lincoln said it well in his Proclamation of Thanksgiving when he said, "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy."

I also wanted to share another excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving. This proclamation that made Thanksgiving 'offical' tells us a lot about America's history and the Charachter of Lincoln. It highlights the purpose of the Thanksgiving Holiday as not just a day to be thankful, but more specifically, a day to be thankful to our Lord and Savior. He humbly stated, "It has seemed to me fit and proper that {blessings} should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience."

The reason Lincoln was so amazed at God's goodness was because the Lord was Merciful to a nation that was very much imperfect and fallen. While being thankful for the Lord's mercies, Lincoln humbly asked beleivers to consider, with humble penitence, the disobedience of people, and the nation, against the Lord.

It is a perfect analogy of the Gospel. In reminds me of Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God has always been a God of great mercy. He demonstrated it by dying for our sins on the cross and he still demonstrates it today by his work in our lives even though we don't deserve or earn it.

Please join us in offering praising and adoration to GOD today and everyday this upcoming year, for who He is and what He has done.

Thanksgiving in Minnesota

Leighton opens his first christmas gifts ... toys from grandma and grandpa, this cute hat from uncle Amber along with a shirt and mittens!


Leighton opened more gifts when we got to great-grandma's house in Redwood Falls, MN.How Cute! Grandma bought herself some pajama's and later found a matching pair in a different city for Leighton!