Thanksgiving Thanks

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My DH grew up in an interesting, very different family than me. His mom (Mildred) and dad divorced when he was about 3 or 4 and I really don't know the details or anything about it. She remarried a man named Mike, who had a son, Mike, Jr. who was eight years older than my DH. Mike, Sr. adopted DH and DH's mom adopted Mike, Jr. His mother and new Dad later had another son together. All three sons have October birthdays and the oldest and youngest, oddly enough, actually share the same birthdate! Sad to say, the youngest brother passed away in 2001. 

Every year, without fail, around the first of October, Mike sends a funny birthday card to DH., which triggers my memory for me to send a card to him. This year was different. No card came in the mail. I wondered whether anything was wrong, so I sent a card and on his birthday, sent by text a happy Birthday graphic to him and about 30 seconds later my phone rang. It was Mike. He is 83 now and he was quite emotional about having forgotten to send my DH a card. We talked for a while and then he thanked me for having sent him a copy of the blog I had done about their Mother, Mildred. He said when his Dad married Mildred, it was very hard for him because he missed his real mother so much. 

But he said he would be forever grateful to Mildred because she changed his life. She took him to church! He was so moved during the service that he had tears in his eyes and literally ran down the aisle in response to the altar call. Mildred went with him and when he knelt down at the first row bench, she knelt with him as he gave his heart to Jesus. He had lots of memories of how his new mom taught him how to work, scrubbing floors and washing dishes after supper. He had a paper route with 180 papers to throw and he remembers one snowy morning she got up at 4:30 am to crank up the car to help him throw his papers. 

He said the next 38 years of his life he pretty much went his own way with career and family until he ran into some life problems. Again, Mildred came to his aid to comfort him and counsel and he turned back to the Lord again and ever since that time, has enjoyed close fellowship with the Lord. 

We had a very nice time visiting by phone that day and he invited us to come for Thanksgiving dinner ... actually, he was most insistent that he wanted us and all our family to join his family. My response? Well, gee, our daughter will be with her in-laws about four hours away, our son will be doing duty at the fire station and his wife and the kids I thought would be with her mom in another city. All my family will be in different places, so yes, DH and I are free and we would love to come. 

And that's what we did! Happy Thanksgiving it was, too. What a wonderful and blessed day it was. 

Brothers

Jay's brother Mike is standing next to him wearing a baseball cap.

Mike IV with Jay and little ones

And it's just too complicated to try and explain who everybody is in the pics! A great big, happy, blended family that has nothing but love for everybody else!

Today is also the birthday of my dear sister-in-love, Susan. I have written about her many times. When my brother saw her at the restaurant where they both were employed, he told his buddies that she was the girl he was going to marry. They were both 16 at the time. What great wisdom he had at that tender age. Their marriage and lifestyle have been role models to many couples they have mentored and counseled as they also raised their son and "adopted" another son to their family. Susan herself was adopted and I have shared the story before here for National Adoption Month.

So today was somewhat a focus on adoption ... my DH, his brother Mike, my Susan, her "adopted" son and family, and the best adoption of all ... that God has adopted us into His family when we put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. We are co-heirs of the best inheritance ever!

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