Thanksgiving in Branson !

WARNING! This very well may be the longest post on my blog YET! But, rest assured, every picture, comment, and story is absolutely necessary for giving you a full account of what transpires when the Dorsch clan reunites in the Ozarks!

I'm in a bit of a quandary, because I am not entirely sure how I should go about relating what all took place. There were simply too many memories, laughs, one-liners, and episodes for me to record them all on this post. And besides, there are literally no words that can describe a Dorsch---let alone 17 of them! I will have to settle with dousing you with pictures and little captions, thoughts, and comments, that hopefully you all enjoy.

Melissa, this blog is especially for you!

No Dorsch get together is complete without cards--pinochle to be exact. Just for the record, I had a double-marriage in one game, and bid quite high (in the teens) on only one ace and made it in another game. Those are just a few of my pinochle accomplishments of the holiday!







Besides Pinochle, there were many other games to occupy our time: marbles (on a board hand-carved by Grandpa), Dutch Blitz (Sam Speed!), ImagineIff, Go Fish, etc.







Melissa, please note. Next time you play marbles with Sam, keep in mind that if you knock his marble off, he WILL come back and get you. Trust me. That kid has the luckiest marble roll ever! (Be proud, UB!)

I also enjoyed the game Skip-Bo. Yes, I did enjoy it, even though I ended up accumulating 12's like crazy! Jared thought it was so amusing, he just had to take a picture! I think I drew one more right after he snapped the shot.




And of course, there is never a Dorsch reunion without Grandma's famous cooking. She is quite possibly, the best cook in the entire world. Scrumptious turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry salad for Thanksgiving dinner (among other things), and traditional butterball soup the next day. WOW! You never go hungry when Grandma is around!






Uncle Jim taught us the secret in making crunchy bars.







Please note, before I go any further, the beautiful place-cards and table centers/conversation starters we had for Thanksgiving Dinner. These were provided by Cassie Allen, Emily, Sherlynn, and myself.





One night we got all dressed up and went out to see a show!




And of course, there was lots of just hanging out, being cool, and loving. You know, the things Dorsch's do the best!





















I am so blessed to have a family who loves and seeks the Lord. I love them all so much. There's nothing greater than spending time with some of my favorite people on earth. I only wish it could have lasted longer.

Some other highlights of the holiday reunion:
- sharing memories about each other with each other
- constantly laughing
- staying up until 2:00 in the morning talking with Jared, Ando, and Short (Erika)
- hearing Grandma giggle while playing Pinochle
- enjoying Grandpa's famous lifesavers
- getting constant hugs
- getting to know everyone a little deeper
- hearing Uncle Jim tell Andrew, "The only thing that moves faster than your mouth is your car!"
- hearing Jared play guitar
- singing, praying, and reading Scripture together
- cousin dog-piles
- eight-handed Pinochle
- skyping with Melissa and her French friends and hearing Grandpa ask, "Now is that this new facebook thing?"
- being SO UNBELIEVABLY PROUD when during the Veterans tribute at the show we went to, three of my family members stood up: Grandpa, Jared, and Matt. (Thank-you for serving our country.)

God is truly good to me.

A Weekend Away

It's tradition (as of last semester) for Sherlynn and I to make the long trek (8-9 hours) up to Minnesota once a semester to visit Andrew. Thursday was Veteran's Day, and since Emporia is the founding city of Veteran's Day, we didn't have class. What a perfect opportunity! (Yes, Friday, we still had class, but what's the point of being young if you can't be bold and audacious every now and then?!)

We pulled out of the parking lot a little after 6:00, made a deliciously quick stop at Starbucks, and were on the road by 6:43 AM! Be proud!




We arrived in the Twin Cities around 3:30 and headed straight for the Lodge, the name of the house where Andrew lives with 6 other guys. We cooked supper (enchiladas, salad and dessert) for him and a couple of his privileged buddies! The dessert suffered through a few difficulties, but the guys never noticed!




Friday, Sherlynn and I spent the majority of the day shopping at the Rosedale mall. I navigated my way through the cities with skill and ease. Okay, well, I may have had a few missed turns. Note to self, just because a sign says "exit" doesn't mean it takes you to a gas station. Sometimes it just takes you to a different highway!

At the mall, I was able to meet up with an old Ouaga friend of mine, Lindsey Burg. We "grew up" together! It was WONDERFUL to see her again and catch up on her life.




Saturday was a SNOW DAY in every best sense! The heavenly storehouses dumped about 9 inches of snow on the Cities throughout the course of the day. But Mrs. Putnam (our favorite family hostess) had the fire going, the K-State vs. Mizzou football game was on TV, and Sherlynn and I were dabbling in homework in-between making cornbread to go with the chili Mrs. Putnam had made, and cookies for Andrew. We were all warm and cozy and splendidly happy! The only time I had to go outside was when I went to get the newspaper for Mrs. Putnam.





Amy came over later on in the afternoon and we played 221 Baker Street--a board game where you solve cases, sort of like an advanced game of Clue! It was super fun!




Sunday, we headed home, but not before making 2 different stops at Caribou coffee! Yummh....! Look at how different the streets are when we leave.



We decided we would stop at the first Caribou coffee sign we saw. We pulled off of the interstate with great joy and expectation only to read the next sign that said "Caribou 7 miles"! So we took a little scenic detour that ended up being very educational. We saw the headquarters for Malt-O-Meal! I can't stand the stuff, personally, but it was exciting seeing where it was made nonetheless. We were also able to pick out our Christmas tree, but since we had forgotten our ax and couldn't really strap it to the car, we had to leave it in Minnesota.






It was a great trip! I would go back in a flash!

More Highlights from the trip:
- We discovered a Christmas station upon entering the state of Minnesota and from that point on, it was all we listened to......unless Andrew was driving! You would not believe how many different versions of "Winter Wonderland" are out there!

- Playing "Star Wars" with Andrew....included with stunning audio effects!

"On earth we serve God -- in heaven we praise Him."

I just finished reading the biography of Ann Judson entitled, My Heart in His Hands, by Sharon James. It is a "must-read". It reads very easily, and is much shorter than A Chance to Die!

Ann and her husband Adoniram Judson were among the first American missionaries sent out. They went to Burma. Ann's story is remarkable and inspiring.

Here is how the back of the biography reads:
"In October 1810 a twenty-year-old girl in the quiet New England town of Bradford wrote the following words in her journal: 'If nothing in providence appears to prevent, I must spend my days in a heathen land. I am a creature of god, and he has an undoubted right to do with me, as seems good in his sight... He has my heart in his hands, and when I am called to face danger, to pass through scenes of terror and distress, he can inspire me with fortitude, and enable me to trust in him. Jesus is faithful; his promises are precious. Were it not for these considerations, I should sink down with despair...' Ann Hasseltine had received a proposal of marriage from Adoniram Judson, who was shortly to leave for Asia as one of America's first overseas missionaries. And thus commenced one of the great dramas of church history--a saga of love, courage, suffering and perseverance."

oooo! Doesn't it sound good? If you don't already want to read it, here are a few more quotes:

"But God has taught us by afflictions, what we would not learn by mercies--that our hearts are his exclusive property, and whatever rival intrudes, he will tear it away" --Ann Judson upon the death of her baby boy (86).

"May we make it our great business to grow in grace, and to enjoy closet religion [personal devotions]. Here is the place for us to prepare for usefulness" (131).

"My chief happiness now consisted in contemplating the moral perfections of the glorious God" (27).

The language used in this book is truly beautiful. It reminds me a lot of A Severe Mercy, which is another "must-read."

Christmas is coming up, this would be a great book to wish for!

I love to bake!

Recently, I've been obsessed with baking. I love trying new recipes and eating the failed and successful attempts! I've made whole wheat blueberry pecan pancakes, whole wheat apple cinnamon muffins (1/2 were with nuts), caramel apple dessert, and chicken potpie soup. Here are a few pictures to ignite your appetite:



The second time I made this dessert, it turned out much prettier. Below is the magazine version.




All of the cooking has been done with experimentation along the way! That's what makes it so exciting. "If I don't add _____, what will happen?" "What if I add _______." For the most part, everything has turned out okay.

For all of you rising cooks, here's a little tip: when using thyme leaves, make sure you take them off of the stem before putting them in soup!

I also like setting the table all pretty!



And look how punctual I am!