Last Thursday I returned from a week’s visit with my family in Washington State. I am so thankful for the time we spent together. Every morning, my sister Juli and I went on a walk with one of their dogs. They have three of them and they each know when it’s their day to come with us.

 

There are many different trails to choose from that are nearby: walking on the beach or in beautiful, pristine woods of Cedar, Douglas Fir and Aspen, with their white bark.

 

We also enjoyed a 2nd Christmas Dinner. Other family members came over, my sister Roxie and her husband, Mike, who traveled from Eastern Washington, also two nephews, one of whom brought along his two teenagers.

 

We had our family’s tradition Christmas dinner of freshly caught salmon and homemade lefse (a Norwegian flatbread made of mashed potato, cream, a bit of melted butter and just enough flour to make it sturdy enough to roll out and cook on the lefse iron.

 

The way we eat it is we mix boiled potatoes and salmon together (some of us add green peas in too) and then we pour melted butter on it (there’s never too much butter in Norwegian cooking), add a pinch of salt and then roll the mixture up in the lefse and eat it like a burrito.

 

Sounds strange, I know. But it’s delicious! And it’s the taste of Christmas for the Larsen family.

 

I consider myself blessed to have 2 Christmas dinners. The one at home with my British husband who serves a traditional English Christmas dinner with roast turkey with a sausage and meat stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and chipolata sausages. That’s the Christmas dinner he grew up with.

Today, I give God thanks for families, and the traditions passed down from generation to generation. I give God thanks that at those tables, God is with us. And for the opportunity to be together sometime around Christmas and to bow our heads before we eat to give thanks for the coming of our savior into the world. And, if I’m honest, I am also thankful for all those morning walks that put a slight dent in all those calories.

 

Yours in the journey,

Pastor Kristen

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                                                                                       ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

 

 

Upcoming EVENTS hosted by the Women's Club:

 

    Monday, Feb 2nd, 1:30p, in the narthex- Women Club Meeting

​    Sunday, Feb 8th, after church service, in the narthex, Spaghetti Luncheon

​    Saturday, February 14th. Time and movie to be announced -- At the Movies Event. All are welcome.

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