2015 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM NOVEMBER 25, 2015 Page 11
And Michael is laughing as she speaks saying,
“Right ... right ... right.”
Of late, there has been four, five or six of
them upstairs playing Nerf gun wars. With no
complaints, but mom Suzanne currently finds
herself in a never ending task of picking up Nerf
pellets.
Clearly, this couple is ready to roll together with
the hills and valleys, all the twists and turns that go
with a big family.
Suzanne says one of the biggest things they do
as a family is have dinner together. Sometimes
someone might be missing, such as for basketball
practice, “But it is what we do.”
The large round dinner table with eleven seated is
typically a noisy, busy affair.
A college student who came to their home for
dinner last year asked incredulously, “So, do you
guys always sit down and eat dinner together?” In
her much smaller family with brothers they just
grabbed something to eat when they could.
It isn’t normal in this society for everyone to sit
down to a meal together. Suzanne said, “It may not
always be the happiest occasion. You might need
somebody to calm down, but it is a time that feels
normal to us.”
The kids’ favorite thing is “Friday Night Movie
Night.” The family orders several cheap pizzas and
then Michael sets up a big screen for the movie.
It is a much anticipated end to the week, and they
love spending it together.
This Thanksgiving...
We encourage you to be thoughtful in how you
might engage with others in our community, and
that you might find satisfaction in a renewed or
enhanced purpose with your family this season and
all year.
We hope that when your family meets around the
table this holiday season, noisy or quiet as it might
be, you too will give thanks for your most valued
treasure: those who are there with you.
We are thankful for this family and other families
who are changing our world for the better, one
child at a time.
If you want to know more about parenting, foster
care, adoption, or how to support local families in
these processes, you can visit the resources listed
below this article.
Story by Jan Youngquist
Resources:
You can learn more about how to help
families in Logan County with foster care and
adoptions, and find many helpful resources
through the organization Woven Together http://
woventogetherlogancounty.org
Woven Together (501-C-3 not for profit status
pending) hosts fundraisers each year. The next
fundraiser is the Charity Ball in February and there
are some things that you can do to help right now.
See
charity-ball/silent-auction-baskets/
Christian Alliance for Orphans offers numerous
opportunities and resources
Empowered to Connect (ETC) http://
empoweredtoconnect.org the Gowins found this
program and it resources to be an excellent training
program. The ETC material is adapted and
designed especially for parents and caregivers of
“kids from hard places.”
The ETC approach has been created with the help
of Dr. Karyn Purvis from TCU’s Institute of Child
Development.
Learn more and continue to follow the Gowins at
gowinfamily.com
