Thanksgiving 11/26/06

Thursday was Thanksgiving, and we did. Truly. The original Thanksgiving in Plymouth Massachusetts is special to our family. The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England for their journey. Plymouth was in our mission and we had the priviledge to stand on the site where they left in their small ship, the Mayflower, for the New World. Five of those 102 passengers were ancestors of our family.

In 1992 we journeyed back to Massachusetts and visited the Plimouth Plantation, a 1627 pilgrim village that is a living museum. They have actors portraying the 1627 inhabitants. It was a real experience for Elizabeth and Joseph (note the video camera in hand) to interview their gggrandmother Elizabeth Tilley. The actress portraying her could tell them anything within the range of Elizabeth's knowledge and experience up to that day in 1627. The kids were fascinated with her life and lifestyle (note she in preparing mussles for dinner). It created some family memories that are recalled this season of the year. How grateful we are for those who have gone before.

Elizabeth married John Howland . It is interesting to see the decendants of these two people. Take a look at this site that mentions some of them: The Pilgrim John Howland Society: Famous Descendents. Elizabeth and John Howland were not wealthy people and never had expectation of fame-- just common people trying their best to live their lives true to their faith and their family. What a legacy they left to their posterity, including the Prophet Joseph Smith. Who knows but what our children's children will look back at our day in thanksgiving for the simple lives we live and the foundation we lay for them.