Sunday's were so wonderful growing up. For a number of years, we attended the little country Baptist church where my grandpa was the pastor. The congregation was tiny. It mostly consisted of my family of 6, both sets of my grandparents, 2 sets of Great Aunts/Uncles, and one or two older ladies from the neighborhood. Mom played the old pump organ and my Grandma would prepare the communion bread cubes and grape juice. I don't remember many sermons, but I remember watching Grandpa speak with such passion!
As we kids got older, Grandpa and Grandma would spend winter's in Texas so my parents decided it was time for us to start going to Sunday School with other kids. So, we switched to Newfolden Evangelical Free Church. I Remember 4th Grade with Peggy as teacher... and 5th-6th with Bob. Then it was time for Bible Instruction Class with Pastor Eveland. Since this wasn't the town where I grew up, I got to meet so many wonderful friends, many who are good friends to this day.
Being a farming family, very few Sunday's Dad was able to join us. Chores always had precedence... as they reminded us often, the cows can't wait. Mom would have Sunday Dinner started so when we got home from church Dad would have the potatoes ready to go.
But my favorite memory of Sunday's as a child was going to Grandma's about 2:30 in the afternoon. We would grab a container of cookies or a pan of bars and drive 1/4 mile down the road to Grandma's house. 2 of my Dad's sister's families would arrive for the afternoon. The grownups would sit around visiting (men in the living room, women in the kitchen). The women would put goodies on the table while the kids were off playing. The younger kids found Grandma's toys in the spare bedroom while the older ones would sit around in Grandma's room visiting. If the weather was nice, it was a treat to go out to the bunk house and play with all the old toys that were out there. We'd be gathered around the kitchen table for afternoon lunch when the time was right... and then go home for evening chores.
We never left Grandma's hungry. These goodies kept us going until after chores. Supper time was a relaxing time. Everybody could heat up there own leftovers. But more than once it was a night for sitting around watching the Sunday night Disney movie with a huge bowl of butter popcorn.
