Our Table

In 2008, after 26 years of marriage, we bought our first new table.


When we were first married, we knew we'd be leaving for the mission field soon and Jim's parents had an extra table that his dad had picked up somewhere and refinished. Great!

The table my father-in-law beautifully finished

During our eight years in Peru we rented two different furnished houses. The good thing about the tables was we could seat a lot of friends at them, but the not-so-good-thing was we'd had no choice in the tables. The first table was "early missionary" style. That's okay. That's what we were!

Daniel at our definitely baby-proof formica table
Note the fresh flowers--a bonus of living in a third world country, cheap fresh flowers!

Our second home had a beautiful dining room set with hutch and buffet and very large table of heavy, real wood that termites loved!

The table in our second home in Peru 

When we moved to Colombia we went to a second hand shop and found a gorgeous refinished oval table and six lovely chairs. Of course, this was probably not the most practical purchase for a family three and then four little ones!

Our first table in Colombia from an illustration for the first edition of Around the Table
Illustration credit: Iain Campbell

Then a single friend bought an expanding table that came with twelve chairs. Even though it was homemade and awkward to use, we decided it was logical to trade. She would probably never have more than five guests and since we were six already; there wasn't a lot of room for extra people at our table.

Second Colombian table with one of the two leaves
More fresh flowers--I enjoyed trying to arrange them.

When we left Colombia to live in the states again, we needed yet another table. Just before signing on the house we went to a local furniture store to see what was available and saw a rectangle oak table on a closeout sale. We had already decided we wanted rectangle so we could "extend" it even more than it's two leaves did by adding other square sided tables to either end.


We left to sign the papers and check the house again, but the area where the table would go looked too small. Jim measured the space by counting steps across the floor.

The space where the table would go between the living
and family rooms

We went back to the shop and tried to compare steps with steps. Was it too long? We weren't sure. Smiling, the sales lady tossed us a measuring tape and said, "Go measure it!" We did. It fit.

The table arrives

We moved in a few days later with the help of many loving people from our local church.

Friends help us move it in

Christina was the only one of our children to move in with us, but our oldest son, Daniel, and his wife, Abby, who lived in town (for another week before moving to further his education) helped with the move.

First meal in our new house brought by a friend, an unofficial "meal on wheels!" 

And that is the table we eat around now.