Thanksgiving

Last week I was in the middle of scrubbing the bathtub when I thought, “Wow. It’s Thanksgiving.” When I went to pick up the children, I greeted one of my American friends at school with a “Happy Thanksgiving” in my baseball cap and grimy self from cleaning the house all day.  I guess it was a mixture of cleaning my house, the lack of Fall décor, and the 80 degree weather that made it not feel like Thanksgiving Day.  I was surprised, though, that although I miss my family dearly, I wasn’t overwhelmed with sadness.  I realized quickly my thankful thought of the day:  I grew up in a basketball family that spent many years traveling over Thanksgiving. If we weren’t traveling, we were feeding a bunch of hungry, very tall boys.  Thanksgiving is about making a point to give thanks and enjoying time with those around you (whether it is family, friends, or both).  This year, I am overwhelmed with things to give “thanks”.  We weren’t able to spend the special day with our family, but we were able to have a celebration with some dear friends.

Our Thanksgiving Day was celebrated on Saturday.  Preparing a Thanksgiving meal in Australia is a bit different because you can’t always find the ingredients you need. Thankfully, Gaby and Julie have been here a couple of years, so they are pros. I have a lot to learn about making my own pie crust, preparing the dressing, and roasting pumpkins for pumpkin pie before next Thanksgiving!  We had a day full of GREAT food and laughter (mainly due to my lack of skill in pie crust making).

             Here is Gaby, frying up one of the turkeys. It was "DU-LICIOUS!"

    

So, the kids may have gotten a little wild. No worries, I took care of it. Right, gang?

 

 

 

 

Perfect Angels! They did seem to have so much fun!

 

 

Our "Thankful Tree".  Everyone wrote something they were thankful for on a leaf. Tony didn't love the idea, but I did! I loved reading all of the thankful comments, but my favorite remark came from Gaby. It said, "I am thankful for one of the good things about coming to Australia: Having the Rutland Family as friends for life."

 

 

Me, Janelle, and Julie

 

I am thankful for God's many blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!