Sunday, November 30, 2008

A Time for Thanks

Our family had a beautiful Thanksgiving with our friends and neighbors the Smiths. Joss cooked the Turkey, so I felt like I really had absolutely nothing to stress about this Thanksgiving. Thanks Joss! We gathered together over a feast of turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, cranberry, sweet potatoes, salad, green bean casserole, and pumpkin and pecan pies, not to mention the gluhwein (a mulled wine/schnapps mixture that is a holiday specialty in Germany), hot cider, and eggnog. Whew. It was enough for twice as many people, which of course means that we got to enjoy second and third Thanksgivings as we worked our way through the leftovers. Following dinner we played board games for hours, which was a wonderful way to spend the evening. I would really love to start a "game night" tradition in our neighborhood.

It has been a season of Thanks in so many ways, and the experiences of the last year and a half have served to remind me of how very blessed our family is. This is our first holiday season as a whole family, and every time we do something "special", like celebrating Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, etc. it is extra-special because we can all share it together. I am also constantly reminded of our friends that helped M and I through this deployment... the ARG girls (my running group) as well as some other wonderful ladies from our neighborhood. Our dynamic has changed a bit since our families are back together again and we need each-other a little less (and have less time on our hands!), but I always know that when I need another strong woman to turn to for support, laughs, a good complaining session, or just some Indian take-out, any one of my Auerbachian friends will come through.

3 comments:

JES said...

Alright Jess! I'm blubbering like a baby! I Love You!

Vicki said...

Prost to that. Such an amazing time with amazing people that all have such varied backgrounds and personalities. For this I am thankful.

The Gutsy Mom said...

You know it's true. Love ya!