Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  I am currently sitting at the café across the street from our building using their Internet.  As long as I’m drinking coffee and ordering a little food, I can stay and they call it “free” – $12.00 later!  Anyway, of all days to have limited and basically no Internet, I’m struggling.  So if you ask today, I’ll admit it…I’m homesick.  L  Sad. Bummed. Disappointed. Teary eyed. Feeling sorry for myself. Homesick. 

Apparently, not only do you have limited access on your cell phones here, you also have very limited usage on your Internet connections at home.  I can’t wait to actually move in to our new place (nope, still don’t have one yet) so we can set up a plan with a lot of usage!  No unlimited plans here.  L

So instead of moping around on this beautiful Friday I have decided to tell you about things I am thankful for today and every day!  I’m sure that I will leave something out but I will do my very best to sum it up in one blog for you. Watch out- this could be another long one!!!!

Before I start I’ll fill you in on our Thanksgiving dinner from last night.  It was very good but still different!  My green bean casserole worked out great but the cherry coke salad was more tart than they were ready for!  J  I think they liked saying, “Cherry coke salad” over and over and laughing like they couldn’t believe there was such a thing out there.  Anyway, it was a fun evening and some of the guys even filled Luke in on the rules of Cricket so when he is watching it on TV he can try to understand.  So last night I was thankful for turkey and mashed potatoes and new friends most!

Here we go…I am most thankful for my husband, Luke but I’ll get back to him in a bit.

Nephews: I am so lucky to have 5 of the sweetest nephews out there.  They always greet me with a smile, know I love a good hug, and always like to show me cool things.  I am always learning something new from them and I always look forward to the next fun thing we can do together.  Now I love to Google chat with them because seeing all of them makes me feel a lot better and nothing can beat hearing and watching a giggle, seeing a wave and a smile, or hearing an “I love you!”

Brother-in-laws: Not having any brothers growing up was always a bummer so when Lori married Mike, I was a happy camper!  We have had a lot of fun over the years and I’m so glad you are part of our family.  Luke and I are about to have another brother-in-law, Zerek, in the upcoming months.  We look forward to celebrating with you soon!  Scott isn’t quite our brother-in-law yet, but I want him to know I am thankful for how happy he makes Jennifer and I am glad he came into our lives. 

Sisters: I am blessed to have a twin sister and an older sister who I can also call my best friends.  We have so many great memories and I look forward to the years to come and staying as close as my mom is to her sisters!  I am also blessed to have a sister-in-law who has been a close friend and very much as a sister.  I can’t wait to stand up with you on your special day!  I am lucky to know that I can go to any of these girls anytime, for anything.  (and I have on many occasions)

Parents:  Not being able to call my mom and dad 3 or 4 times a day if I want to is AWFUL!  Before now, I would honestly call them all the time and I really miss that.  Especially when I couldn’t find certain ingredients at the store this week and I wanted to call my mom to ask her if what I was buying instead would work.  Luckily I can use my prepaid phone card and Google chat, but sometimes the U.S. is asleep when I want or need to talk.  L I know I have raved about mine and Luke’s parents in past blogs but I truly am thankful for them every day.  They do so much for us and we know how fortunate we are to have TWO families that support us in everything we do.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an influential part of our lives.  Both of our parents will be celebrating their 40^th wedding anniversaries in the next 6 months and we are looking forward to following in their footsteps!

Grandparents: My grandma will be turning 92 on Christmas Day and I am so sad I cannot be there to celebrate with her.  I appreciate every chance I get to learn from her, talk to her, and spend with her.  Luke’s grandma and grandpa have taken me in and I love that!  Grandparents are extra special and we feel very fortunate to have these three in our lives.  I look forward to spending time with them when we are home to visit. Hug your grandparents for me, everyone and if you see ours, hug them twice!!

Family: I know I’ve mentioned our immediate families but we have many important aunts, uncles, and cousins that we are also thankful for!  We love how you are staying in touch with us and hope some of you will get to visit!!! 

Sale of our house: We are thankful to have a great realtor who is also our friend!  Our house officially sold yesterday and it is such a relief.  Thank you, Mark, for all of your extra help while we couldn’t be there to take care of things!!! 

Boating: While the only boating we are doing here currently is hopping on a ferry as part of our transportation around the city, it is still boating and I’m thankful for it!  Because of boating we have made a large group of great friends who can never be replaced.  We have enjoyed the relaxing, the dancing, the wakeboarding, the floating, and the craziness of our last several summers with you. Looking forward to more…

Friends: I am thankful for my high school friends, my college friends, my teacher friends, my race friends, friends I met through Luke, and the friends I have met along the way in other parts of my life.  Each of you holds a special place in my heart and I am thankful that you keep me in your lives while I am gone and thankful that it doesn’t matter where we are…you help me get through days like today!  Start planning your visits over here!  Freeman's- you are already on the books! 

Babies: I am thankful for all children, but babies are some of my favorite!  We are so happy that many of our friends have a sweet little baby or have another one on the way. Thank you for letting me spend time with them! 

Teachers: I am proud to be one and thankful that I have had many amazing teachers in the past and worked with some of the best around!  Thank you for what you do and for being such an important part of each person’s life, especially mine!  J  MISS YOU!! (and principal and secretaries!!!!!)

Job: While I am currently unemployed, I still am thankful for the job I used to have and the knowledge and experiences I have because of it. I am thankful for Luke’s job though they keep him more busy than I would like…but glad he enjoys it and it allows me to be sitting in this coffee shop pouring my heart out to you all!  ;)

Technology: cameras, Internet, Google Chat, Flip video camera, Facebook- without you, living in Australia would be so much different.  I’m so glad we can keep in touch and I’ve been able to reconnect with so many people because of Facebook who have helped with my transition here. 

A Chance for Children 5K: Beth, I am so thankful that you are such an unselfish and giving person who understands me more than most!  Thank you for taking over our special event and continuing to raise money for something near and dear to me.  I appreciate our amazing committee members for your endless work year round and making our event a success each year. 

Good Health: I am thankful for our health and that it allows us to walk miles and miles (I mean kilometers and kilometers) every day to get where we are going. 

Opportunity and Patience: I am thankful that I have been given the trait of patience though it gets more difficult some days.  That’s where opportunity comes in…I’m aware of the opportunity for us here to grow, to learn, and to explore and I will continue to be patient when everything doesn’t go as planned or on the same timeline as I have had planned.  I realize that is no longer the case. 

Husband: Although I know I tell him daily that I love him and appreciate him, I am more thankful for him each day.  He puts up with me on cranky, sad days like today, goes out of his way to make sure EVERY little detail is perfect so that I’m not cranky and sad, and works extra hard at his job so that for the first time in my life I can sit down and drink coffee and stop going a million miles a minute.  I am thankful for what you have taught me and what we will learn as we grow old together!

WOW!!  Are you still out there?  Sorry, I needed that and I feel much better!  I think I said “lucky, thankful, and fortunate” a lot…because I am.  Thank you for listening and being part of what I am thankful for!

“Crying??? There’s no crying in…AUSTRALIA!!!”  J  Love you all!