Tuesday 6 December 2011

Thanksgiving & Getting ready for Christmas!

Four days after our trip to the Great Barrier Reef, it was Thanksgiving. Since Stan was working down in Melbourne we postponed the feast until Sunday (which we seem to do every year). We celebrated again with the Stemple family and their guests and it was amazing! Deanne is a fabulous cook (her husband is America) and she is Australian but does it all--Turkey, pie, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce etc. She is our friend from school. We even had to say what we are thankful for and eating outside on the veranda while the jacaranda petals fell (because it is spring here) made me feel so calm and relaxed.

I don't know why but for some reason I was feeling homesick for my first time since being abroad in 5 years. We missed Halloween because we were in New Zealand and Thanksgiving came and went and with the heat of summer coming on, I was not in the mood to unpack Christmas decorations. After Deanne invited us over for Thanksgiving I totally snapped into the Christmas mood and I am sure it was because I had Thanksgiving dinner. It is hard to grow up with certain holidays strung together and then to just not have them, makes it hard sometimes....I know, all mental right? Either way--Thank you Deanne!!

After Thanksgiving I was in "the mood" and got out the Christmas decorations--
Thoma's awful attempt at smiling these days....
Mary showing off our Christmas ornament from 08' when we first moved to Sydney.
Decorating the tree!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!

1 comment:

The Francis Family said...

Merry Christmas! I'm glad it's starting to feel like it! I love you! Oh, and you should watch Elf--I think it's pretty funny!