day 9

thanksgiving feast @ the bowlin's. 1st thanksgiving for 8 out of ten in attendance.

i just realized this fact before dinner tonight. 1st for averie because it is her first year of life but also for all the kiwi's. it made all the old traditions and foods that i am so familiar with seem new and exciting. stringing popcorn with the read girls, cail and joanne. eating sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie as if it were for the first time. it helped the day be as special even so far from home.

menu american and kiwi

becca brought...
turkey(thanks to the great hunter josh!!!! some of the best meat i have ever had by the way)
cranberry sauce
wild rice stuffing
green beans
sweet potatoes
corn bread/ corn bread casserole
pumpkin pie (not the one pictured above i am not that good)

dione brought...
salad greens with red cherry tomatoes (beautiful and festive)
mixed veggies
honey glazed carrots
maori potatoes (purple inside)
pavlova with kiwi fruit
cranberry spice muffins

ryleigh brought..
frozed chocolate dipped bananas (yum yum, averie really liked chewing on them!!!)

if i have forgotten anything, rest assured our tummies didn't miss out. we had fun eating and sharing the things we were most thankful for. oh, we all had fancy glasses to drink out of (picture later) so joanne brought along some sparkling grape juice and we all made up toasts. afterwards all us girls did the dishes, jonathan slept on the couch, and dione looked after the babies. it was just like it would have been back home. all the family hanging out, no hurry to get anywhere and enjoying each others company!!! thanks to my american family for building these traditions into my life, and thanks to my kiwi family for sharing them with me this year.

there were only a few tears today over missed family members (spread out over a couple countries). i was surprisingly able to hold myself together and still have a fun day. thank-you Jesus for the strength of emotions today. now for tomorrow when it really is thanksgiving back home. i will wish them all a happy one, share my happy stories from here and enjoy another yummy meal. this time with americans who have all experienced it before. still just as much fun and hopefully just as much food.

off to take a nap....