Thanks to a few days off from class and a generous invitation from Dave's family, I went on a trip to New Jersey and visited Dave's Aunt Celeste and Uncle Mike in Princeton Station. We spent a couple of very chill and fun days with his immediate and extended family. In classic Thanksgiving tradition, there was a lot of great food, plenty of games, and even organized competitions for pool, ping-pong, and fooseball champions. It's almost inspiring to see a family as competitive (well maybe not quite as competitive) as mine. We watched some football (complete with Dave's dad Marc continuing his attempts to convert me to Cowboy fanship), saw some great movies, and had a great time just hanging out and getting to know what everyone had been up to. Dave's family was incredibly open and welcoming and despite the lack of studying and my gigantic report that was due right after we got back to Syracuse, I thoroughly enjoyed the time off alongside great company. We also got to spend a day in NYC but I'll be showing that in a separate entry...Sadly, I got seriously sick on the drive home and am still nursing the sore throat and congested sinuses that resulted. But, thankfully, it didn't hit me until Saturday morning and we spent most of the day driving back so I got to sleep in the backseat and didn't miss any of the party. Here are some highlights:
The whole gang playing cards.
Check out the food!! And, if you look beneath the scrumptious selection, you'll also see the beautiful granite countertops, part of the newly remodeled kitchen.
Not only was there turkey and all the trimmings, but Dave's mom Kathy provided this amazing caramel cheesecake, one of many amazing desserts. I think we all gained at least a couple pounds that weekend...
Mike, a constant jokester and life of the party whipped out his extending fork to sample the plates around him. Good times.
Dave and I relaxing and enjoying the time off.
The most important part of Thanksgiving of course is remembering what we are thankful for. I, for one, know that I have been greatly blessed and I am happy to be able to recognize those blessings. So, while this list can by no means be comprehensive and I could continue listing in much greater detail for a long time, I do want to highlight some of the greater blessings from this year.
I'm grateful for (in no particular order):
Good friends, especially those in foreign lands that accepted me into their culture and aided me in my research, my travels, and my personal trials.
Education, particularly the language skills that have opened the doors for my future career and past experiences. And, going along with that, I'm grateful for graduating this year! And, more recently, thankful for the new skills I'm acquiring in my graduate program.
Family, both my immediate family and ancestors that have left good examples for me to follow. This year I gained another niece while I was slaving away at my first semester of graduate school and I got to meet her in October. I am grateful for my growing family and also for my future family which motivates me to keep studying and keep developing myself so that I can be a good mother someday.
Safety and Security. Coming back from Paraguay this year, I realize again just how blessed we are to live in a country where you can trust the cops, don't have to bribe everybody, have safe roads and safe sidewalks, and where justice and the law are respected. Along with that, I'm grateful for a warm bed and a clean dry home to stay in every night.
Most importantly of all, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to know that God lives and that His son Jesus Christ truly did sacrifice himself so that we could return to our Heavenly Father someday. This knowledge directs my entire life and provides perspective for all the other wonderful blessings in my life that come from God.
Again, the list could go on, but I at least wanted to highlight some of what I feel at this reflective time of year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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