Happy Thanksgiving!

I didn't post last week.  I have to admit that it was a little hard for me to be away for Thanksgiving.  It was one of those days where I felt completely misplaced in the world.  It was life as usual here in Oz on Thursday.  Sean went to work, Carter went to school, and Aubrey and I went to playgroup.  I made a nice dinner that night.  Not a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but a chicken dish we all enjoy.  Then, Sean left to go see the new James Bond movie with a friend.  The kids and I stayed home and made paper turkeys out of our handprints.  It was such an oddly normal day.

Carter and Aubrey's handprint turkeys

Luckily, my funk only lasted one day.  Friday morning I got up and talked to my family in the middle of their Thanksgiving festivities thanks to FaceTime on my iPad.  Modern technology is one of the many things I am thankful for.  It has made this move to Australia so much better for me.  I would be much more homesick if technology were just 10 years behind where it is today.  Ten years ago I could not have had a face to face conversation with my family members from almost 9000 miles away.  Ten years ago I could not keep up with my family and friends over Facebook and many connections would just be "lost".  If I did not have these means of communication, I would really feel like I am "missing out" on all my family and friends' lives back in the US.  I know it has made a huge difference in my happiness level while living away from them.  

We got together with some other American friends at the beach on Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving.  None of us really felt like going through the hassle of making a turkey, so we had turkey sandwiches.  But, with some of the traditional sides and pumpkin pie, it made for a very nice, low key meal.  And, it was a sunny 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius), so it was great beach weather.  We all ate and then the kids played games and went swimming while the adults sat back and relaxed.  It may not have felt quite like our normal holiday, but I will never complain about a day like that.

Aubrey helping me cook.  Maybe we should all wear swimming googles when we cook; you never know what may splash in your eyes. 

There was free face painting when we got to the beach.  So, Aubrey changed from swimming queen to glamorous kitty cat.

The remains of our Thanksgiving meal.  (I forgot to take a picture until my tummy was full.)

The kids are playing with our neighbors' teenage daughters out in the water.

We saw a huge cruise ship going past the beach as it was headed out of the harbour.

Sean and I often discuss all the expensive sports cars we see driving in our neighborhood of Mosman.  Since Sean and the kids love cars, this is kind of a treat for them.  When we were driving home from the beach (in our Ford Fiesta), I decided to take a picture of the Ferrari in front of us.  After I snapped the shot, Sean made a comment about the Lamborghini that passed us in the other lane.  I checked the picture I had just taken, and I got them both.  If there had just been an Aston Martin in the lane on the left, the picture would have been complete.

"Just another day in Mosman"

I will leave this blogpost with an awesome picture I took last week when Carter and I went for a run and ended up at Georges Heights Overlook at sunset.  It is a peaceful spot to reflect on all the amazing blessings we have been given.  We are so lucky.