Of Things That Matter Most: Thanksgiving

When I woke up this morning I couldn't help but think of where I was and what I was doing last year on this special holiday. It is impossible for me to forget the Thanksgiving dinner I had at Familie Koot's home. It was amazing! Since Karina's mom is American, she grew up celebrating Thanksgiving. She is made it a special tradition to invite the missionaries over on Thanksgiving. Karina and Sander had spent their whole day in the kitchen making sure we would have all of the fixings. It was absolutely delicious! But the part I remember most wasn't the food, it was the feeling of gratitude that flooded into their home. After dinner we all sat in their living room and we each took the opportunity to say what we were thankful for. It was so memorable!

All of the missionaries in Den Haag at the time: Elder Wells, Elder Bastian, Elder Favero, Elder Hawkley, and Zuster Pierson.

Because I wanted pumpkin pie so badly after not having it for two years, I decided I was going to make my own from scratch! You can't buy pumpkin in a can in the Netherlands, so I bought a pumpkin and figured out how to turn it into pumpkin pie. It was fun to share something American with the people over there.

I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving for a couple of months now. Thanksgiving in my mind is such a warm and happy holiday. It is a time to reflect on blessings. It is a time to be together with family. It is a time to laugh and play. We planned things a little differently this year. We had a smaller group (still a group of 32) than normal for the actual dinner so we did it at home instead of at my dad's shop. Since most of my immediate family members and nieces and nephews were at their in-laws homes we are just going to extend Thanksgiving and have a big bash on Saturday with everyone. Why not make the party longer?! We had dinner at 2 today and then played games and had a great time conversing. My favorite food of the whole day was Marianne's yams....ABSOLUTELY DIVINE! Everything was really good. It was a special day and I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with my family. I am thankful for all of my blessings, especially the restored gospel. I hope you enjoy the pictures! And for all of you Black Friday shoppers, good luck! You must have a lot of energy to be able to go out! I hope you find what you are looking for!