Happy Thanksgiving!

Although we were missing family and friends, we somehow managed to have two Thanksgiving dinners without making a single turkey!

On Thanksgiving Day, Claire and I went out to the mall for shopping and lunch with the babies. We realized that missing Thanksgiving really didn't feel nearly as bad as we thought it might since no one here is celebrating. It really just seemed like an ordinary day... which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it I suppose. We did have fun shopping and got "elephant" hats for the babies to keep warm on these cold days... I also found the necessary ingredients to make my two pies--one pecan and one pumpkin (of course!). Making the pies wasn't nearly as easy as in the states since we couldn't find shelled pecans or refrigerated pie dough and paid $5 for a small can of pumpkin! In the end, both pies turned out yummy--hurrah!

Anyway, Friday night Jared's boss Kristian and his wife, Pernille, had us out for Thanksgiving dinner. They lived in NYC for a few years, but it was actually their first Thanksgiving dinner and the first time they had made a turkey. I brought a pecan pie and Homesteader Cornbread (yum!). Everything was delicious! The funniest part for us was that Pernille kept saying that Kristian was going to "chop up" the turkey! They also just put it out on the table with the stuffing inside and everything, but in the end Jared took over and carved the turkey and unstuffed the bird, which was wonderful. A good time was had by all and we were all totally stuffed--a sucessful Thanksgiving dinner!

Saturday evening we were invited to our neighbor, Mike & Christina's, home for a BIG dinner including some Danes and ex-pats from around the world. Everyone brought something and the dinner and conversation was wonderful! Ruby was a bit exhausted having several late nights in a row, but the nice thing about this dinner was that we were able to walk on home when we (or she) was ready to hit the sack.

We have been so blessed to have met so many friends here. People have just accepted us and brought us into their lives so openly. Jared and I are just so thankful for all of our family and friends in the US who have been praying faithfully for us! Things are going so much better here than we ever could have imagined--the perfect job, a cozy home, a wonderful new church home, and new friends. God truly knows best! It feels so good having taken that leap of faith and now enjoying all of the special blessings He has for our family.