giving thanks

I'm taking a break from posting about our last day in Sicily to appreciate and celebrate Thanksgiving and all we have to be thankful for.  I'll be back tomorrow posting about our last day, so don't stray too far!

In my family, before we eat our big Thanksgiving dinner, we all go around the table and say what we're thankful for.  We didn't do this with our guests last week, but it's one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions. The only rule is that you can't repeat what someone has already said.  This is great for the person who starts, but 15 people later and the last person has to get a little creative.  I always enjoy hearing the last person's thing because it usually is something quirky and creative.  Throughout this month, I've been posting little things that I'm thankful for, such as the commissary or my bed, all of which I'm extremely grateful for.

Coming to Turkey has deepened my appreciation for so many things and I have become even more grateful for the little comforts of life.  Every day, I'm thankful that I can have my Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast thanks to the commissary or watch the Today Show because we have the Armed Forces Network.  It makes moving across the world a million times easier. That being said, I would still survive without these little comforts.  I would find something to eat for breakfast and another way to fill my time.

While I am thankful for so many materialistic things, the "things" I'm most thankful for are not "things."  They are the experiences we've had thanks to the Olmsted Foundation, the people we've met in Turkey and most importantly, the people we miss so much back home.

Today, we're not eating turkey or mashed potatoes, but we're still extremely thankful.  We're thankful for our health and our safety, our parents who raised us, our siblings who kept us in check throughout the years and have become great friends, our friends who have become like siblings, and definitely for each other.

I got to FaceTime with my family as they literally passed me around the Thanksgiving table and I couldn't help to smile.  Here's a few shots of the people I miss and I'm so thankful for!


Some of us are better at technology than others....

Also, sorry Aunt Mary and Father Parke! I swear I took screenshots of you all, but they're missing!

"Sarah, now you know I'm not very computer literate."

Don't let this picture fool you, my grandfather is pretty tech savvy.  I just caught him at the wrong time.  I actually saw more of him than I did some of  my younger relatives.  Sorry Grandfather!

Happy Thanksgiving from two very grateful turkeys in Turkey!