While you were all enjoying your wonderfully tasty Thanksgiving dinners and watching football, and bundling up from the cold-------------this is what we were doing.
We were swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and in the fresh water lagoon by it, and laying out in the sun, and collecting shells, and making sand castles, and playing water Frisbee (should I stop? Are you groaning? Ha ha). I am sending you pictures in a separate email.
Garth and I decided that since the kids did not have school today we should all go to the beach. So we took all of the dorm kids and a few extra and loaded up and were off before 8:00 a.m. We got back home around 5:00 so it was a fun filled day.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (Thursday) so that we could go to the beach today. I am so thankful that the meal turned out. I cooked the turkey completely frozen-straight from the freezer to the oven. I read about it on line and I was very pleased with how it turned out. We had all the normal American trimmings Indonesian style-sweet potatoes (they were purple), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, cranberries, corn, green beans, jell-o (you have to eat jell-o quick here because it doesn’t stay gelled because of the heat), apple pie, cherry pie, key lime pie (fresh limes just picked off the tree), fudge and a chocolate pudding dessert. We invited some people in the area and had a very nice celebration.
I asked my family today to list some of the things that they were thankful for. Here is what they said:
Cale said Dad, Mom, cows, and cats. Emma said Family, food and water, shoes and books, Jesus and God, and tetherball. Sophie said Dogs, and books, computers, and drawing pads, God and Bibles, family and mercy. Wyatt said Heaven, and wisdom, family and friends, my house, engines, Jesus and energy. Garth said salvation, family and friends, having a great wife, and health.
I was thinking about mine. I could have a very long list-and for sure, your names would be on it, but I am just going to write a few. I am really happy that I have hope. I know that God is working things out for my good, He cares about me, and has a plan for my life. He will never forget about me. When I am having a hard time, I know that He is there-He has given me a purpose in life. I know that my life here on Earth is not all-I have put my faith in Jesus and know that when I die I will spend forever with him in Heaven. Jesus is my hope. Second thing I am thankful for is family togetherness. I LOVE family and am always happy when we are together. I have been blessed with a fantastic family. The best actually in the whole, entire world. I am so thankful that God choose to put me in the family He did, to give me the kids He did, and for the husband that I have. What a joy! Third, I am thankful for celebrations. It is so fun to have things to look forward to. I am glad for holidays, and family events that make an ordinary day-extraordinary. Coming together to celebrate things bonds people together-(speaking of celebrations, it is Garth’s birthday tomorrow. So now that I have recovered from Thanksgiving, I can start thinking about that. Party! He wasn’t very happy that I made posters of him with silly pictures and put them up around the school here. Ha ha). And the last thing on my thankfulness list was communication. I am thrilled that I am able to keep in touch with all of you and that you can write to me. It would be extremely difficult to not have a way to communicate. Thank you to everyone that has written to me, emailed me, Sykped me, IMed me, sent me a message on Facebook, commented on our blog etc. YOU MADE MY DAY! I am so thankful for all of you.
Well, after a long day at the beach, I am ready for bed.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rachel
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