So much to be thankful for.

There is no shortage of life changing and life sustaining things to be thankful for.  Yes, we live in the Middle East, and for that I am thankful.  I'm thankful for our time in the Philippines, our time in the U.S., our time in India, our time here, and even our time in Togo.  We still talk about Togo a lot and most often it's about the good times we had there. 

I'm thankful that no matter where we live, we have each other.  So far, we have never been separated for a holiday.  That may change.  That will change.  But for our family life so far, we have always been together, for every birthday, every Christmas, every Thanksgiving.  Some year Ian may do an Unaccompanied Tour.  And in 18 months we start losing children to the great wide world. Thanksgivings truly won't ever be the same again.

I'm thankful my husband works in a job he loves, and with that we live where we live, the kids go to schools that challenge them, and our daily experiences are ones that shape each one of us in ways we won't fully understand until we're old and gray. 

I'm thankful my parents are as involved in our lives as they can be.  We write snailmail letters back and forth, because nothing is more wonderful than getting real mail.  We Skype when we can though not as frequently as we'd like.  No matter what happens, they are there to support us.  We have never been evacuated, for that we are thankful, yet if we were we have a place to stay.  We are grateful for them.

I'm thankful that we have always had enough, and more, food for our family. This Thanksgiving was no exception.  Of course I cheated.  The turkey was made by the Embassy kitchen, as was the pumpkin pie.  The cranberry sauce came out of a can.  The dressing, cornbread muffins, and au gratin potatoes came from boxes.  The gravy was instant.  Only the green beans and carrots were homemade, and honestly they were my least favorite parts of the meal.  But that's OK.

We had an appetizer time beforehand.  Deviled eggs, something we'd never made before.  I think that might have been what tried to poison Ian.  No one else came down ill after dinner, but he thinks the eggs did it.  Camembert, white cheddar, and pate' with garlic crackers rounded out the starter and it was a nice way to start the feasting.  I'm thankful for healthy food.  When making the deviled eggs a single egg floated to the top and out it went.

I'm thankful for beautiful things that are also useful.  The metal plates, bowls and cups from India make me smile. The table covering from South America was given to us by friends.  These things remind me of good times and friends.  I'm thankful for good friends, long-time friends, who are few and far between, for they are one of the most beautiful things in the world.  In our lifestyle, fast friends are quick and often born out of convenience and necessity.  These have a place as well that we are thankful for, but it is the friendships that last beyond the year, beyond the post, that we truly treasure.

Our health is something we never take for granted.  We all have our issues but none that we have not or cannot overcome.  We are thankful to live in a place with good healthcare.  Nicholas sees an orthodontist, Jonathon saw the dermatologist, Katherine sees her doctors, an xray is a phone call away, and pharmacies are everywhere.  When things go badly

We're thankful for our little furry family members.  They create such a mess, are beggars, and are quite irritating in the middle of the night, but it's all good when they curl up on a lap and drop into a dozy purring puddle.  (I couldn't help sharing some turkey and leftover pate'.  I know,  I know, I'm teaching very bad habits.)

Thanksgiving.  It's worth doing every day of the year.  After all, it does not take being happy to be thankful.  Rather, it is being thankful that makes us happy. I read that somewhere, and yeah, it applies.

Happy Thanksgiving friends and family.