I was definitely homesick this past week over Thanksgiving. I think probably because they don’t celebrate it here, so there was none of the usual excitement and buildup like at home. It was strange to take Isaac to school that day, and to walk through the grocery store without seeing turkey decorations and displays of pumpkin pie filling and cranberries . It truly felt like we were far from home.

But we decided to make a thanksgiving meal anyway. We invited our neighbors who had lived in the states for about 10 years, and another family that lives near us too. Even though none of the guests were American (the men were both Irish and one woman was Spanish and the other Japanese), they were all excited to join our celebration. It was nice to have an excuse to prepare a big feast and to invite over guests and share some of our traditions.

We ordered a turkey from our local butcher, and we cooked stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, Mac and cheese, green beans, and corn bread muffins. One of the neighbors brought cranberry sauce and the other brought salad. I found some apple pies at a nearby bakery (and they had even made a little chocolate plaque that said happy thanksgiving, which was a nice touch). So all in all it was a delicious meal. We actually did it Friday instead of Thursday (so a day late), because Jeff took Friday off of work so that was a big help. Not the same as being at home, but I felt a sense of accomplishment at putting it together and getting everything cooked and ready. Here are a few pics

And here’s Rafi helping me grocery shop beforehand 🙂