ISE Thanksgiving

Today we gathered together with our fellow ISEs to celebrate our wonderful American holiday of Thanksgiving. We have lots to be thankful for this year and to be able to gather with the group made it feel a lot more like home. We came together at the village hall in small village outside of Peterborough that had plenty of space for the kids to play outside. We had all the traditional goodies and turkey...it was like being at a family dinner. The day was bittersweet as we were glad to be with with our ISE family, but we were also mourning the loss of Kevin's Grandma Alma Rasmussen who passed just the day before. We were trying to enjoy meeting new faces byt were longing to be with our family at that time. Grandma Ras was an amazing woman and we were lucky to have the opportunity to see her this past summer before we left. We knew we would potentially have things like this happen while being over here, but until you have to face it straight on and you can't image how helpless you feel. On the brighter side, she is now all around us and watching over us here. I told Kevin that she's now with Grandpa Ras and my Grandpa Dick and they are having a grand ole time.

To reflect a bit on what I'm thankful for this year...

1) To be blessed with a beautiful and healthy little girl who has truly changed Kevin's and my life is such a positive way
2) To have a family who loves us so much and supports us with all the crazy adventures we take on (AKA...moving to England)
3) Skype - this has been a life saving tool - the miracle of getting to "see" our family and them to see us makes us feel that there isn't a huge ocean between us
4) My husband - who takes on the challenge of working in a foreign place and having the strength and ambition to bring us here to the UK to live and experience a whole new world. Especially that he has allowed me to "retire" early in order to care for our daughter
5) TalkTalk international calling - I can pick up the phone anytime and call anyone back in the States and talk to those of you who actually pick up the phone after being scared off by the "restricted incoming call" on your caller ID.
6) Wonderful people (English, American, Malaysian, and more) who have accepted us into this country and have become wonderful friends and a great support