This Thanksgiving was our second in Japan. Last year we celebrated the holiday with about 20 other people at a friend's house. This year was a lot more low key. We were invited over to Mari and Chris's house along with Nancy and Maxwell and Greg, Kristin, and baby Madelyn. Greg and Kristin brought the Turkey, Nancy brought a few pies, I brought corn casserole and green bean casserole and an apple cobbler spice cake, and Mari had potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and beer bread, (which I had never tried before.) It was quite a feast. Lilia and Madelyn were both very good babies and Lilia even lasted in her outfit almost the entire time! We all sat together and talked about what we were thankful for this year and then we divided into teams and played games until it was time to get Lilia home. It was a really wonderful time and we are super grateful for friends that become family out here in Japan.
Along with good friends, Cliff and I have a tremendous amount to be grateful for this year. At the very top of our lists, of course, is our Lily bear. We are so grateful to have her in our lives. We are even more grateful that she is still here. After our scare this summer, each and every day is such a blessing. There are some nights when I am alone with her when she is nursing that I just feel overwhelmed by how big she is getting and how beautiful she is. I feel humbled that our Heavenly Father has entrusted her to our care and allowed us to watch over her. Following that line of thought, this year I have had a lot of time to really ponder the blessings of the Priesthood and especially in the context of healing and comfort. There first few nights that Lilia stayed in the hospital this summer we weren't sure that she would be there the next day. Priesthood blessings and my testimony of our Heavenly Father's plan for each of us were what sustained our family. I'm so grateful for my knowledge of the plan of salvation and for my Temple marriage. I'm grateful that families can be together forever. I'm grateful for a loving husband who is also my best friend. I'm so grateful for our beautiful little girl and for her health. Actually... I'm grateful that we are all healthy. It isn't something I take for granted anymore.
Cliff and I have also had an opportunity to make some very close friends here in Japan and I am extremely grateful for that. I am also grateful for the friends that I have back in the states that have made efforts to keep in touch. Their friendships are treasured and appreciated.
I am also grateful for a wonderful, loving, selfless mother. We added it all up and it turns out that she was here in Japan 120 days this past year. That is almost more than Cliff!! She gave up a lot to be with me and Lilia this summer. I am grateful to my Dad and my brother for going without her for so long. I'm grateful for my sister and how she makes an effort to stay in touch with us despite her ridiculous schedule.
I am grateful for Cliff's family too. His mother, especially, raised a wonderful son who has become an even better man.
I'll stop there. Needless to say, it has been a big year for us. We have an enormous amount to be grateful for. I've also found recently that focusing on the blessings in our lives really does help the negatives seem not soooo bad. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
