HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I’ve had a lot of people ask me if they celebrate Thanksgiving here in China. Let me just answer all those questions from the get go. No, they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. No, there isn’t turkey here. Yes, it’s possible to get it, but not around Weihai. If we were in a big city like Beijing we could probably buy an imported Butterball or something, but they usually cost around $75 (USD, not Yuan). Yikes!
We taught like any other day on Thursday. I taught my kids all about family and Thanksgiving. I brought my computer so I could show my kids pictures of my family and Thanksgiving dinner. They LOVED that! :) And I loved teaching them about it! They kept calling my family beautiful and I’d have to say I agree! I love my family! When I showed them pictures of Thanksgiving dinner they went nuts! I think they would quite enjoy the holiday! Eating way too much delicious food... what’s not to love?! I also had the opportunity to introduce them to a great American tradition: handprint turkeys!!! :) It was quite a blast. My kids get so excited and it’s so fun to teach them! :)
My kids making turkeys!
That night our little group of Americans celebrated Thanksgiving. It definitely wasn’t a typical or traditional Thanksgiving Dinner! We went to a little nearby restaurant. We had a whole lot of stereotypical Chinese food. It wasn’t turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pie, and all the other things you would normally associate with Thanksgiving, but it was still delicious. Emily’s parents recently moved to Beijing, so they joined us for the Holiday. It was so fun to have them with us. Emily was making us all a little jealous as she laid her head on her dad’s shoulder and her mom gave her a back scratch! We were all especially missing our families! Brother and Sister Latimer were awesome though! They brought us candy and oreos for dessert, so we did get a little taste of America on Thanksgiving! :) And then they went above and beyond and paid for all of our dinners! It was so kind of them! Thanks again, Brother and Sister Latimer! :D
The 3 of us at dinner!
Our table at dinner. This wasn't even all of us!
Even though the food itself wasn’t typical, the atmosphere was! We went around the dinner table and played the ABC game... the one where you say something you’re thankful for that starts with that letter of the alphabet. I love the way Thanksgiving makes you realize how very much we all have to be grateful for! We talked and laughed and though we’re not technically family it sure felt like it! These guys have all become like family to me!
On Friday morning (Thursday back at home) I got to talk to my family! Thanksgiving was at my house this year, so I got to see my mom, dad, brother, sister, brother in law, and all my extended family that lives in Utah (mom’s side). That was so nice!! :) I love my family so much! I’m really glad I could be able to talk to them. My cousin Annalise brought some friends with her who had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving. They are from China. So I was talking to these Chinese people at my house from China... It was pretty ironic!! :) It’s amazing how being away from my family has helped me realize how strong and important family bonds and ties really are! On Saturday I got to talk to the Hilton’s- my cousins from Nevada. That was so fun as well! Even Maggie joined in the conversation! :) I love my family!!
On Sunday a group of us pulled our resources together and made our own little Thanksgiving dinner. We has stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, biscuits, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and Spam turkey (which surprisingly wasn’t that bad!) We even has a little spice cake for desert! :) It was delicious!!
Here we are with our classy Thanksgiving dinner on our silver trays! Kayla decorated the table and everything!
Being in China has really opened my eyes to a lot of things. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how blessed I am! I am so thankful for the many things I’ve been blessed with. I have been given so much. I know that where much is given much is required! I hope I can remember that and be a blessing to those around me. These are some of the things I’ve really come to appreciate while I’ve been in China:
-the technology that allows us to communicate and connect with one another
-washers and dryers
-soft beds and pillows
-heaters!!
-peanut butter. I would have died without it here! I’ve discovered it goes good with ANYTHING! (...even rice. But ironically I learned that BEFORE coming to China!)
-dairy products
-my home (carpet, couches, tables, dishwashers, ovens... everything!)
-the bathrooms in the US!
-the US government and the freedoms we have
-religious freedom!
-the beautiful smell of America
-the education I received and the wonderful teachers I had!
-traffic laws
-the temple
-my membership in the church! The support I’ve had from the church has been so sustaining. And the gift of the Holy Ghost has been SO important in comforting, protecting, and guiding us!
-my amazing friends who are always there for me!
-my loving family that has supported me through everything!
-my Savior! He truly knows me, loves me, and blesses me!
I think this is the first Thanksgiving that I’ve TRULY caught the spirit of gratitude! I hope that I can remember how blessed I am and keep that spirit with me when I come home! I hope everyone had as happy a Thanksgiving as I did! :)
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