Happy TuRkEy Day!

November 25, 2010 Thanksgiving Day 

Jenni and I shared a delicious Thanksgiving dinner together on a rainy night in Australia.  Since turkey is not easy to come by here we had two of our favs...pizza and wine!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  ~William Arthur Ward

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

On this 25th day of November in the year 2010 I am thankful for many things. It is ironic to say "I am the luckiest girl I know" and actually feel that I AM the luckiest girl I know.  When it comes to friends and family I definitely have the best there is!  

To Jenni, thank you for being my travel partner and confidant.  You have been so supportive and I feel very lucky to have you by my side during this exciting and life changing experience.  We will NOT look back in 30 years and say "I wish I would have traveled."  Thank you for living out your dreams with me.  Thank you.

To all my friends, you know who you are because you are most likely reading this blog.  Thank you for always being there though thick and thin.  Thank you for all the laughs and tears and all the fun. Thanks for putting up with me when I am loud and crazy and just laughing with me instead of at me ;) I can truly say that if I never make another friend that I am perfectly blessed with you all in my life!  Thank you.

To my family, I definitely believe that the man I marry will be lucky to marry into my family!  I am so proud of my family and feel so blessed to have such loving and benevolent people in my life.  Thank you all for your support and generosity while traveling.  I hope you all eat lots of yummy food at Aunt Jeanne's. Enough for you and me! I love you all.  Thank you.

To Kristin and Devin, one of the luckiest days of my life, or as a German guy I met in a hostel in Australia would call it, "destiny", was when I waited on "the cute blonde family" at Hideaway.  I am so grateful to have you in my life and hope that I will have such a loving family as you do one day.  I can't even say "thank you" enough for everything you have done for me and have been there for.  Everything from the fun Vegas trips and "special treats" to the nights of bonding tears and life talks :)  You two are family to me and always will be.   Thank you.

To Noah and Olivia,  you are the sweetest, most thoughtful, funniest, kids and I am so happy that I have been able to be a part of your family.  I miss you both a lot and will always be your "miss Candy"  ;)  If my kids are even half as AwEsOmE as you two are, then I will be the luckiest mommy in the whole world.  I love you two in a circle ;)  Thank you for all the laughs and fun times you have given me.  Thank you.

To my Mom and Dad,  where do I even begin.....To start, Thank you.  I will never be able to show you the thanks that my heart feels.  Mom, you are my angel sent to me from Heaven.  You are my mother and my friend.  I can share stories with you and talk to you as if we were old friends, yet you are the only person who can put me back in my place and guide me in the right direction.  I thank you for that.  Dad, you are my Hero and my best friend.  I look like you, I am stubborn like you, I think cars are not frivolous things like you ;), I love watching movies like you, and I am proud to call you My Dad for so many reasons that I can not express through words.  You two are the hardest workers, yet the most selfless people I have ever known, and I am so proud of you both.  Thank you for molding me in to the young woman I am today.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my loved ones.  I am sending my "thanks" to you from 9,000 miles away from home!