Thanksgiving

Yvonne made Butternut Squash soup that was amazing!

This year I have to work on all the holidays.  The group home I work at is a 24-hour residential facility, and many of the clients do not get to go home for the holidays. So instead we take them out to a buffet restaurant and to a movie, which is how I spent this Thanksgiving Day. It was a nice time with the clients, and really the whole weekend was pretty fun with them, since it was the holidays it lightened the mood of the place. As hard as it is to miss out on family time over the holidays, and to be living so far away from all my family, it felt purposeful to be with the clients who also could not be with their families. We were able to make their weekend as festive as possible, with hot chocolate, fires in the fireplace, and cookie making. 

Brian was invited over to many houses for Thanksgiving, and he ended up joining the first family who asked him. He had a good time with them and was able to feel the warmth and cheer of the season. In addition, a nice couple from church, Stan and Yvonne, wanted to share some holiday joy with us as well. So on Sunday they had us over along with a second cousin and his wife, who are around our age. They cooked a whole Thanksgiving meal for us, which we got to all help with. It was very festive and fun, complete with a game of bocce ball in the yard before dinner. It was wonderful that Stan and Yvonne remembered us for the holidays, and created a holiday meal for us at a time when I could join and didn't have to work.  I am very thankful for their thoughtfulness and generosity!

Stan cutting the big delicious Turkey!

 

Adam and Abby, originally from MN, now living in West Hollywood (Yvonne is in the background)