Thanksgiving 2014

So this past Saturday was the annual Cape Town Thanksgiving Feast, the 3rd I have been involved with now. It is usually organised and co-ordinated by a group of 3 Americans. A and his friends K & C. All three had babies in August though (all conceived around Thanksgiving last year actually!) and K has now moved back to the states. So this year there was A and C. C decided coordinating Thanksgiving was more than she could manage this year. A really wanted it to go ahead though, as he feels we all have much to be thankful for this year - he is right - and he of course wanted a chance to show off his pride and joy, baby N!

So despite me having ALSO just had a baby, going back to work at a new job, fixing up and renting out my house, the boys writing exams, and having my sister convalescing with us after an op, and various other house guests etc etc, it somehow befell on me to be in charge of co-ordinating the Thanksgiving feast this year. YIKES. We did at least agree to have a more sensible and manageable group size limited to about 30-35 people rather than the usual 50-60.

To say the last month has been hectically busy would be an understatement.

But everything culminated on Saturday when I got the tenant in my house and then the big fest followed later in the afternoon.

It was a fabulously fun, festive, merry, event filled with friends and loved ones, with no less than 3 turkeys, loads of salads, breads, green bean casserole, pecan topped candied sweet potatoes, potato bake, apple pie, chocolate brownies and ice-cream etc. Even though it was a late lunch I think our last guests left at about 11pm. I would consider that a great success.

As has become traditional A gives a speech to the assembled crowd explaining the origins of Thanksgiving and then the floor is opened to allow anyone who wishes to the chance to publicly express their thanks for whatever they feel compelled to. 

This year I feel so very thankful and so I did a thorough giving of thanks as per below.

I quite quite emotional about it actually.

It was a wonderful day and such a fantastic celebration and reminder of just how much we have and how good life is.

"In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy."

“There is always something to be thankful for!”

I have much to be happy and thankful for especially this year!

I dubbed this year my year of 40, as I turned 40 this year, and had the most amazing 40-week pregnancy and birth journey starting exactly a year ago and resulting in the little miracle who is exactly 3-months old today.

I am thankful for having had the chance to have another pregnancy and birth, which was just how I’d dreamed it would be. The birth was phenomenal and everything I ever wished for. I couldn't have planned it any better and I wouldn't change anything about it. It was perfect and so special and meaningful to me. My birth experiences have been profound highlights in my life and they have given me that which I am most grateful for…

I am thankful for, my precious, wonderful, beautiful boys. They all bring me joy, fun, laughter, love and happiness. They are my life’s work and I hope they will grow up with fond memories of me and their childhoods.

- Quinn & Griffin I know it has been quite a tough year for you, with a lot of changes and challenges as you are both growing up, and finding yourselves and your place in the world. And also because of the journey I placed us on. Thank-you for being patient, supportive and so very helpful to me. I love you.

- Baby Nathaniel (or Thor) who is the sweetest, easiest and baby. I never thought I would get to be involved closely with him, and didn’t even think I would want to go through the new-born phase again, but what a blessing and privilege it has been. I have enjoyed everything about him.

I am thankful for, A. Who has been truly amazing and remarkable. He is so kind and generous in a multitude of ways, and has given me the opportunity to see and experience wondrous things. To travel and have adventures in amazing places and meet incredible people. It has been an amazing journey, and it has been a real privilege and treat to experience someone so mature, aware and easy to get along with. It’s thanks to him that I get to experience the life adventure I am on now. Which has been bigger and better than I imagined. A is a very relaxed and natural dad, and it has been wonderful to see him adapt to parenthood so easily and seamlessly. I knew he would be a good dad, and I knew he deserved to be a dad, but I didn’t expect that he would take to it so quite so fast and expertly. He is an inspiration in many ways.

Life is good. I am truly thankful!