Thanksgiving Thoughts

As Thanksgiving approached, I began to think of all the things I have to be thankful for. When we stop and really think about it, it's amazing all the things that we can thank God for. I thought I'd share my thoughts with you on Thanksgiving Day.

I'm most thankful for my amazing husband. Daniel has been a blessing in my life and I'm so grateful that God brought us together.
I'm thankful for family and that they are healthy and doing well. I'm grateful that, even though we are halfway across the country or world we have the technology to stay in contact through phone, email and skype.
I'm thankful for friends. I'm especially thankful for the new friendships that we have built over the last few months. They have made me feel more at home and have been a blessing to me.
I'm thankful for a wonderful new church home. It is great to feel so welcome and accepted by the Family of God.
I'm thankful for good health for both Daniel and me.
I'm thankful for God's provisions. He has been faithful and has provided Daniel with a permanent job. We feel very blessed that he has found a wonderful position, especially in this economy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rockport

Since Veteran's Day is a Federal Holiday, Daniel had the day off today. We chose Rockport as our destination for the day. It is a great little New England village on Cape Ann. We parked on the edge of the historical district and walked down to the waterfront. On Bearskin Neck we found "Motif No. 1", the most painted building in the world. From there we wandered through the narrow streets, visiting shops and taking pictures. We ate lunch at the Red Skiff Restaurant, which is a tiny little place near the water. They had great fish and chips! Daniel and I also decided to check out Halibut Point State Park, just north of Rockport. There are many little walking paths that lead to the ocean. We found an old granite quarry and a renovated World War II fire-control tower, which unfortunately was closed today. Daniel and I agreed that we must return to the park in warmer weather to do more exploring. Rockport is also a do-over!

It's Official!

On Friday, Daniel received a very important piece of paper in the mail from Hamline University. His diploma finally arrived! He has now officially completed his Master's Degree. What a great accomplishment!

Fall in New England

I am completely amazed by the beautiful colors of the leaves in our area. Daniel and I agree that the leaves appear much brighter here than in Minnesota. We've never seen such brilliant reds and oranges before! I want to share some pictures that I've taken over the past couple of weeks. I have to say that photos don't do justice to the incredible views we've seen. We're now past peak and many of the trees have lost their leaves.

Orlando

Last week Daniel attended a conference in Orlando. I was able to travel with him and enjoy a few days of vacation in the sun! We stayed at a very nice resort, with two swimming pools, a lazy river and walking paths along the 9 hole golf course. I thought I'd share a few photos from the week.

Family Time

Daniel and I soaked up the opportunities to spend time with family over the course of our trip to Minneapolis. We watched the Twins and Vikings games together and celebrated birthdays and Canadian Thanksgiving (in honor of Ryan, who is Canadian). I also really enjoyed hanging out with both Daniel's family and my family. It was great having everyone all together again. It's really wonderful that everyone gets along so well. I know that's not always the case and I feel really blessed.

Miriam

While we were home, Daniel and I had a wonderful time hanging out with our 14 month old niece, Miriam. I thought I'd share a few snapshots of our time together.