Thankful

I don't come from a very big family and in our many years overseas, my parents and sister were the only family with which to celebrate holidays. Due to the parents living overseas, medical school in MN, the craziness of residency, marrying a Californian and living on the "best" coast 3,000 miles away, I don't get back to Virginia very much at all or see them more than once or twice a year (the last time I was here was about a year and a half ago).  And while it generally takes a lot of maneuvering to be able to come "home" for holidays (coordinating with a working husband and his family, asking for days off clinic and making it up by working extra clinics on my traditional days off, asking [with quite a bit of guilt] for call coverage for a good stretch, driving 5+ hours to an airport, and flying 5+ hours [this time on a red-eye]), it is totally worth it. I'm jealous of everyone that lives close to their family and for whom this coordination is unnecessary, but I'm incredibly thankful to have been able to spend Thanksgiving Day this year at "home" with my parents, future brother-in-law Marco (in town from Albania), and godparents John and Inara. 

Mom and Dad cooked a wonderful spread of turkey, stuffing, yams, corn casserole, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Marco (who will now have many more American Thanksgivings to look forward to!)

 gets ready to load up his plate

 

the dinner spread (sans Dad and K, the photographer)

 

Sistahs

 (Pepper obviously came along to visit the mid-Atlantic!)

 

Pep seems to like her Virginia guesthouse

 Inara, the best Godmother in the world

with Inara and John

Duncan ("Uncle") took over Pepper's bed-- he and the niece are getting along quite well!

 

 Feeling blessed.