Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving. It is my FAVORITE holiday and I love that by living here in Belgium I get to spend it with people who have never experienced it before. This year I believe we are having 5 thanksgiving newbies! So fun! Mom-you would be proud- I am in charge of the turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin bread and delicious dessert!
Thankful for today: my lovely apartment, Christmas lights, candles that smell like apple pie, a comfy bed that I can fall into, photos, root beer, oven to bake things in, awesome parents who would do anything for me and come across an ocean to see me, sisters who love me even when I don't call, nieces and nephews who are some of the most amazing people in the world, memories, friends who let me stay at their place when I visit, games, sharpie pens, clicky pencils, gloves and hat on a cold day, Johnny Mathis Christmas music, Gram's potato stuffing, heaters, plane tickets, smiles and you-whoever is reading this of course:)
Have a GREAT THANKSGIVING!!

Too early for Christmas music?

This is the question I have had to ask myself over the past few weeks. Thanksgiving is not yet upon us but the weather is cold and dark and gloomy so what better to lift my spirits than a little Johnny Mathis or Bing Crosby? I have given in to the need for spirit lifting and begun to listen to Christmas music nonstop! It started last week when I had the girls over for breakfast-I put on some Johnny Mathis and it has not stopped. The pinacle was this week when the girls came over for breakfast- I not only played Charlie Brown Christmas music but lit lovely smelly candles on my mantle and pretty white ones in my fake fireplace. Made me just want to bake some cookies and hole up for the day!
So bring on the Christmas music!

new stuff

So the last few weeks have been busy-it seems like that is a common theme! 2 weeks ago we had our first NEW regional meeting in the Netherlands. Here is a pic of the "hat ladies" from the meeting. We decided that we were going to make a YL Int'l calendar-for recruitment purposes:)-we have a good beginning:)

We love our new region but keep wondering -why, if Portugal is part of our region, do we continue to have meetings in rainy, cold places?
Then last week I went to Germany to help out with a WyldLife weekend camp there. I was REALLY excited. Mostly because it meant getting to see and spend time with some really fun and awesome people! I did program at the camp-I was "Safety Stella" new york accent and all! For those of you that know me well- one of the highlights was that I got yet another YL t-shirt:) Adding to the wardrobe!
This coming week is thanksgiving- and you all know that it my FAVORITE holiday-who doesn't love food and hanging out with family(biological or not) without the pressures of gift buying that Christmas holds. Last year we did a YL team thanksgiving and I was very disappointed to find out that we would not be doing that this year. So we decided to do one with our friends but that is also kind of falling through - so Liesl and I MAY be making a drive down to Munich to join their team thanksgiving- that would be 3 years, 3 thanksgivings, 3 different countries for me:)
In other news- if you have not heard already- My friends and co-worker Liesl is moving back to the states at Christmas. YUK!!!!! It is going to be VERY sad coming back and not having her here but I am trying to avoid thinking about it until it is upon me-not sure if that's what the professionals would recommend but . . . SO the countdown is on-4 weeks!
Other fun news-I got an assignment at Malibu again for this summer- so I will be there the month of June!! Lovin' that!

Dublin and Real Halloween

Last week the schools here were on break so Liesl and I decided to catch a cheap flight and head to Dublin for a few days. It ended up being quite cold while we were there-we even got a few snowflakes on the 1st morning. Some amazing people- the Spriggs- offered their place to crash in. Rick even picked us up at the airport- they really are amazing!! After we dropped our bags at their place we headed into the city on the train- we got to take a gorgeous scenic train along the coast. One of our goals for the few days was to get a good book and sit in Starbucks and read for a few hours- and boy did we accomplish it! We found this awesome bookstore right near Trinity College and each got a book. Then we went over to Starbucks which was just across the street and got a drink and sat in these oh so comfy chairs for about 5 hours and just chatted and read. Here I am with my drink and my book:)

one of the things we did the second day was go to the Guinness factory where there is a museum tour which shows how they make it. The science that goes into that stuff- Who sat around and came up with it?!!! This is me trying the roasted Barley. Yes I have crazy eyes in this pic!

Liesl also had a goal of buying a genuine Irish sweater which we did and after she bought it we met some new friends outside the store:)

One of the cooler things we came upon was at Christ's Church. We tried to go in and walk around but they priest was outside and he said they were closed to visitors for the day but they would have Evensong at 6 PM. Well it was about 4:45 so we went across the street and got a coffee(me a hot choco cuz I don't drink coffee!) and then went back for the 6:00 service. It was great- all in song and chant and they have been doing a similar service for about 1000 years!! Here is a picture of the outside.

By Friday we were back in Brussels and a friend of ours had a Halloween party. Since trick-or-treating was last week it was just a fun night of games for the kids and chili for the adults. Here are the YL Brussels ladies. Liesl as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Janet as herself, and me as Safety Stella! Pretty fun!