Our lives abroad look quite different than our previous Thanksgivings. So much so, that we were able to host a Thanksgiving lunch in our own home for the first time ever.
It was a small gathering, but you wouldn't have known from all the food we potlucked together!
But other than our so, so delicious duck courtesy of Marc and sweet potato casserole courtesy of Whitney, we have an abundance in our lives to be thankful for.
Our surroundings are very different and much grander: a three-story house, two pretty new cars, real furniture, and too many doors to count. None of it's "ours," but it's more than enough to make us grateful everyday!
Our devices and technology may not be the latest and greatest, but it gets the job done. We can work remotely, always connect with family and friends, and stream nearly every happy and homely Hallmark Christmas movie ever made.
Our health is something we notice more and more everyday. Even despite small setbacks, we are both strong and healthy, able to take care of ourselves and each other. It won't always be this way, so it's important to be thankful while it is!
Our work here in German sports is beginning to show our investment. We haven't really spent more than a year or two in one place before, and this is our third year here! Our players are starting to really understand our coaching systems, and my teammates think my crazy is normal now.
Our community of friends around the world continues to grow exponentially. While we are constantly making new friends, we are blessed to also be cultivating even more meaningful relationships with our closest friends, near and far. I have been exceptionally blessed by my online Athletes in Action Bible study group and the volleyball players I have been able to work with at Elite Volley. The fact that a few of them are in both groups is even more awesome!
Our opportunities to see and experience Europe will never cease to amaze us. As the Christmas season approaches and the #ChristyKindlMarkts open up, we have even more adventures around Germany planned. Of course, we can't forget our Christmas holiday in Barcelona this year, either! Two of our friends will be joining us, and it's bound to be a sunny and happy Christmas once again.
I could probably make this list go on and on and on, but I think I have covered the main stuff.
The point is, as always, that God is good. Even if nothing was as awesome as it is at this particular moment, that truth remains the same. We are thankful that this chapter in our lives is pleasant, beautiful, and overflowing, and we hope and pray that your world is shining as brightly as ours is.