Thanksgiving...

This was my first holiday away from home...

-28 lb. turkeys

-Grandma's famous baked beans

-pies of all varieties.....

Thanksgiving is the biggest gathering of the year for the Wiitala family.

(Deer hunting-- brings more of our family together than other holidays.)

I was a little sad that I would be missing out on the fun...

I am so thankful for the wonderful celebration that we had in Ukraine.A bunch of missionaries living in our area gathered at the seminary on Thursday night. We wanted to celebrate but also spend this time with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

(Here are some of the missionary kids--I told them they had to take a crazy picture!)

We each brought a few dishes that were traditions in our family. I made some killer baked beans (not quite Grandma's--but for my first try..I thought they turned out ok!) In honor of my cousins---I made a banana cream pie completely from scratch. I whipped my own cream and made my own pudding!

Someone found a whole turkey--and we enjoyed all the traditional fixings. It was a neat opportunity to share with the students some of our traditions and give them a glimpse into our culture. It was exciting for them to try new foods and celebrate with us.

(Peter and Oleg)

(Anya and Alina)

After I had stuffed myself...

We cleaned up and I headed back to my room...It was just about the time my family was starting their feast. Thanks to technology I got to hear and see them!

I got to be part of the Wiitala celebrating after-all!

(There were about 50 people that gathered--missionaries, students, and some faculty)

There is... so much to be thankful for.