Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a wonderful Thankgiving and ate plenty of turkey and pumpkin pie! To tell you the truth, I was not really looking forward for today because it was going to be the first day that I spent away from my family - or at least my biological family.

On tuesday, while I was working in the galley (the kitchen on the ship), I asked one of my co-workers if she was going to be able to go home for christmas. She replied, "No. This is my home. My family is here." Even though these are simple statements, they are profound thoughts. Her family is the Christian community that she lives in...the brothers and sisters in Christ that she works alongside day after day...the "special person" that is in her life.

Today, we enjoyed a wonderful, cajun-style Thanksgiving meal at a local resturant in New Orleans, LA. While we ate, we went around the table and shared what we are thankful for. I am extremely thankful for family back in Iowa (as we all mentioned). I am also grateful for the family that has formed over the past three months. I have gained two sisters named Kelly and Laura, and a brother, Jesse. I know this is cheesy, but at the same time it is so true. We have have spent basically all waking and sleeping hours together, sharing our joys and struggle. We have experienced a lot together and have grown stronger as a unit. We are finding it more difficult to separate our individual lives from the other three. God has blessed me with a family away from my family - and for that I am forever grateful.

Stephanie