Thanksgiving 2013

When I wrapped up my post last week, we were getting ready to have our Thanksgiving celebration with Steve and Kevin.

Tom and I started the day at Redrocks, Skyping our families and wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving.  This Thanksgiving more than ever I’m very grateful for technology that allows Tom and I to communicate so easily with our families from across the world.

Since I’ve been watching many of my Facebook friends list daily through November what they are thankful for I think now is a good time to share my thanks.

Probably more personal than most of our posts, but I think it’s important to celebrate the good in your life.

• First and foremost, I’m Thankful for Tom.  I’ve always been a happy person, but since he’s come into my life I’ve been happier than I ever knew was possible.  Tommy is my best buddy, he supports my dreams and helps me turn them into reality, and he motivates me to be better version of myself each and every day.
• I am Thankful for my Mom and Dad.  Especially this year, you two provided Tom and I with the most important day of our lives which we will always be grateful for, but we are also so blessed to have such supportive parents in our lives.  Thank you both for everything you do.
• I am Thankful for my Sister Natalie.  Nat Nat I’m so happy for all the time we got to spend together in 2013!  Our lives have taken us geographically far apart, but I feel like we are the closest we’ve ever been.  I can’t wait to see you again this summer to celebrate you and Nick!
• I am Thankful for my new family the Morkes!  I’m so blessed to be a part of such a fun large family.  Mr. and Mrs. Morkes thank you for everything you’ve done for Tom and I as well as raising such a great family!  Each and every one of Tom’s siblings;  Kathy, Christy, Bill, Dan, Joey, and Mary have such unique personalities and positive qualities.  I look forward to future holidays and time together with all you and your families.  Tom and I missed you all and were so happy we got to Skype with you over Thanksgiving.
• I’m Thankful for our extended families who traveled so far to share Tom’s and My wedding day with us this past summer.  It was so much fun to see everyone!
• I’m Thankful for my friends all over the world.  Thank you all for the laughs and good times we’ve had together.
• I’m thankful to be a part of the Bikram Yoga Community.  Being able to travel around the world and teach has been an opportunity of a lifetime, but more importantly has allowed me to meet some wonderful people!

Tom and I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year and most of that is due to our family and friends who read this blog so while my Thanks are not necessarily part of our travel I thought at this time of year it’s important to include them.

Anyways back to Thanksgiving!

I know Tom, Steve, and Kevin were thankful thanksgiving morning to be clean!

Tom, Steve, and Kevin were gifted showers by our Queenstown friend Marley!

After dropping the boys off to shower I continued down the road to hit up a Dynamic Hatha class before getting my shower for the morning.

Following Yoga and our showers, I met up with the boys at our Queenstown “living room” AKA Redrocks Bar to start our Thanksgiving Celebration.

Redrocks was playing American football so we got to catch some of the games as we virtually celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and family from afar via Skype and Facebook.

After having a couple ciders and/or beers we decided it was time to start cooking our feast.

We headed to the local FreshMarket to pick up our contributions.

Tom and I picked up crackers, salami, and cheese for apps along with eggs, Pork and Chorizo Sausage and Wattie’s Chili and Mexican Beans for our course.

Steve and Kevin provided the wine, beer, eggplant side dish, bread, and chocolate swirl cake dessert.

It was a grand feast.

The only bummer was that is was raining. :/

We set up a make shift tarp covering between our cars, but pretty soon there was a river flowing down the parking lot towards our meal.

Heading deeper into the park we found a large tree thick enough to protect us from the rainfall.

Our plan to play beer pong after Thanksgiving may have been canceled due to weather, but we did have a lovely time chilling in car digesting as we play “Ello Govner.”  A Morkes family tradition started by Mary in 2012.

When we couldn’t sit in the car any longer we decided to venture into town.

Marley was able to hook it up again at the Ice Bar so we headed there and bundled up!

We had the bar to ourselves which was a blast!  The kiwis must have known we were celebrating an American Holiday and opted to stay away.

Following Minus 5, we headed to the Nasty Penguin.

Not all the bucket list items were ours, but Kevin got to cross his off an hour later when he found an ostrich to ride!

There happens to be an Ostrich statue in the middle of Queenstown.

Steve also hopped up for a ride.

We ended our NZ Thanksgiving celebration at the world reknown Fergburger, A Queenstown hotspot.

Thanksgiving 2013 despite the rain was a giant success!

We missed you all at home!