A Peruvian Thanksgiving

I love traditions. I love the expectation of a specific series of events and the comfort and security provided. Thanksgiving is typically a time of tradition for me, especially when I am celebrating with my parents and we get to do things the same way we have since I was a little girl. This year was a bit different, but I learned that while I will always love traditions, sometimes it can be even more fun to try something new. A Peruvian Thanksgiving was definitely something new.
Obviously, Thanksgiving isn't a holiday in Peru, so that created some challenges right off the bat. No cranberries for a delicious sauce, no canned pumpkin (unless you decide to check a few cans in your baggage from the states), not a whole lot of turkey. Fortunately, family is the main ingredient so when Russ, Natalie and I flew in to Lima to be with my parents and Jonathon we were well on our way to a great Thanksgiving.
We ended up attending a huge gathering of American families (mostly State Department families stationed here in Lima) and had a feast. Everyone brought their favorite dishes and, even with about 90 people, there was food to spare. Because it is spring time here, we ate outside in the backyard and many of the kids played in the pool. They also had a little bouncy house with a slide that Natalie loved. I was a little worried she wouldn't like the slide because it was so big, but she couldn't get enough of it! Not my typical Thanksgiving, but so much fun. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful we were invited to participate!

Loving spending time with Uncle Jonathon

Thanksgiving picture with the whole group (We missed you Marc, Rebecca and Gerrit!)