Nov 24: Thanksgiving

Due to a run-down camera battery and occasional focusing issues on the borrowed camera, we came away from Thanksgiving with photos of just one relative. Somehow it seems appropriate that this relative would be GG. Although Margie and Bob were wonderful with tractor rides, a fun and welcoming house for the boys, and their stored and preserved organic veggies from the backyard; and Rob and Kelly brought the wine and did much of the day-of cooking -- GG was the star of the show.

How many 93-year-olds have you ever seen on their hands and knees in the living room, playing trucks with their great grandsons? I looked up from my spot on the floor to see her doing just that, and then she got herself up afterward too! She was always ready to read a book with Isaac; discuss colors, shapes and numbers with the boys as they built masterpieces with the cardboard blocks; or just watch them play with a smile on her face. Adam and I noticed that somehow, even though her hearing is not so good anymore, she almost always seemed to understand the boys. She doesn't miss a thing, and she has more energy than the rest of us put together, I think!

One of the best-loved toys in Damascus is this set of cardboard blocks. The boys probably spent hours building cities, houses and all kinds of creations. One of their favorite games was to build a tower, taller and taller, until it came crashing down - at which point they, or at least Isaac, would jump and squeal with laughter. GG, even from her chair, was a great playmate.

In these next photos, GG and Isaac were cuddling on the sofa, reading books and playing. The laughing fits began when she started tickling his feet.

Thanksgiving really is just a long day of cooking, which can be boring for a child not old enough to be part of the preparations, but the boys were happy playmates for each other, with a great supply of cool old vehicles and creative toys like the stacking blocks above. And I mentioned tractor rides...Jonah was a little nervous, but Isaac was pretty gleeful riding around on the tractor with his Boopa.

This Thanksgiving was hard on Adam and me because we got a horrendous stomach bug just before we had to fly. Luckily it was a quick one, but our energy was still low. And due to the high cost of travel at this time of year, we ended up with two full days of travel and two full days in Damascus - not ideal for us, and not enough time with everyone. But we had a wonderful Thanksgiving anyway, and it was well-worth the trouble to be in Damascus with everyone. And GG made up for the energy we were lacking (: