Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was AMAZING!   I think it was so similiar to the first Thanksgiving dinner! People coming together in a strange land.  People from many different places.  People sharing food and fellowship.  People feeling thankful that in a place so far from home they could carry on traditions that are so important!  Children running around in feathers and tall, wide-rimmed black hats...I am telling you, all that was missing was the Mayflower! hahahaha!

 I had SO MUCH fun decorating my tables!  Remember that ribbon I wanted in Satwa?  I went back and got it.  It was my inspiration for the table.  I wrapped it around 4 large candles and then built the table around them.  I bought cheap brown fabric and used it as the tablecloths.  I LOVE SATWA!  A few minutes before the guests arrived I whipped up the wreath for the front door.  Two pilgrims I stole from my mom years ago and some Satwa fabric!

 I LOVE these people! From left to right..Emily, Carol, Natalie, Pattie, Cathy and Elan.  Carol's husband works for Nalco and they actually used to live in Friendswood!  Her daughter Sarah has been sitting for us and the kids love her!  Natalie is my hilarious Australian neighbor who calls me "darling" and let me borrow her chairs for the event.  She was in AWE of the food. Especially the stuffing. She could not get over all we Americans can do with a marshmallow.  Pattie and I met at ASD.  She has 4 kids our kids EXACT ages!  They are our mirror family.  Three boys and 1 girl.  Her son Karston is Lilly's buddy.  She used to live in Pearland and Chicago! Cathy is from Houston and we met through a mutual friend before we came.  She is the art teacher at ASD and is so creative!  We are decorating the school together for Breakfast with Santa.  She always brings me festive party napkins that she brought from home!  Funny party napkins are hard to find here.  And lastly, if you follow the blog regularly you know Elan!   Elan helped me so much with gathering everything for the feast.  She brought the cute pilgrim hats and feathers for the kids!  Elan's friendship makes Dubai FUN!

 The food was AMAZING!  Let me run down what we had.  The turkey was perfect!  Sassos brought 2 turkeys.  They ordered them from the Sheraton hotel.  It came with all kinds of interesting sides.  The "gravy" was the funniest party.  It was similiar to a tomato-like-meat-sauce.  PANIC!  Must have good gravy!  I made some from the turkey juice and we added some jarred gravy.  It turned out perfect!  I made 2 kinds of stuffing.  Mcknight stuffing and Bryant Stuffing.  Both were a hit!  We had green bean casserole, corn casserole, sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes that Latha made.  I made pimento cheese and celery..a must have for me.  The rest was brought by everyone...fruit kabobs, broccoli-rice-cheese casserole, green salad, pies, pies, pies, chocolate cake, turkey-shaped homemade sugar cookies, homemade rolls by Pattie's husband, 2 marshmallowy jello salads....I am sure I am leaving something out.  It was all so good and we are still eating it!

Kid tables were outside...

This was the baby table.  They were so cute!

These are my sweet "Nalco-Wife" friends Carol and Trinka.
They mean so much to me!

This would be "round 2" of eating!  You know it's a good party when everyone

stays late and gets the food out again!  LOVE IT!