Thomas made a countdown chain on Sunday for each of the kids. Hard to believe we have less than 2 weeks before we leave the U.S.! Even after talking with other people that are in Angola right now or have lived there, we really truly have no idea what we're in for. It will be a huge culture shock for all of us, especially the kids. I've tried thinking ahead to make sure I've packed things that will help smooth the transition--certain foods, toys, movies, holiday decor, etc. I'm trying to be especially mindful of the holidays coming up. We'll be there right before Halloween, which they don't celebrate in Angola. I've heard that some of the other expat parents there are putting something together, so I've got the kids ready with costumes and candy so we can participate. I've also packed canned pumpkin and other ingredients to make their favorite pumpkin cinnamon chip and chocolate chip cookies for Thanksgiving. It has been suggested to me to bring a turkey if I have the room in my luggage, but I don't think we will. We'll have to do a non-traditional Thanksgiving of other meat maybe. Uncle Rich and Aunt Lisa have taught us how to do that the past few years by serving us prime rib for Thanksgiving. The kids (and our stomachs) have already lamented that we won't be celebrating with them and Aunt Shauna and her family like we did last year. But that's the excitement of this experience right? We look forward to continuing the practice of our family traditions that keep us unified and grounded from year to year, but also experiencing the new and fresh that will make each day and holiday unique and different from the last.
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