Not Your Typical Thanksgiving

Yes, I had school on Thanksgiving, Black Friday as well. How did Julie and I celebrate one of America's most esteemed holidays? Let me tell you...

Feeding the sheep at
 Wadadli Nature Park

Because we were lamenting the fact that our classmates would be having days off and many would be traveling to spend the holiday with their families, Julie had the great idea to schedule a field trip for our classes. This way, we could get out of some class and still do some learning. She did all the leg work, I wrote a note to send home to parents, and Thursday morning, we headed out to the Wadadli Nature Park in 2 buses chartered from the National School Bus Service. 56 students, 2 teachers, and 4 parent chaperons walked through Antigua's version of a zoo (more like a petting zoo than the famous establishments in Omaha or San Diego).

Who wants a cute and cuddly tortoise?

We saw goats, sheep, tortoises, snapping turtles, a cow, a donkey, a horse, monkeys, parrots, parakeets, love birds, peacocks, chickens, geese, ducks, guinea pigs, rabbits, pigs, and fish. The kids were able to feed the goats and sheep, hold a tortoise, pet the horse, geese, and rabbits, and get up close a personal with the pigs and snapping turtle. Not sure how much they learned about the animals, but Miss Rosenbaum certainly learned a lot about managing a field trip, that's for sure!

Our "home-away-from-home"
 Thanksgiving dinner

Friday night, we were invited to the Johnstons' to celebrate Thanksgiving with them, the Sternhagens, Pastor Richards, and his fiancee. We split the food prep; Julie and I were in charge of bringing a salad, cranberries, and a bottle of wine. We also brought a bottle of sparkling grape juice (one from Celebrating Teachers) so the kids could have something special to drink. Everything was fantastically delicious! The most pleasant surprise of the evening was the rhubarb pie baked by Kristin Sternhagen. Rhubarb is my favorite! And to have it so far from Grandma Rosenbaum in Saginaw... what a special treat!

Just another day in paradise, compliments of the Heavenly Father. God is good! All the time!