England and stuff.

1. I am thankful for having grown up in England. I feel that living in America now, I have a more balanced viewpoint of many things that others do not and the media and other sources do nothing to clarify things for people.

2. I am thankful that growing up, my parents worked and we all went went to school within the same square mile. I have fond memories of walking with my parents either in the morning or evening on the way to school and work. I could always go over to my Dad's office at lunchtime when I was in High School if I ever needed anything. Or the elementary school where my Mum worked.

3. I am thankful for the appreciation I have of history. My childhood home is a few hundred years old and only gets better with age and love. I also had the opportunity while in High School to do an internship at the local Norman Castle (it dates back to somewhere between 1100-1400, can't quite remember the exact date). I also remember kissing Gary in the dungeons one time during a tour when they turned out the lights to show us what a medieval prisoner would have felt like!

4. I am thankful for the traditions that I brought with me from England. Especially Christmas traditions. As the holidays approach I'm feeling that familiar excitement that comes with recreating the fun we always had growing up. From advent to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", to crackers and family recipes.

5. I am thankful for the incredibly strong church environment I grew up in. Our church community called a Stake was simply the best. In England, with cultural differences comes a slightly different experience than that which exists here. I only hope that my children will make as strong friendships as I did through the church. As an adult and knowing very few people in the Stake it's hard to gauge whether the closeness among friends I experienced will be similar for them here.