Thanksgiving

The good pictures were on Clark's phone, of course, but here are two shots I got:

(Someone is very scared for the turkeys today!)

Spent the morning watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Well, the girls did. I was in the kitchen cooking turkey, cranberry and apple cider glazed Brussel sprouts, maple glazed sweet potatoes, twice baked potatoes, Rhodes rolls, and making a chocolate peanut butter cup pie for dessert. It was all worth it and very delicious! We're grateful for each other, our home, Clark's job, loving family, and our brand new baby!

Thanksgiving

We were able to go down to Utah to celebrate Thanksgiving. Clark had a lot of family in town so we were able to celebrate with a house full of family!

 The girls got to sit at the kid table! Hooray!

After the Thanksgiving meal, everyone got to decorate a Christmas cookie to welcome in the new holiday season. The girls loved it and there were some interesting costumes and facial hair choices. :D So fun!

Thanksgiving Memorial

This year, we had Thanksgiving with Clark's dad's side of the family. We gathered at Grandma Great's house in Murray and enjoyed a delicious meal (turkey, potatoes, rolls, pies) and Azucena was pretty good around everyone (although she refused to let me feed her for a long time and finally snuck up on Grandpa's lap and stole most of his potatoes) but my purse (which had my camera) was put away and I didn't know where it was for most of the day, so no pictures. Sorry!

Clark and I had talked about visiting his grandfather on Thanksgiving since it's a family holiday and Clark hasn't been to the cemetery since his aunt passed away two and a half years ago. So, after dinner, we swung by WalMart to pick up some flowers and then headed over to see Grandpa Earley and Aunt Laurie. Melinda (Clark's cousin) had been by earlier that morning and left a bouquet for her mother so we placed all but one of our lilies at Grandpa Earley's plot.

It was a really peaceful way to end a day of gratitude.

Giving Thanks

Clark and I were assigned to give talks in Church this last Sunday. And while I love preparing for talks, actually giving them still scares the dickens out of me. :) Luckily, our topic was gratitude. Unluckily, it was also the topic for the couple that spoke before us. Lol.

Anyway, I based my talk off three others given by general authorities:
"An Attitude of Gratitude" by Thomas S. Monson (which may sound familiar even though this talk was given in 1992--it's because his talk this past October was heavily based on this one!)
"Give Thanks In All Things" by Dallin H. Oaks
"Live In Thanksgiving Daily" by Joseph B. Wirthlin

If you want to know how to be happy, start with Elder Wirthlin. If you feel like everything is crashing around you, start with Elder Oaks. If you want to see blessings all around you, combine Elder Wirthlin and President Monson's talks. They are such beautiful and special messages and I'm so happy that I was able to spend a lot of time last week thinking of the many blessings I have in my life.

Particularly poignant was the list President Monson offered:
1. Mothers
2. Fathers
3. Teachers
4. Friends
5. Our country
6. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I can't express my gratitude for any of these people or things any better than he did so, once again, I ask you to read his talk.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 7

It's a little late, but I've had so much fun the last couple of days that I just didn't take the time to blog.

I am thankful for kind, generous friends and sweet memories. I have been unable to go home for Thanksgiving for the last five years or so, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying myself immensely. I have had such wonderful roommates and friends and I'm grateful for the memories that we've created together. I'm especially grateful to their parents/extended family for inviting some girl they don't know over to their house on a family holiday and making me feel at home. It gives me an example that I want to live up to a few years down the road when my children tell me their friend/roommate/significant other will be spending a holiday alone.

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 6

I am thankful for pictures. And not just of my brand new header on this blog (thank you SO MUCH Marcie! Visit here website here) but just for pictures in general. I remember loving getting my hands on cameras as early as the age of 4 and, even though I have no skill nor do I have a fancy-pants camera, I just really like recording events and my friends and family's joy. Hooray for memories!

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 5

Well, not sure what happened to my post about loving birthdays, but I'll go ahead and move on to my being thankful for living in America.

I love this country and love collecting books about its history and founding and celebrating its birthday and learning about all the great stuff that has come about in the last 230+ years of its existence. :) And I'm pretty sure my love of America was heavily influence by my grandma and grandpa (she was always a little sad that she was missed being born on Independence day by 2 days and he was born on Flag Day and insisted we celebrate that rather than his birthday). Happy day!

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 4

Birthdays.

I love birthdays.

Oh, man, I can't even begin to go on about how much I love birthdays! But, considering today is my little brother's 14th birthday, I just have to mention how much I love celebrating and family-ness and giving gifts, and taking pictures and everything else that makes a birthday wonderful and special and happy!

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 3

I am grateful for technology. I know, it sounds silly, but I wouldn't be able to keep in touch with half as many people as I do if it weren't for e-mail (huzzah, more than ten years of the same address), Facebook, and my cell phone. I am grateful that I can speak to my mother and sister almost instantaneously, even though we live in different states. I love that my brother and I can write to each other every week even though he's who-knows-where in Argentina. It's a wonderful world we live in. :)

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 2

I am so grateful for being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for being able to read the words of the prophets that have been sent to teach us by our loving Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for the joy that it brings to my life and for the friends I have from the many wards I've lived in over the years. I know that the gospel is true. I wish I were more eloquent, that I could share it with everyone and help them feel just as happy as I do.


P.S. Mini joy: When you go to the Church's website and select Music and hover your mouse over the menu choices, the website plays a note. If you hover over each hyperlink, it plays the notes in a song--so far I've heard "The Spirit of God" and "I Am A Child of God." Happy day!

Week of Thanksgiving, pt. 1

I am SO THANKFUL for my family! They are wonderful people and, even though I didn't show it all the time while I was a teenager at home, I love them very, very much. I just wanted to give them one HUGE shout out, rather than cheating and making each person a separate day. :)



Thank you Dad, for always knowing the answer to everything, whether it's "do I put the corn on the cob in the pot before or after the water's boiling" or "what's the word for "to twinkle" in Spanish in the past tense?" And you give the best advice. :D And Mom, thanks for all the care packages and cards over the years. I love that even though you told me to eat healthy and exercise, there was always a cake or brownie mix hidden the box of necessities that you had mailed to me. I am also grateful that your surprise gift-giving and example of service has rubbed off on me, because I can't think of anything more fun than making other people happy.



Nicoel: Thank you for becoming one of my best friends. Ever since we both moved out (and got cell phones) I can't think of a week where I didn't call you just to chat. And thanks for giving me a niece and nephew to spoil, eh? ;)

Dear Elder Judd: I'm sorry that I haven't sent a letter out to you every week that you've been away. But I'm so happy that you've chosen to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with His children in Argentina. I know you're doing a lot of good down there, and you're setting a wonderful example for not only your two younger brothers, but your older sister who misses you and can't wait to give you a HUGE hug when you get back in March!


Daniel: You're amazing. Not only are you crazy tall (which means you can reach things on shelves that I can't--which I appreciate!) you're very kind. Thanks for always taking a minute to chat with me or text me back when I'm feeling sad or icky. I'm glad Mom and Dad still have you around for a few more months (at least).

Edgar: Thank you for being you! I love when we get to visit, and that you're so willing to road trip with Mom and Dad so often so I can actually see you grow up into a young man (and I'm sorry I picked a picture from 3 1/2 years ago, but you'll always be my baby brother so I had to). You make me happy!

I giggle. A lot.

Some things make me smile. Other make me laugh.

And some things leave me gasping for air.

Thanksgiving!

I have leftover mashed potatoes and gravy. I'm happy.

Also, I love ABBA for Thanksgiving. Huzzah for new traditions!

Serving (again!)

Today was a busy, busy day because not only was there a ward service project and a ward Thanksgiving dinner. The service project was really fun because we got to write notes and letters to missionaries and servicemen from our ward. I was surprised at how many of the names I recognized and how little I had thought of them in the last years (or so). Hopefully I'll do better at remembering those who are out sacrificing and serving for our country and our Lord.