Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We got together with my sisters and their families. It was the first time we had all gotten together since the summer. My sister, Melissa, hosted our feast, and we got to eat on her beautiful china. We had tons of food and it was all delicious, especially Melissa's stuffing and Andrea's sweet potatoes and pecan pie.

We had 8 kids present, ranging from 6 months to 12 years old. Callie always loves going to Melissa's house because they have lots of babies, baby toys, and her fun cousin, Hailey. Hailey will be 3 in February, and those two girls play so well together. At one point I saw them both taking a toy shopping cart around the house, filled with babies. Callie was pushing from one end and Hailey was pulling from the other.

The men watched football while my sisters and I chatted. It was so fun to be with them again, because it's been a while since that's happened.

Yesterday, I started following President Monson's advice from General Conference to take an inventory of the blessings, big and small, that have shaped my life. It's been amazing to look back and recognize so many blessings that I hadn't realized before that have helped bring me to where I am now and make me who I am.

I am so thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my sweet, loving husband who is so patient and forgiving and who works so hard for our family. I am thankful for my sweet girls who mean the world to me. I am thankful to live close to my sisters and to have this time to spend time with them.

I am thankful for my amazing parents who have always been so loving and supportive. I was especially thankful for them as I thought back on my childhood, counting my blessings and being reminded of all that they have done for me to make sure that I had the best life possible. I miss them so much. I miss having them just a few hours away, but I am thankful for the time we had to live so close and to spend  time together.

I am thankful for this phase in my life. That I get to stay at home with my girls, that Jason has a job, that we live in a great place. I am so thankful for the ward that we live in now where I feel so welcome and valued. I am so thankful for my knowledge and testimony of the gospel and for the peace and joy that it brings to my life.

I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for.