Happy Thanksgiving 2008

We got up this morning and had breakfast and then headed over to Aunt Sandy’s at 9:00 am. It was great, b/c there was NO traffic on the roads that early. We listened to Christmas music the whole way, which made the trip go even faster. We got there and the boys of course had to play football. What is Thanksgiving morning w/out football?

Nate being silly after he caught a pass. I don’t think they were really keeping score, but they all worked up quite a sweat. The weather was PERFECT…not too hot and not too cold and just right for us to be outside!

Autumn had so much fun just being outside and running around and watching the boys play football. We couldn’t have asked for a better day as far as weather goes. The weather was PERFECT fall weather. Autumn’s little facial expressions crack me up!

She had a blast having Dad push her to Nate on this little bike and then Nate would push her back to Dad while she sat back and relaxed w/ her feet up in the basket. She is spoiled rotten, but it’s so easy to spoil her b/c she’s so dang cute!

We had so many family members to spend Thanksgiving with this year! There were Kerry, Carmen & Kids; Mom & Dad; Lex, Jon & Andrew; Robert, Sandy & Uncle Asay; Tyler, Emily & Kids; Heather, Rocky & Shane; and Autumn and I. WHAT A FUN GROUP!

We decided to take advantage of the resources of Rocky & Heather’s great camera and photography skills for our family picture to send out with our Christmas cards. A funny story about this is that we had decided to all wear jeans and a nice shirt. Well, I wanted to be comfy most of the day so I wore pajama bottoms and then just packed my nice shirt and jeans to wear later. Well, I forgot to put my jeans in my bag and didn’t realize it until I went to get dressed for the pictures. So, I borrowed a pair of Uncle Robert’s jeans and they didn’t even fit over my big old birthing hips! Luckily I had a long shirt on that covered my butt and hips so you can’t tell! We all got a good laugh out of that one!

While Autumn was being nice I wanted to get a few pictures of her and I together. She’s one of the greatest things I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

After taking pictures, we played outside for a little bit b/c dinner wasn’t quite ready. Alexi (Kerry & Carmen’s daughter) has been taking gymnastics classes and was showing us how to do cartwheels. We all wanted to try it.

Mine sucked. Dad’s was even worse.

Lexie’s was pretty good. Alexi blew us all out of the water.

Autumn spent most of the morning in the sandbox. She looked so dang cute in her yellow shirt, jeans, and pink boots! What a cutie!

My Little Princess

After an amazing Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, and all the other fixings, we headed to the farm. Autumn and I took a little nap in the car on the way there. Uncle Robert gave all the kids a ride on the tractor and they chased down the cows. Autumn was laughing the entire time and thought it was the best thing ever!

Precious

Adorable

Autumn wanted to show Papa everything at the farm from the cows to the chickens to the dogs to the ducks on the pond. They are like two peas in a pod and are so cute together.

After the farm we headed back to the house to have some pie (pecan is my favorite) and watch the Cowboys play. How ‘bout them Cowboys? We left Aunt Sandy’s during the 3rd quarter b/c we didn’t want to get stuck in all the traffic after the game.

We got home and had turkey sandwich leftovers, watched some more football, talked, laughed, and did some puzzles. I was changing Autumn’s diaper and wasn’t watching what I was doing and put both her legs in one pant leg! It was SO FUNNY and she was not very happy having to waddle around the house like a duck while I ran and grabbed my camera to get a picture.

This Thanksgiving I was so thankful for all that I have been blessed with. I was thinking of all the great and amazing things I have been given in my life. Here are just a few of the major ones:

• Atonement of Jesus Christ. Especially with all that I have been through in the past 2 years, the Atonement has come to mean so much to me this year. Being able to go to the temple and knowing I was worthy to be there meant the world to me and that wouldn’t have been possible w/out the Atonement and the chance to be better than I used to be.
• Family. I very literally would not have made it through this past year and a half without my family. They have been my strength and support. I owe them so much and am thankful for them every single day!
• Autumn. She is my princess, my little bug, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. My life would be incomplete w/out her. She is the reason I get up in the mornings and make it through the day.
• Friends. I have been blessed with so many good friends throughout my life. Friends from childhood, friends from high school, friends from college, friends from my mission, friends from work, etc. My friends have always been there for me and been so good to me!
• Good Health. After having lost my best friend Tara this year, I have come to appreciate good health so much. I know I can for sure stand to lose some weight, but I am pretty healthy over all. I miss Tara so much and have learned so much from her and the amazing life she lived. I learned to appreciate every moment, to make each moment count, to live life to the fullest, to give freely, to love others, to serve, and to always have a good time. She is my best friend and I am so thankful for having had her in my life and for every moment and memory I got to share with her.
• America. I have lived in a few foreign countries and have loved getting to know other peoples, other languages, and other cultures. But I am also so thankful to be an American. I know that America and the government has its problems right now. But I am so blessed to live in this choice land where we have so many freedoms and that men and women are willing to put their lives on the line to protect those freedoms.

That list doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the things I am thankful for this year. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that you were able to reflect on all the things that you have been blessed with.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2008