Thanksgiving 2013

This year for Thanksgiving we were on our own. Stephen's family went to Kentucky for Tucker's baptism and my family was all in Utah. We invited a family Stephen home teaches, and went to town with our feast. We have never made a turkey so it was a new experience. There was no way I was cleaning out the turkey guts so Stephen stepped up and prepared the whole thing by himself (with a few calls to my dad). He also found it pretty discussing, but he did a great job and was happy with the end result. It was really nice having company because it gave me good reason to make the table look nice and really go all out on the meal. Stephen even made the comment that it was the best Thanksgiving food he had ever had…I'll take that! It really was a wonderful laid back Thanksgiving and we were happy to get to spend it with the Smiths. 

 We started this tradition a few years ago. Every day or so we write down a few things we are thankful for. This year I wanted to display somehow. I had a friend cut these beautiful leaves and we hung them on a frame I converted with chicken wire. It is such a wonderful way to think about those things we are thankful for and see the great blessings the Lord blesses us with everyday. Taelee came up with some wonderful things that I wouldn't have even thought about. She is such a sweet girl and I am thankful for her each and every day! On Thanksgiving after our meal we went around the table and read them aloud. This is the list we came up with this year…

Our home, repentance, clothes to wear, dot dot, my glasses, all the animals that give us food, especially cows that give us milk, freedom, family, running, Book of Mormon, food, music, the beautiful earth God created, Jesus and Heavenly Father, my bedtime friends, my bed, my toys, memories, modern medicine, I can play with Kingston, church leaders, Taelee shared her stickers, coats and jackets, prayer, Tristan, technology, church, our country, Texas, school, I am grateful the woman at church offered a sucker to the kids, I can cook, priesthood, Nana and Gonka, my friends could come over, Mommy, and our garden.