{A THANKFUL Thanksgiving}

The holiday came and went so quickly, but more on that in the next post!

Ryley had his first "performance" at pre-school. He took Chad for his Thanksgiving feast. Ryley sang 4 songs, and told me lots of stories about the pilgrims and Mayflower when he got home. Ryley was only able to invite one parent, and I went into work so I could take more time off for the holiday. Thank goodness for video cameras, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that for anything!Here is Ryley's tepee and headband. He also made a fun necklace he enjoyed wearing all week. I was horrible at taking pictures all week, but here is what I got. On Thanksgiving morning Chad played in the Turkey Bowl. (Lucy, Sage, and Maisey)

Before getting rained out everyone enjoyed cocoa and donuts while the guys played.

Soon after drying off we traveled to Independence, Oregon to spend the holiday with my biological mother's family. We had an enjoyable time and the kids loved seeing and playing with my second cousins (8 and 6, pictured below). We see them annually, and you would think the kids were best of friends! Due to a fallen tree, the power was out for over 5 hours, but the kids made the best of it and loved when the dark fell. At the end of dinner (which was deliciously prepared in my grandparents R.V, thankgoodness for that), the power came on and the calming atmosphere was soon filled with giggling girls and dancing music from the Wii.

I was unable to find to document my overwhelming feelings of gratitude in recent weeks, so here is a short list of what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my testimony of Heavenly Fathers plan.

I am thankful I feel love and gratitude in my heart each day and that I am able to express it all year round.

I am thankful for my family, nuclear and extended. My husband supports me and our family 100% and I couldn't ask him to be a better father. I am also thankful to our families who support and love us in all we do.

I am thankful for motherhood. For the opportunity to have and to teach my children.

I am also thankful for the gift of the atonement. Through the saviors sacrifice I am able to be forgiven, and to forgive (a gift I always say I am especially grateful for)!

I am thankful for friendship. I have amazing friends in my life who I draw strength from. Each one of them teaches me something different and for their many talents I am grateful. I appreciate acceptance and diversity and the people in my life are full of love and humility.

I am thankful for my job and for the amazing things I learn from my clients. Every single day I work, I learn something new and enriching. Some times it is through a "lost" woman, and other times the lessons might come through one on one interviews with my clients.

I am thankful for a home with modern amenities and comforts. It may be small, but it is home.

I am thankful for my job and co-workers. I love working in a place where people share the same values. At one point I thought it would be a potential drawback to work with such similar people; however, I have really learned how different people are, regardless of their beliefs (even when their entire lives revolve around their faith). When I first left DHS I literally yearned for the common dysfunctional client, but now I look forward to helping people get through their hard times (while hopefully building on their faith indirectly).

I am thankful for my education. I never planned to be in school for 7 years, but since the last 4 years have been easy and workable for me, I am going to keep trekking. We have made many, many sacrifices for my education, beyond words I would say, and although I have many goals ahead which have been set out, I have no regrets.

I am thankful for good people. The people I may and may not really no out there, who give their time to the causes they love. I love volunteer work, and any kind of service. I truly wish sometimes I didn't have responsibilities like work so I could do more. For those out there who think they don't have the time to make a difference, think again. Through a simple act of making extra dinner (while you prepare for your own family) you could bless a neighbor in need. They may literally need food, or love, or both, but you can reach out to those around you in spontaneous and loving ways.

The list goes on, but these are the things on my mind. That saying, "An attitude of gratitude" goes a long way. People who think about what they have are much healthier than those who think about what they don't. And yes, occasionally thoughts pass through my mind of my next goals to get this, and that, but mostly, I try to focus on today because I will never see it again. Above my washer a sign hangs that says, "These are the days will never forget" and while it was gifted to me, and while I do hope some times I will forget these humbling times, I am also thankful for the character they make me.