Thanksgiving State of Mind

Happy Thanksgiving! It's an all-year state of mind, right?

This year for Thanksgiving I spent it with my Utah family, the Zogmaisters. I've gone there every year since I came home from my mission and it feels almost as good as home.

Jaime and her mom carved the turkey. It was Jaime's first time, which of course needed to be documented. It was a tasty turkey.

To keep them entertained while everyone else cooked, the kids made fruit turkeys. Here's Haizyn showing me hers while eating the pieces off of it.

Here's a close-up. Cute, huh? I guess they usually make them with gumdrops but Jan decided to go healthier this year and I think they turned out just as cute and you don't have hyped up children afterwards.

Jaime's sister Michelle decorated the basement (where we ate) before dinner. Each person had a personalized turkey placemat. On the tables were also cut out hands of all colors on which everyone wrote things they were grateful for and then put them on the grateful tree on the wall. It looked really cute and gave everyone something to do besides eat.

Here's our very colorful, pretty healthy Thanksgiving spread. I made the broccoli cranberry slaw. I really didn't eat a lot more than what's on that plate but I was uncomfortably full for hours afterwards. I don't know what it was that filled me up so much.

 The big, happy family. I mean big as in number. Not size. Although James is pretty big.

Here's my Top 5 Thankful list for this year, in no particular order:

1. Three Jobs. The schedule is really terrible but I'm very blessed to have three well-paying jobs all related to what I actually studied in school. They're intellectually stimulating and fun at the same time. And unlike my Wells Fargo job, I actually feel like a better version of myself when I'm at work.

2. My surrogate family. From the second I came back to Utah after my mission, the Zogmaisters have taken me in as one of their own. They've welcomed me for Thanksgivings and Christmases, birthdays, campouts, concerts, and pretty much any other family event you can think of. I'm quite positive that several of Jaime's nieces and nephews actually think I'm their aunt.

3. Good roommates and friends. I have a group of about 8-10 girls that I consider sisters in every sense of the word except the biological one, of course, though several of us get asked on a regular basis if we're sisters. Apparently, having brown hair and brown eyes is all you need to look related. Especially with my family being so far away, these girls have become my support, my cheerleaders, my confidants, and my fun for the last two years and I love them so much. They make me better every day.

4. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am overwhelmed daily by the unfailing patience and mercy that my Savior has for me. Through the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, words of the prophets, personal prayer, and church meetings I am continually strengthened and uplifted. I have never once felt like I didn't know my purpose in life. Even though my path in life has changed and I am constantly re-evaluating whether or not I am heading in the right direction, I have always known and will always know that I am here to gain experience and knowledge so that I can someday return to live with my Heavenly Father.

5. My real family. From 1600 miles away I feel their love and support. They are always excited to see or talk to me and they happliy change their plans for entire weekends when I come into town just so we can be together. My heart yearns for them on a daily basis and I am so grateful for the chance I will have next year to see them much more frequently than I do now.

On a less official note, I am also grateful for a beautiful Christmas tree and Christmas music, a garage, boots, a laptop computer, wireless internet, my bed, my spacious house, a working CD player in my car, new music, Friends DVDs, muddy buddies that I made last night, mascara, concealer, sunny winter days, home-cooked meals four times a week, coupons, and being able to teach every day.