Celebrations Wrapped into One!

No wonder Meg loves her roommates so much.  They all know how to have fun!  Since they were all going their separate ways for the Holidays and one was getting married after Thanksgiving they decided to combine and celebrate Thanksgiving, Meg's birthday, Christmas, and New Year's Eve.  In case you want to do this some day I'll give you a little run through.  They had Thanksgiving dinner (but with ham because it was easier to cook), next they had a birthday party for Meg with gifts they gave her from things in the apartment, Then a family picture in their matching PJs (and the puppy with matching pjs!) and then they had sparkling cider to welcome in the new year.  I love that Meg is a part of such a creative group of girls.  What a blessing!  Thanks for sharing these cute pictures Meg.

Happy Birthday Meg!

 22 Years Old

Cousins

 

Perry was the last to leave and as you can see his cousins didn't want him to go.  I loved how
sweet all of you were to the young ones these last few days.  Katie has got to be the best
cousin in the world and bless her heart she never had a minute to herself because she
was so adored by Eden and Graham!

Thanksgiving!

Here are a couple of pictures of our wonderful Thanksgiving feast.  More pictures will follow but I wanted to share just a couple of an amazing day and wonderful food.  Thank you all for coming and thank you for pitching in to make it a memorable occasion for me.  Thank you Amy and Christian for sharing your beautiful home and backyard and for Perry's smoker that filled the neighborhood with the wonderful odor of roasting turkey.  It was truly a feast!

Blessing #15 of 30

I live in a beautiful area surrounded by farmland.  As growth encroaches it may not be for much longer but while I still get to see furrows of dirt, acres and acres of different crops growing throughout the year (the advantage of an Arizona winter) I am so thankful for farmers.  It is such an easy thing to take for granted as I go to the store and pick up food without a thought about the hours of labor that produced the wonderful fruits, vegetables, and meats.   When I walk out of my apartment at times and my nose is assaulted with the pungent odor of manure I stop before I can complain because I know that the land around our area is being plowed for a new crop to turn those furrows of dirt into something lush and green that will sustain life.  Brett Brian wrote; "Farming is a profession of hope."  I am so thankful to those who haven't walked away from the land and go out each day with faith that what they plant will help them reap a harvest.  Farmers are a blessing.  

Blessing #14 of 30

I am so grateful that I am a grandma!  It is absolutely the best icing on any cake.  I have had the privilege of watching each of you grow into amazing young adults and still have the joy of the sweetness of the younger grandkids.  Aunt Amy sent me a link to Eden's Thanksgiving program at school.  As I watched her sweetness when she recited her part and sang the Hoki Poki song (using turkey words instead) I was filled with awe that she is one of the jewels in a crown that I get to wear.  I am so impressed with the kindness you show to me and you showed to Grandpa.  You included him in your pretending, you walked a little slower so he could keep up.  You touch bases on occasion to let me know what you are up to.  I often get to be reminded of things your mom and dads did that always made me smile as you often have some of their similar traits.  The 10 commandments teach us that we must honor our father and mother so that our days may be long,  I thank each of you sweet grandkids for extending that honor to me as well.  I am truly blessed!

Blessing #13 of 30

I am so grateful that we have the Scriptures.  When I finished reading the Book of Mormon recently I made a decision that I would read it again along with reading the New Testament.  It has been such a testimony builder to read the words on the Prophets in Israel and the words of the Prophets on the American continent.  Today in reading in Jacob 4:3 I loved this comment made by Jacob.  "Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents."  From these beautiful words I then read in Luke 10 the parable of the Good Samaritan and was given direction by the Savior to "go and do likewise."  As I  do my daily scripture study I am encouraged, chastised, warned, and enlightened because I am able to bear witness that Jesus is the Christ.  How could I not be grateful for that!