I was so grateful that we had the opportunity to not only go to Utah this year for Thanksgiving, but we were able to stay for an entire week. I consider us very fortunate. I am grateful Casey has such a good job that he can provide for us, and that his boss' value family and allowed him to leave for a longer period of time. Luckily, Casey can do quite a bit from home (as long as he has a computer with Internet access) so being in Utah, he was still able to do the things he needed to.
While in Utah we made sure to stop through Bountiful and see Josh, Jeanene, Jentry, Haleigh, and their new little boy Jace. He is so precious. I was glad that I got to hold him and get to know him a tiny bit. Babies are so miraculous, and Jace is definitely no exception! He is so beautiful.
We stayed in Eureka at my parents house, and when we got there we had my parents and Jen and Chandler there waiting to see us. It had been a long day, but we were glad to be able to stay up and visit for a little while. My parents finally have their addition mostly done, so Sunday, when more of the family was there...it didn't feel quite as crowded as it can at times. I am so happy that they've been able to progress on a long project that has taken a lot of time and work.
It was nice to go to church in Eureka, and to know the people there. I felt kind of ridiculous because I could hardly talk to anyone without completely losing it. I miss the people I used to get to associate with more often. I especially miss the little girls I used to Babysit. They were so sweet and I loved them so much. I was glad to see that they were doing well and remembered me. We picked the right day to go to church in Eureka, because Summer, Ryan, and their two oldest were talking in church. They did a great job.
The week flew by, and I spent the majority of it with my sister Summer. Both my parents had to work the first half of the week. I was supposed to go down to Orem and visit with a couple of my friends, but that didn't end up working out, and that was a major bummer for me. :( Canyon really enjoyed being able to always have something new and exciting to play with. He stayed so entertained, we were pretty impressed.
One goal I had for the time I was in Eureka, was to be able to go on walks with my mom. I was so glad that she was okay with that, because we went on a walk every day that it was possible for us to do so. I love my mom, and I love the walks we always took together. She is such a wonderful lady, and she is really one of my best friends. I hope she knows how much I love her and appreciate her.
We got doubly fortunate this year, because we were able to go to TWO Family Thanksgivings! I wasn't going to complain! I made sure I exercised hard so that it wouldn't be "so bad". We had a Thanksgiving lunch at my parents, and then went to Provo for a Thanksgiving dinner with Casey's family. I am always glad when we get to spend time with the Despain's because it always ends up being really nice and you know that the family likes to be together. We played games, took some pictures, and of course ate, ate, ate.
Unfortunately, the day could only last so long, and we had a girls day planned for Friday so we weren't able to spend as much time altogether with the family. I was grateful that they boys were willing to watch kids so we could go and make watches and eat lunch together. I enjoyed it, but it was also stressful because for any of you who know me...I'm not the most creative gal on the block, so figuring out what would be best for my watch was challenging. The good thing about it, is that I realize I'm not the most creative person, so it didn't take me as long because I didn't think too long or hard about it.
Our last full day was Saturday. Josh and Jeanene came up, so the boys all went out to shoot rabbits. The problem was, there weren't any rabbits to shoot. So, at least they got a little time together to LOOK for rabbits. We can say that they didn't get much target practice though. Our favorite thing to do when the boys are gone, is watch a chick flick, and we did just that. It was just one on tv, so nothing too planned, but even though it was so simple, I enjoyed it a lot.
Sunday was really hard for me to leave. My mom shared with me a little story she tells her class at the beginning of each year. It was called The Kissing Hand I believe. The story is about a little raccoon that didn't want to leave his mom. His mom loved him and let him know that we all have to do things we don't want to do sometimes. She encouraged him. She gave him a kiss on his hand and told him that every time he was missing his mom he just had to put his hand to his cheek and remember "mommy loves you. mommy loves you."
Of course, this story put tears in my eyes, and makes my heart ache every time I think of it. I miss my mom a lot. Before my mom left for church and we were about to head back to Idaho, my mom kissed my hand. As cheesy as that sounds, it really meant a lot to me. I know that my parents love me because they do such a great job of helping me to remember, but it doesn't make the ache disappear. I may be an adult now...but I am still a pretty big baby who still needs her mommy and daddy.
I'm so grateful for this time of year. For the holiday's and the family that I have to share them with. I am grateful for Casey and how supportive and understanding he is of me. I couldn't ask for a better, more patient husband. I am grateful for Canyon and though at times he can be a real challenge, I love him more and more every second. I am so extremely thankful for the gospel. For our Savior Jesus Christ who loves each of us individually. I know he wants us to be happy and to love one another. I am so grateful for all the blessings we receive every single day. It is so easy to take things for granted, but I am so grateful for our health, our home, our cars, our families, our food, our safety, Casey's job, my job, being able to stay home with our little boy, the scriptures, the priesthood, and most especially the love I learn from Jesus Christ.
I know that I have a hard time feeling as Christ would feel sometimes, but I am trying to have a more perfect love and understanding of not only others, but of myself. He has faith in me, and I know that I can be the woman he wants me to be.
As always, I didn't take pictures at Thanksgiving because my camera gives me a headache...so I will add them as other's share them with me :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment