Count your many blessings

This week I am home with my family in California for Thanksgiving. Thinking it would be nice and warm, I packed a lot of clothes that I've been unable to wear in Utah for the past month or so, but I've been sorely disappointed, as the weather is much colder than I expected. And our house in California doesn't warm up nearly as well as our tiny apartment does in Utah (we finally got the heater fixed about a week ago!)

Despite the coldish weather, I have been enjoying my time here with my family. We've been doing a lot of shopping, listening to a lot of Christmas music, and eating like there's no tomorrow. Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with our immediate family (minus Kellen and Olivia...miss you guys!), my Uncle Eric and Aunt Stephanie and their boys Max and Jude, as well as the missionaries from our ward and a friend of my dad's named Loren. We set up a big long table in the living room, and my talented mother made some beautiful flower centerpieces from a fall bouquet she purchased. We even whipped out my great grandmother's old china and some fancy glasses (which my cousin Max, age 4, said were only for wine...Our family doesn't drink alcohol, so I don't know where he learns these things).

Check out those flowers...Mom is so good at arrangements!

The place settings with Great Grandma's china and the "wine" glasses.

Dad carving the bird!

Possibly the best part of the whole dinner...homemade rolls and BUTTER.

Jello, sautéed vegetables, mashed potatoes

My absolute favorite salad: Romaine lettuce, strawberries, green onions, avocados, sugared almonds with homemade poppyseed dressing. Yum!

Stuffing and sweet potatoes with brown sugar and walnuts. Delicious.

The turkey!

My cute baby cousin Jude. We had to take turns holding him because everyone wanted to play with him!

Here is a close-up of those legs...I'm a sucker for chubby babies!

Max brandishing his butter knife. My favorite quotes of his from the day were:

"I don't have my swim trunks. I will have to go in the hot tub naked!" and

"I'm ticklish on my booty."

Everyone who shared this wonderful Thanksgiving with me!

After dinner, everyone went into a food coma, including Boon. We both took a nap by the fireplace.

Throughout this week I have been thinking a lot about gratitude and all the blessings I have in my life. I am grateful for a family who loves me and supports me in all that I do, and for friends who are my family away from home. I'm thankful for my health, and I'm thankful for the opportunities I have been afforded throughout my life. I'm grateful for a wonderful home both here in California, and a nice apartment in Utah with loving roommates. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to gain a college education. I'm thankful to have a knowledge of God and the love that He gives His children, and for the direction that this has brought to my life. I'm grateful for the beauty of nature. I'm thankful for the wonderful nation I live in, and for all the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States.

I could go on for hours listing the things I am grateful for, and it has become especially clear to me in recent years just how blessed my life is.

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done!"