Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  We made it through all the preparations and now are on our way to cousins to celebrate.  It took us the entire day yesterday to make our five pies.  With a two year old and a six month old, we frequently had to stop what we were doing to help with day to day "emergencies"  The older ones were very helpful with everything though.  Nathan rolled most of the pie crusts and made the filling for the apple and cherry pies.  Jacob cut onions for the stuffing and Benjamin made an emergency trip to the grocery store for bread to finish up the stuffing.  Nathan made the cranberry sauce and Olivia made the taco soup so that we would still have dinner amidst all our preparations.  Emily and Olivia were wonderful in helping to keep Sophie and David happy and content.  But nursing and diapers and babies who sometimes just needed Mom to hold them and no one else would do, were also a part of the day. 

Now, we are all packed up and on our way to visit family and spend the night.  I am so grateful for family.  My family are my best friends.  They are always there for me.  They love me despite my failings.  They cheer me on when I need to do hard things.  I am so grateful for parents who taught me so well, how to love and live the gospel, how to serve, to use my talents to bless others.  I am grateful for my husband's parents (my second Mom and Dad) who have always made me feel like one of their own.  I am grateful for my own brothers and sister and for Jerry's brothers and sisters.  Uncles, aunts, cousins - we have a wonderful, warm, loving, accepting family.   

And I am grateful to be a part of an even larger family.  I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows each one of us by name.  He loves unconditionally and desires to bless us and be a part of our lives.  We, every person here on this earth, are his children.  That makes us all brothers and sisters.  Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, is our elder brother.  He has shown us how to love.  He has shown us how to serve.  He has shown us to love even those who are unkind to us.  He sacrificed his own life that we might repent and be made clean, that we might live with our Heavenly Father again.  On this Thanksgiving Day I am truly grateful!!!