A List of Thankful Fors

I just had a brilliant plan for when I'm married and have 15 children who are complete hellions. 

I'm going to tell them that Harv the Thanksgiving Turkey sneaks into the house through the skylight windows (because my house will be full of these) and sacrifices himself for our Thanksgiving feast. We'll then discuss the importance of sacrificing for the greater good, etc., and it will be a deep and meaningful learning experience. 

Please validate this. 

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But honestly, I have always been tempted to overlook Thanksgiving in my excitement for Christmas and ski season and the end of the semester. It just seems a little superfluous to go all out for a fancy food orgy, ya get me? Thankfully, my mother has always been the perfect inspiration to me of what we really celebrate Thanksgiving for. I remember that during the month of November she would list all the things that she was grateful for. And I mean all of them. She'd list things from carpet and industrial sized matches to the gospel and long talks with her mom. 

So here's a little list of Thankful Fors (with occasional pictures). 

- The Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ. This tops them all because without these everything else would be empty and meaningless. This is the rock of my existence. 

 - Parents who show me that true love exists and can be lasting. 

If a blurry picture of Shane and Sandy playing on a teeter totter in their bike gear in Switzerland doesn't make you happy then you are soulless.

-How I feel when I get on any kind of bike. 

-Skiing. 

-Reading my Book of Mormon at night with the Christmas lights turned on. Fuzzy socks are optional. 

-  Not having life figured out because hello options! Possibilities! Endless dreams! 

-Cinnamon Toast Crunch. 

-The nostalgia I feel almost daily about my mission. 

-Avocados. And other food too. But mostly avocados. 

- Giving up on my decision to not read non-school books during the semester. Hello happiness. 

- Feeling loved by so many people, it's ridiculous. Including these beautiful people. 

-D.I. shopping sprees. 

-These babies. And their parents. We all know I love them so it doesn't need too much explanation. BUT JUST LOOK AT THEM THEY ARE PERFECT. 

 

 -Knowing that my dance moves are probably, most-likely, definitely good enough for a Justin Bieber/ Beyonce music video. 

- Anything small and cuddly and fuzzy. 

-My frenz. You know who you are because I am probably always begging you to drop everything and play. 

My go-to partner in crime.

- Hermana Shannon. But better yet, Hermana Shannon with an extremely tiny horse. 

-My Baby Brother Bruce.

It's now almost midnight and I had plans to write more but I think that this is sufficient. There is so much to be thankful for. 

"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my GREAT THANKSGIVING; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

Alma 26:37

Happy eating and thank Harvey the Thanksgiving Turkey for me.