Gobble, Gooble, Gobble!

Here I sit, on my bed, in my parents’ house, late at night after all of the wonderful Turkey Day festivities have finished. By all of the festivities, I mean sleeping in, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, eating delicious steak, taking a ridiculously long nap and then bumming around for the entire rest of the day. This wide array of activities requires one explanation--steak. This was because this year my parent’s neighbors invited us to have Thanksgiving dinner with them. To quote my delightful neighbor lady, “We’re showing thanks for the food we have and we do not raise turkeys--we raise cows”. Indeed, my friend, indeed. And it was delicious :) So now I’ve gotten a delicious steak and tomorrow we get all of the wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving food. Score! That is my Thursday in a nutshell thus far.

Moving on to the few days prior to this one; on Tuesday after work and class I went to the AA choir festival to watch a couple of my friends sing with their a cappella group and it was SWEET! Then I had dinner with some friends and it was in the form of Cornish game hens, which were surprisingly delicious. Moving on, on Wednesday there was no school, so after dinner on Tuesday night there was a delightful little movie party. I showed up at roughly 11 p.m. because I was finishing homework. By the time I arrived the movie was over; however, I was not entirely out of luck. We started watching another movie and 5 ½ hours later I found myself asleep on the floor being rudely awakened by a cat licking my face. Apparently I was in quite the state of distress over it and almost in tears at one point. Anywho, there were 5 people still there when I decided to go home because I had to work in the morning. Yep. Then I went to work and did TONS of laundry. And then the day went on, and on, and then I went home and then went shopping and then my sister picked me up and now I’m at my parent’s house. Nice sentence, that one was.

SO, this brings me to where I am now. At home (finally; I have not been home since mid-August sometime--it’s not even a 3 hour drive to get here. Sorry, mom and dad, I really should visit more often), still awake, listening to music, and thinking how crazy it is that I spent the majority of my life sleeping in this bedroom. Weird. Now it doesn’t even look the same as it did when I lived here. Most of my posters, my stereo, and random room décor made the move with me. Granted, I haven’t entirely moved out, but while the shell remains of what this room once held, the essence is gone--at one point, the ceiling was covered in records and Christmas lights, music was a constant actor in the setting, and as always, clothes were EVERYWHERE—draped over the railing by the stairs, on the desk chair, and trailing to the closet. But [sigh], here I am with a new quilt on the bed, a cedar chest that has made its way in here, and boxes that have started to accumulate under and on top of my desk. Goodness gracious. What an odd Thanksgiving. Older Sis #1 and her husband are still in Denver and Little Bro is on his mission in South Pasadena, California, so that leaves me and Older Sis #2 as the only ones to come home, so it’s a little weird missing 3 people. However, regardless, this just goes to show that while life moves on, we cannot be static. So this Thanksgiving here is a small list of what I am most thankful for:

1. Little Bro being on a mission

2. The manchild is in good health and getting better

3. My family and love and support they’ve always given me (especially the times when I had absolutely zero belief in my own capabilities)

4. My friends. They put up with more than they probably should and are always there, no matter the hour (thanks for randomly helping me at short notice and answering the phone when I call literally in the middle of the night--it really does mean a lot to me)

5. The person who has been there for me through everything and has kept me from myself. You have stayed up countless nights with me while I try desperately to figure out life and fight my doubts and personal demons. If you’re reading this, you know who you are, but I do not think you realize the impact that you’ve had on my life.

6. Everyone who has ever encouraged me to be a better person and has seen something in me that I still cannot see in myself

7. The gospel and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is only with his love and the truths that are his teachings that we can someday reach our full potential and come to know the greatest joy that will last into the eternities


While this list seems a little corny and clichéd, it is quite sincere and I really do mean everything I wrote. But this is where I leave you.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone :)