THANKSGIVING 2008

Sorry, I still haven’t heard anything about my oral test results. I checked the PO Box about a week an a half ago and I’m sure that Becca will check tomorrow after she goes to the DMV. Please don’t get your hopes up too much because I was not as prepared to take that test as I should have been. It was a good experience and I feel very confident that I will pass it if I have to take it again in February (or whenever the next testing is offered).

I’ve had a stubborn cold for the past few days but it hasn’t kept me from enjoying Thanksgiving. Thursday we went to Atwater to be with my dad’s side of the family. Last year things took longer to prepare than was anticipated and we ended up eating all of the snacks. This year we were expecting the same delay so we brought lots of appetizers. Ironically, we only got to sample them because the turkey baked quickly and someone wisely put the appetizers away so we would still be hungry. The food was delicious! What happened after dinner was very nice as well: before dinner we were all told to write down some things we were grateful for on a slip or two of paper. After dinner we mixed up the pieces of paper and all read one out loud. It was supposed to be anonymous but ended up being pretty obvious who wrote what. All the same, it was a very nice activity since all of us had time to think and write down things that we were truly thankful for instead of having to improvise on the spot.

Saturday was spent with my mom’s side of the family at my grandmother’s house. I actually ended up spending a bunch of time outside, which turned out to be kind of nice since I’m inside all the time for my job. For the past couple of years Grandma has asked me and my brothers to put up her Christmas lights for her. A year seems to be a long enough time for me to forget how we did it the year before. I spent far too long on that project and it ended up being a family activity where just about everyone came outside to say what needed to go where. Even though that sounds annoying, it was actually kind of fun to be outside with everybody. Grandma, my aunt Laurey and I took Grandma’s pug for a walk and then Grant and I got out a bunch of Grandma’s Christmas decorations (which I’m sure will look great once she gets everything up). Grandma does so much for all of us that it really felt good when she asked us to do something for her.

I think what Becca and I feel most thankful for this year is feeling so loved and supported. Out in Utah we were 99% on our own and were very aware that if we didn’t make ends meet then they simply wouldn’t. We moved a lot and almost every time we did we had to build a new support system. God has blessed us greatly and we prospered in spite of our disadvantages but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t really hard. Coming to Modesto has been so easy! Thank you all for every little thing you have done for us since we’ve been here. We love to be invited over and when you stop by. We love not having to try and see everybody for a few minutes before we rush back across the desert. We love you all and are grateful that you are part of our lives.

I should also state that we are grateful for those who helped us while we were in Utah. Alicia, and now Darren, was always there to lend a helping hand and let us know we were loved. Our friends the Cranes, Higbees, Pinos and Kingsleys shared our sorrows and our joys in addition to driving us to airport several times. Last, but not least, Aunt Emma and Deb were absolutely wonderful acting as our matriarchal figures in the absence of our mothers bringing us together as family, getting us fabulous tickets to unforgettable events in the Conference Center and letting us stay at their home when it was needed. We will never forget any of you or the many ways that you showed your love for us when we lived close.

Even with all of this love and joy Becca and I still feel a nagging sense of incompletion. I’m sure that my cousins Jarit and Britain and the Lees in Fresno all had a good time but the family get-together was not the same without you. We feel the same way about our family in San Diego and San Antonio: your absence is sorely felt, especially during the holidays.

The ones we miss the most, however, are our wonderful Michiganders! Missing them isn’t quite as bad because we know that we’ll being spending two weeks with them enjoying Christmas and ringing in the New Year. We can’t wait!