It’s Thanksgiving, and I will post about the dinner tomorrow after we upload all the pictures. ;) Everything turned out perfectly though!!!
But while we were all digesting our pie, I thought it would be appropriate to share the things I’m thankful for.
First of all, the reason for the Holiday, The Pilgrims. Our ancestors. Who cared enough about their beliefs to travel to the American Continent in order to gain religious freedom making it possible for a man (who I’m also thankful for) Joseph Smith to restore Christ’s church in it’s fullest.
I’m also thankful for the Indians for teaching the pilgrims how to survive on this land.
I’m thankful for Jesus Christ and the atonement. It has saved my family. I will always be so far in debt to Christ that it’s overwhelming to think about sometimes. He has forgiven me for terrible things, and yet as Matt and I prepare to be sealed together with our kids in his Holy Temple next month, I can still feel the love he has for me. This last year has been life changing, and it has been proven to us time and time again that when we do what He would have us do, no matter how hard it may be, the blessings just rain down. If you took the time to look at the year we’ve had, I think it would obvious. In one year, mine and Matt’s marriage has quadrupled in strength, we have met a lot of new friends that we like to spend time with, however most of the time, each other’s company is all we feel like we need.
I have always wanted another child after Riley, but I’ve always had this horrible thought that I didn’t deserve any more children. In June, I finished taking care of some things that needed to be taken care of, and immediately after, we got a very unplanned but VERY welcome surprise. Another baby on the way. It means so much more to me than just an unplanned pregnancy. It was like a gift from God. Not only are we having another child, but it’s a girl. Our little girl that we’ve been waiting for that I had given up hope to ever have. It’s like the best pat on the back from my Father in Heaven.. EVER
After we learned about the new child on it’s way to our family, we worried about having the means to take care of another baby. Problem solved. Matt got a random call one day on his day off from his boss and HR headquarters. They informed him that they had evaluated his job performance and have determined that he deserves to be paid more than what they’re giving him. For the sake of company policy, I can’t say how much, but I will say that it was enough to be able to afford a whole other rent payment on top of the one we’re paying each month. That. Doesn’t. Happen.
We have decided that while a bigger house would be VERY NICE, we would much rather stick it out for a while and pay off debt. We have a lot that needs to be done before Kaylee is born. We need to re-do 2 bedrooms, buy all the baby stuff we still need and find a mini van. We’re just trying to be careful not to go overboard so we can continue to afford making payments to places we owe (past medical bills and such).
I am very thankful to have my children. Through trials we’ve faced in the past, I felt like it was very possible our home could become broken. Not having my kids everyday, having to share them with someone else, having Matt and I become 2 different families. I can’t even fathom the thought today. Thanks to my amazing husband and his ability to forgive, and work through problems solving each one we face, one at a time hand in hand, we’re stronger than ever. Having to face those possibilities open your eyes at the things you would miss, every single day, your priorities, your hobbies, your attitude toward them changes. Suddenly they are more interesting than Facebook or other “time wasters”. You randomly start crying tears of joy while you’re holding them, rocking them and reading to them. You realize what you have and you want to work as hard as you need to work to keep them close and happy enough that they want to remain close.
My husband. Matthew. I wish with all my heart I could even express how lucky I am to have him, and how amazing of a person he is. He pours his heart and soul into his work for the sake of supporting his family. Him and I are a team. He provides for us temporally, and I kind of run the house while he’s gone. The minute he comes home, it’s like a switch flips. He is in charge. He takes care of the kids. I cook and clean and do what needs to be done around the house. It’s a perfect balance of teamwork that makes our home work. He is so great about taking care of the things that I sometimes can’t. I don’t think in this past year, I have heard him complain about 1 single thing I’ve asked him to do. He gets up and does it immediately. It’s like both of us needed our butts kicked and one day we both just grew up and started doing the things (and stop doing some things) that we needed to in order to be together forever. I wish so much I could give you all the little details of the progress that has happened, but for the sake of keeping personal business, personal. Just trust me. He’s the most amazing person I have ever met.
I’m thankful for our ward family. Our bishop for instance was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He also has his doctorate degree in management. And a professor. He should probably be the most intimidating person I’ve ever met. But in truth, he’s by far the most humble. I’m thankful for his inspiration. He runs our ward like a family. I’m thankful for my Sunday school teacher. (I know, random) but he’s amazing. He’s a history teacher and I love how he takes each lesson and shows us exactly why it matters to us in today’s world. My relief society president who randomly showed up at my door while Matt was out of town, I was suffering from a kidney stone with 2 small children and needed to go in for an ultrasound. I had no idea how I was going to do it, and I hadn’t told anyone about it by my parents. She came knocking just as I was leaving and told me that she was there to take my kids for me, but she had no idea why. The friends we’ve made in this ward are remarkable. The friends the BOYS have made in this ward are remarkable. The old lady in testimony meeting that is too frail to walk up to the stand so she stands up in the middle of the congregation and shouts to us her testimony. Matt and I have both never loved a ward so dearly.
Our lives right now are closer to perfect than I had ever imagined. Even when I was a little girl, I never dreamt I would be this happy. It has taken a lot of patience, and work, and forgiveness, and compromise, and sacrifice… But our situation now makes every Nano-second of all of everything we’ve been through so worth it. And it’s all thanks to our Father in Heaven and our older brother Jesus.. They are whom I’m most thankful for of all.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
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