Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love everything about it. I love the reason--Gratitude, and I also love what happens for me because of it. Thinking about my blessings started on the first and I had really good intentions of covering my wall with tons of grateful leaves and there is a good amount on there, but sadly not nearly enough to represent how richly blessed I am. I have so much to be grateful for. The top ones being my family, Jesus Christ, being a member of the Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-day Saints, the scriptures, Gaupo's job, and the miracles and tender mercies that are continually worked in my life. Life throws crazy things at us like my brother's house sale just feel though, my nephew almost go kidnapped, and I know compared to those two things Tia going to preschool isn't that big of a deal, but it is to me and I know that those things that are big to us are big to God. I don't understand his plan and his timing. I don't understand why Tia wasn't miraculously healed in her speech and I also don't know why it is so hard for me to accept that she is going to preschool by it is. I also don't know why the sale would fall though on my brother's house when they are doing what they feel they should be doing. I don't know why Melanie almost had another kid taken from her when she just had a miscarriage. Sometimes life just seems so unfair especially when you feel like you have done everything you can to do what is right. When you have tried so hard to follow and do all the right things. However, I do know that even though hard things happen God is a God of miracles and and that he will bless us as we need. He has a plan and lessons that we all need to learn. He will protect us. He already has. For example, there was a large man close by and Melanie heard Blaine scream and then screamed herself and that man was there to scare the kidnapper. My brother didn't have the sale on his house go through, but there is time and I know that Heavenly Father knows what they need and when the time is right they will have it. As for Tia, I think her miracle is the fact that she can speak as well as she does. Today she actually told me her ear hurt and so I was able to get meds to help her before I just would have wondered why she was so crancky and probably chalked it up to the cold she has too, but she told me clear as clear my ear hurts. That is truly a miracle because she hasn't always been able to do that.

Sorry long tangent on gratitude, but the reason is because Heavenly Father is the source of our blessings and I love Thanksgiving because even though I didn't do the best job at being grateful I still was able to think and reflect on it more than usual. I am so blessed.

Of course Thanksgiving is about being thankful, but to me it also means family and food. This year we went to Idaho to spend it with Gaupo's family. We left Wednesday morning at 5:03, a whole three minutes later than we wanted to. We pushed on and we made good time. We even made a pitstop at one of my favorite places--Arctic Circle. They don't have those out here in Colorado and so I ask Gaupo almost every time we go out to Idaho if we can stop and usually he says no, so I was planning on the same answer again, but this time he said Yes! I could hardly believe it and then our Aunt Kitt treated us all. That was so not the plan, but it was such a good treat and she even spoiled us with some crisscut fries. Those fries always remind me of summer shopping trips with my Grandma. Especially the Preston ones where we would go shopping in the basement of Kings, and then do a few other stores and then go to Arctic Circle for Crisscut Fries and Lime Rickees. It was so good.

Moosetracks shake and fries. YUMMMM!!

Anyway, after our pitstop at Arctic Circle we made it Grandpa-Greats house by a little before 2PM. We had lunch with them. Then the girls and Gaupo took rests and/or naps while Grandpa, Kitt, Klaire and I all chatted. It was super nice to just chill and visit. When the girls woke up we had a piggy painting party. ever since I told the girls we were going to have one they had been begging for it to happen. Tia wanted bright pink and Kylee wanted Aunt Klaire to do her's Christmas. Kylee's were so cute that I just had to try and copy. So, they are similar, but different, but still Christmas. After the piggy party it was time to get dinner started. So, I made some enchilada sauce and then Grandpa helped me fry some tortillas for Mormon Enchiladas. Oh man, that meal is so good. We were all stuffed, by the end, but so good. By then it was time for us to go drop of coolers and head to Grandma's house. I dropped of the coolers to Uncle John, so he could fill them with his fabulous grass-fed beef. I did end up visiting for just a bit, and then we went to Grandma's.

Gaupo was the first one to enter his house and although Grandma may have said 'Good to see you,' the first thing I heard is "Where is everyone else?" Sorry Gaupo, I think you might be taking second to your kids. ( I doubt that is true just so you know.) Anyway, we get there and Grandma takes me upstairs, so I can see that there are Christmas presents from Grandma Hammond up there and then she plays and plays with the kids while Guapo and I haul things in and Christmas out. All the playing made for kind of a late night which in that house is like 9:00, but still. So, we headed to be, so we could be geared up for Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving was great. Most of the food just had to be heated in the oven, but nothing really had to be made. So, even though we were fixing a feast there was still time to play and enjoy each other before the feast. The girls were begging for a four-wheeler ride and so we took them on one. It was of course a little cold, but still fun.

Me, Kylee, Gaupo, and Tia on the four-wheeler.

Heidi and Jeff arrived with there kids about 11:30 and at Noon the feast began. We had all 19 Merrills there. It was kind of crazy, but you know I would have had it any other way. The kids got to sit with there cousins and the adults were all eating and chatting together. As the kids finished the adults were actually able to finish eating and continue talking. As per Merrill tradition, pie was not eaten until dinner that night, so after the meal kids went down for naps and there was of course more visiting. It was mostly just naps and play until dinner where we had leftovers and then topped off with pie and ice cream. After dinner we gave the kids baths and then got them to bed. We talked in the kitchen for bit and then went to bed. For me it was a perfect Thanksgiving. The right amount of food with tons of family and visiting. This trip was really fun because the cousins actually played together, so the parents could actually visit without having to worry too much about the kiddos.

The day after Thanksgiving is also a great holiday because usually there really is no agenda you are just all there to hangout because only coming for one day is not nearly enough time together. So, we had breakfast and then after breakfast we had family pictures. Oh boy is it hard to get 19 people to all look at the camera and be happy, especially if 8 of those 19 are 4 and under. It was pretty epic, but I think we got some good ones and Grandma and Grandpa are happy with them, so I think its good to go.

The only one with Tia looking at the camera. 

Us being goofy.

Katelyn, Kylee, and Tia playing.

All the grandkids.

My personal favorite.

After pictures, it was kind of a disbanding moment. Heidi and Jeff went down to the Anderson's and Melanie and Aaron had sick kids, so they took them home to sleep, and well it just seemed like the perfect time to go for a run. Since Derek's funeral I have been wanting to run from the Merrill house to the Cemetery. I don't know why it didn't happen this summer, but it didn't so I was hoping I could do it now because I would have to wait another long time before the opportunity came again. So, I seized the nice weather and the disbanding moment and did it. That hill up to the cemetery is a killer, but I did it. It is only 2.5 miles but like I said more than the miles its the time, so I made the time and did it and I am so glad. Gaupo and Kylee came to pick me up and Kylee is so sweet. She asks all kinds of questions. Probably her favorite is "When is the resurrection?" We talk about what it might be like to have him after the resurrection. She thinks we will bring him home in our car and play with him and stuff like that and I am just excited that one day I will get to see him again. I don't know if he will be a baby, but he will be my boy and I am so excited. Anyway, it was fun to talk about Derek with Kylee. Then we went to Redrock to see if we could get the gym there, but we don't have service, so we could't. We went home and helped get lunch on and had lunch and then got the girls down for a nap. During naps Melanie, Grandma, Scott, Gary, and I played Ticket to Ride. The kiddo's woke up before we were done, but luckily Gaupo took care of them while we finished up. Then Gaupo, Kylee, Tia, and I went on another four-wheeler ride. Kylee had been dying to go up to the pond, so we rode up there and then back. Boy is it cold on a four-wheeler but really fun. We had dinner and played put the kids to bed. Then we visited in the kitchen and played a game. We played Quiddler and it is so funny how Heidi can not help helping people. It is so counter-intuitive for her it is hilarious and what makes it even more funny is how it drives Melanie and sometimes me too up the wall because we play to win. Oh different personalities. Got to love families if for no other reason than that it brings all different personalities together. After games we went to bed.

Saturday was more playing and visiting. We played outside, had more four-wheeler rides, played inside and visited. After lunch, I went down to Virginia to visit again and pickup our meat. I had a great visit with my Grandpa and sisters. We even got to go through a drawer of some of my Grandma's craft stuff. It was pretty fun to see what was in there. She was so talented with stuff like knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, and things like that. It was way fun. Also I picked up one of my Grandpa's white dressers. I think with will be good to have an actual dresser for the girls room and so I am excited to have that. Then we visited with Aunt Karen and Uncle John for a bit and then it was time for me to head back. I got back and went on another four-wheeler ride. Then helped make dinner and then baths and visiting. Then showers for us grown people and bed.

Playing with Grandma's technology is definately one of the kids favorite activities.
Katelyn, Arlen, Kylee, and Tia.

Sunday dawned early because I had to get up and get things going. I read scriptures and then waited for the kiddos to wake-up before packing stuff up and getting ready. We made sandwiches, had breakfast, and got dressed and even had a few minutes to spare before having to leave for church. Our original plan did not include staying for Sunday, but Grandpa was being made bishop of Swanlake Ward and asked us if we could stay. So, we changed our plans and stayed (we made these changes like a week before.) It was great to be there. We didn't get to see him set apart, but I am really glad we got to go. I thought that it was a great meeting and the Stake President said some really good things. The two things I remember were, "He loves Swanlake Ward and he wants to let it stay a ward, but that means that the ward members need to serve. They need to serve where and how they are needed." I was pretty impressed by his boldness and yet you could tell he was speaking with love. The other thing he said was "If you are taking your spouse for granted don't. (long pause) Just don't." It was super powerful. I did feel the spirit in that meeting and I would have loved to stay till the end and see the setting aparts, but in winter you got to get as much time on the road before it gets dark as you can. I think President thought about changing the setting apart time when he saw we had to leave, because he told Grandma and Grandpa that he felt that he needed to wait. Then the water to the church ran out, so they had to end early and he said he felt that was what was suppose to happen, because almost all of the ward ended up staying. He said it was good for them to see the transition. I think Marsh Valley Stake has an inspired stake president who listens to the Lord and is sensitive to the needs of his stake. It was pretty cool to witness it. Anyway, the drive home was calm and the crazy and then calm. We made it safe and sound and were really glad we didn't have anything going on super early in the Morning on Monday. I did have to register Kylee for school, but that ended up being really low key, so that was good.

It was such a great trip and I am so grateful to everyone who put up with us and stayed around so we could see them. It was so great. Happy Thanksgiving!