Happy Thanksgiving! I’m missing two of my turkeys this year, but we are pretty sure they are being fed. Larissa will probably have a salad today, and Cole told me he had a lunch appointment, and probably a dinner appointment, so that’s good. My first Thanksgiving on my mission was weird. I had just arrived in Germany, and Thanksgiving isn’t really a holiday there, but a nice sister had invited the missionaries over for lunch. I felt very new, and things felt very strange. Corn and Garbanzo beans and something that tasted like peanut butter on pizza? Weird. But I was still thankful for the, thankful to be doing what I felt was right for me at the time, and thankful to be serving the Lord in Germany.
We are making our traditional Oreo turkeys, and I’ve got the kids peeling potatoes. We will be making the green beans with bacon that my family loves, too. Oh, and I made this
layered pumpkin pie toffee cheesecake.
I’ve spent the month posting things on facebook that I’m thankful for. It’s a good exercise in thinking about all the blessings I have. I am so blessed. I have a wonderful family, I have great kids, I have a wonderful husband.
We have a nice home and even have chickens. The kids get a good education and are not afraid to go to school because of bullies or violence. I made up my own job and get to teach a chime choir to elementary kids. I’ve been blessed to perform with the Bells on Temple Square for almost 9 years–a calling that has completely enriched my life and made me a better person.
We have a wonderful neighborhood and friends, and we love to associate with them.
We have the gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches us that we can repent and be with our Father in Heaven someday.
President Monson, in 2010 general conference, said,
My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
My beloved friend President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.” 3
Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
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