thanks for the litle things ...

So, I'm well aware that it is now December, but I couldn't let the Thanksgiving holiday pass by without taking a moment to reflect on all that I am thankful for this year:

I'm so thankful for great friends who in every way possible have become my family here in Missouri. We were lucky enough to have a few of them at our house for Thanksgiving (as that's all that would fit in our tiny little place!). I'm also thankful that my first time hosting Thanksgiving went off so well. Thankfully, my turkey was fully cooked, all the other food was divine and the only real tragedy of the night was banana cream pie that I bought from the grocery store because I was too lazy to make one! It came out of the box looking like it had been thrown against the wall a few times and then stepped on for good measure.

At least it still tasted good!

I'm grateful for a basement full of toys to banish all the kiddos to so we could all relax!

I'm thankful for my little bug who surprises me everyday with his darling personality. He now loves to "draw pictures" any time I pull a pen out to write something down and has just starting singing little songs to himself. He now graces us often with "Jingle Bells" the Elmo's World theme song, "Book of Mormon Stories," and his own version of the ABC song.

I'm thankful for our good friends the Baker's who let us bombard their home to watch the BYU/Utah game seconds after they returned home from their Thanksgiving vacation. While there, Hayden split open his eye and got a nasty cut. I'm sooooo grateful that we are surrounded by medical students and residents who saved us from a long trip to Urgent Care. I'm also thankful that super glue has so many uses. Our last round of stitches on Hayden isn't a pleasant memory, so I'm grateful we could just glue it shut and call it good. Let's hope his scar isn't too scary and just adds to his striking good looks!

And just to prove I'm an awesome mom, here's your reminder of what happened

in June to Hayden's other eye. Is this kid accident prone or what!

I'm grateful for an amazing husband who still finds time for his family even in the midst of his crazy studying schedule for boards. Aren't they the cutest!

Last but not least, I'm grateful for this time of year. I love the Christmas season more than any other time of year. I love the decorations, the shopping, the guaranteed family time,

and most of all, the constant reminder of our Savior.

We hope your Christmas is amazing and we can't wait to head

home and share this amazing time with loved ones!