Thanksgivine 2021

 This Thanksgiving was not as bleak as last year.  We are still having issues with the pandemic but because of the vaccine, we are able to get together as a family.  I sent out the message to all the kids and this is what we got back.  Mindy's family all coming for bowling but Mindy is fixing Thanksgiving dinner for her mom and her family.  Lynda Ann's family all coming for bowling and dinner.  Tucker's family is going to Hawaii for Thanksgiving and Christmas so we won't get to see them during either of the holidays.  Maren's family has four coming for bowling and then they are going to Cutler's for dinner.  Greg is working and Jaden is playing in a turkey bowl during bowling.  Lyndsy is coming bowling with Sunshine and Desmond, but not coming to dinner.  Last year it was just Neal and I for dinner and we didn't have our usual bowling tradition.  This year we had a good group for bowling and the Gertsons for dinner.  

Some fun pictures of our bowling at Fat Cats.

I think everyone had fun.  It was good for all of us to be together for a little while and get caught up.  Also very fun to have Emmi with us for the Thanksgiving celebration.  

After bowling the Gertsons and Neal and I headed back to the house where Annie and I finished the preparations for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  Pretty standard.  Turkey with all the trimmings.  I think the only thing we don't do is sweet potatoes.  I don't like them and I don't think any of my children or grandchildren like them, except maybe Jamie and the girls.  After dinner, we play games, had pie, played more games and then Gertsons had to head home for Emmi to pack and get ready to head back to Georgia this morning.  She will be deployed on December 1st for at least 6 months.  

I have a lot to be thankful for.  The world outside is amazing every season of the year.  We are in to the beginning months of the winter season.  As I drive around town I am in awe at this beautiful earth, I live on.  In my perfect world summer would dominate most of the year with Fall coming in with a close second.  I just need the sun to charge up my batteries.  Lynda Ann is the opposite who finds energy and vigor on gloomy, rainy days.  Isn't that funny?  We are all so different.  I'm thankful for the difference in all of us.  It makes for a beautiful and interesting family tapestry.

 

Funny Neal Story

Neal text me the other day and asked me if I wanted a pedicure.  I told him I didn't need one but if he wanted one to go ahead.  He went to the place we usually go.  The lady there just thinks Neal is the cat's meow and loves to kid around with him.  Well, as only Neal could do, he fell asleep during the pedicure!  Yup, fast asleep.  So this lady who loves to mess with Neal, paints his toes with Christmas pictures.  When he wakes up, this is what he saw.  Candy cane, snow flakes and Christmas tree on top his feet and painted into his toes!  He laughed along with all of us.  When I sent the picture to Tucker, Tucker said, "I certainly hope you recorded this."   I told him that I wasn't with him and didn't know what had happened until Neal got home and told me.  But we do have the pictures for posterity.  Great joke on Pa!!!!  Ho, Ho, Ho and Merry Christmas.

 

Lexi's 18th Birthday

 Lexi just celebrated her 18th birthday.  Wish we could be in Kingsburg to celebrate this special day in your life.  We love you so much and wish you a life time of happiness.

Sunday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about my little namesake missionary, Abby.  I know that one day this month she will have hit her half way mark of her mission.  I can't believe it!  She will celebrate her time in California as a missionary and what a wonderful thing to do.  Her missionary companion wanted to do something special for Abby and so she asked her family to each write things that we loved about Abby and send them so that she could put them in a book and present them to Abby on her half way mark anniversary.  I hope she had a memorable day reading about all of the reasons we love her, honor her and pray for her success as a person and as a missionary. 

Abby is the most wonderful granddaughter ever and I am so proud of her.  I know she will look back on these days as some of the most exhausting and gratifying days of her life.  I know she works hard, she studies and serves hard, and she loves the people in her Spanish speaking mission.  I know she loves the Lord with all her heart, might, mind and strength.  I love who she is and who she is becoming every day.

Be happy little girl and know that you are loved and prayed for!  

 We don't just wake up one day and think I'm going to the temple.  We need to prepare each day to be worthy to be in the temple.  We are an eternal family and can all be together for eternity with the temple blessings in our lives.  Joseph F. Smith said  in 1902 that one day he hoped we would have temples that would dot the earth and be accessible to all members through the world.  The temples bring us joy and purpose.  What a wonderful blessing to be in the temple just this week with Lynda Ann, Jeff, Emmi and Mallory.  To sit on the row and look down at my family was almost beyond containment of happiness.  One of Emmi's request was to attend the temple while she was on leave.  What an example this granddaughter is to me of the importance of temples in our lives.  We did a 4:00 p.m. session and by the time we got out, of course, it was dark.  But, we took pictures anyway.  I was so happy and grateful to be invited to join this good family.  

Jeff, Mallory, Emmi, Lynda Ann and I

Beautiful Bountiful Temple

Two sisters who love each other and love being with each other.  Mallory and Emmi.

There is much to be done in our temples and much to learn.  How grateful I am for that little square piece of white paper that allows me to enter the temple.  It is a sacred possession and I cherish it.  Some of my most sacred experiences have happened in the temple.  And last Thursday evening was a scared experience for me.  

Our 2,000 Mile Journey

 Emmi will be leaving for deployment on December 1st.  She will be gone for 6 months or longer.  She didn't want to leave her car parked for 6 months without being driven once in a while so she asked her mom and I if we would fly out to Atlanta and then drive back with her.  She can leave the car here while she is deployed.  Annie and I left on Friday, November 12.  I will add in here that there is a turkey that I bought from Jamie a couple years ago.  The turkey was to raise money for the girls dance.  The idea of the turkey was that you would write what you were thankful for and put a feather for each thing in his tail.  Well, somehow this turkey got resurrected and has become a thing between Andrew and Emmi.  So Annie decided to sneak the turkey out of the house and bring it along on the trip so that Emmi could send pictures of the turkey during our drive home.  You know, kind of like Flat Stanley. 

Here are the pictures at the Salt Lake International Airport before we boarded the plane.  This is the turkey on the baggage belt.

Here he is having lunch with Annie and I at Cafe Rio before boarding the plane.

Strapped in and ready for take off!

Lynda Ann and I in our seats.  It was a Boeing 707.  Two seats on each side and 4 in the middle.  We were in the two seats on the side, which was perfect!  We watch a movie all the way to Atlanta.

Now this is the great picture.  Lynda Ann and I waited until everyone has exited the plane.  As we walked up to exit one of the pilots was just coming back to also leave the plane.  Annie asked him if it would be possible to take a picture of the turkey in cockpit.  The pilot said, "Sure, follow me."  He took us to the cockpit and we were able to take a picture!  We couldn't believe how nice he was about our stupid request.

Emmi was waiting for us and our journey across the states began.  Our first night we drove to Jasper, Georgia and spent the night there.  Annie spotted this car in the motel parking lot and we had a good laugh.  They have a lawn mower strapped on the top of their car!!  It was worth taking a picture.

The turkey (who at this time still remains nameless) is ready for a good nights sleep along with the rest of us.  

Picture the next morning as we were getting ready to head out on our long journey.

We reached New Albany, Tennessee where we stopped for lunch at the Cracker Barrell and of course the turkey was with us.

We did a little bit of shopping in the store and bought a couple things.  We had to have our masks on and so did the turkey!

Just a photo bomb here!

Cute picture of Emmi and the beloved Turkey!

Emmi found out that there was a Crumbl Cookies not too far from where we were so we made a little detour to get some delicious cookies for the trip!

Emmi's car heater broke a few days before we arrived for the trip and she didn't have the time to get it fixed but also wanted to have Quan fix it so we drove across the country in a cold car.  It was in the 40's most of the time so we had to make a stop at a Costco to buy each of us a blanket to wrap around us while traveling.  Of course the turkey was cold and need to be wrapped up as well.

We made a pit stop in Russellville and got some scratch cards.  Sadly none of us won anything.

We made it to Oklahoma in the evening about 7:00 p.m.  Annie had researched where the the Oklahoma City National Memorial was.  We drove into the city, parked and walked around the memorial.  It was very solemn and beautiful.  I took a few pictures but pictures are never the same as being there and you can never feel the impact of what happened from a picture.  I'm so happy that Lynda Ann thought about having us take the time to visit it.  

You should read about it so that you understand the times and what they stand for.

The empty chairs are representative of all the people who lost their lives when the building was bombed.  As you walk around you can see part of the structure of what is left of the building.  

After we left there we went to the Texas Roadhouse for a delicious steak dinner.  

This is one of the places that we stayed.  

We made it to Moab Sunday night.  We got up this morning and toured a little bit of Moab.  None of us had ever been there.  This is a picture of balancing rock.

Some more pictures of Moab.

A picture of Shiprock.

The turkey dressed up with Christmas decorations.

I just realized these pictures are out of order.  We drove to Four Corners on Sunday.  We arrived there at 4:30 and found out it closed at 4:45.  

Emmi doing push ups on the four states.

State of Utah - the best of all!!

This is just a fun picture of the shadow of Emmi's car on the hill side as we were traveling along.

A fun Mexican place we ate at in Moab.

A couple more pictures at Four Corners.  Funny thing about this picture.  Emmi was sick of this stupid turkey and did not want it in the picture so she tossed it off to the side for the picture.  When we saw it we immediately notice that the guy who took the picture had included the turkey!  We just couldn't get away from that silly turkey.

Finally one without the turkey.

We were so excited to finally see Welcome to Utah.  We had to pull over and take a picture.

Another random picture out of order of a place where we stayed in Texas. The funny thing about this picture is that Annie set the turkey under that star to take the picture.  She didn't know that her phone was on live.  As she took the picture a little pit of wind came up and the turkey fell forward off the sign.  Very funny.

We made a stop in Provo to see Mallory at work.  Exciting for the two sisters to see each other.  

All said and done, it was a fun trip.  We were blessed as we traveled.  We had prayer each morning as we began the day.  We were blessed with safety throughout the trip.  We saw lots of great sights and had fun conversations as we traveled.  I was grateful to have the three days with Emmi and Lynda Ann.  Grateful to be home safe and now to look forward to spending some time with Emmi before she leaves on deployment.  Welcome home Emmi!