Thankful for Thanksgiving!

Grandpa Jarvis, Kaleb, Ben & Dylan...just happy to be alive as you can see!

Stuffed silly!

Mama's boy...he won't let me out of his sight lately!

I am a true lover of Thanksgiving. It's not so much the feast or the football, although I love that too, but more just the idea of everyone stopping their busy lives to give thanks. It's such a wonderful chance for us all to think about our many blessings and express gratitude to our Savior and those we love. Our old bishop sent out an email with a thought provoking quote that I'd like to remember and share. Father Patrick Henry Reardon writes, “Suppose for a moment that God began taking from us things for which we failed to give thanks. Which of our limbs and faculties would be left? Would I still have my hands and mind? And what about loved ones? If God were to take from me all those persons and things for which I have not given thanks, who and what would be left of me?” I am so, so grateful for each of you, my wonderful friends and family, who have touched my life so deeply and made me a very happy girl!

On a lighter note, here's some Thanksgiving highlights:
*Kaleb saw a black man on tv as we were watching the parade and said, "That looks like Grandpa!" Aside from the fact that he was black, the man was also grimacing in a frown and barking off orders to his troupe of acrobats. We of course asked, "Which one? Grandpa Murdock or Grandpa Stock?" "You know, the one in Oregon." We immediately called Dad at 7:45 am OR time and after getting a good laugh, he said he better come down and visit us so Kaleb knows what his grandpa looks like!
*Kaleb also made up his own Thanksgiving song to the tune of Mary had a Little Lamb: Murray had a little turkey, little turkey, little turkey. Murray had a little turkey who was on top of his head! This was sung to several grandparents all day while dancing on couches and jumping on beds.
*My pumpkin roll and homemade rolls were a hit at the Jarvis Thanksgiving reunion. It's always great to be around family and I love my cousins, aunts & uncles...they're all so great and wonderful to include us! Dylan loved Jenny's pumpkin cookies and had one in each hand. Randy made the BEST carrots I've ever tasted!
*We had a nice visit with G & G Jarvis in Mesa and Ben performed surgery on Gramma Rosie. She had stabbed herself with a pencil and there was lead embedded in her heel for 3 days until Ben dug it out! Grossness aside, she also shared a YUMMY lucious lemon bundt cake with us, and gave me the recipe.
*Good conversations with loved ones near & far. It's been a "grate" day for us all & we feel truly blessed!