Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been thinking about all of the past Thanksgiving's and reminiscing about them.  We sure have enjoyed this holiday.  I hope I am not too sentimental this year as I think about all of my many blessings.  Sometimes life gives you an opportunity to pause and think about your blessings with a different perspective and that is how I feel this year.  Since I just started this blog and feel like I want to "catch up" on times gone by I am including previous pictures and making this a family history kind of post.

A very early Thanksgiving memory for me is having Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandmother Wright's house in Heber City.  We put several very long tables together and enjoyed the meal with a lot of extended family.  I remember that it took a long time to pass around all of the food.

Then there were the Thanksgivings spent with the Huffaker side of the family.  We would go to a local church in Midway and have a Thanksgiving dinner.  It is at one of these that I brought a side dish that my siblings continue to tease me about......"We still have all of our teeth and we don't need pureed food."  Well, I still bring a sweet potato side dish that is whipped every year!

I just had to throw in this photo!  Grandma and Grandpa Huffaker always had Schwan ice cream in the freezer and Thanksgiving is about memories.

This photo represents Thanksgivings spent with the McMurtrey's in Idaho.  Byron usually works the day after Thanksgiving so it has been awhile since we were there for an actual Thanksgiving.  This cute picture of Grandma McMurtrey is very sweet.

There was the Thanksgiving that Byron and I spent with my sister --Tricia and her family in San Antonio.  This isn't a photo from that particular visit...those photos aren't easily accessible....but it is a picture of us at the San Antonio Temple.  We flew there on Thanksgiving Day and we were given the royal treatment...crown and all for Ella.  We enjoyed a trip to Sea World that was all decorated for the Christmas season.  It was fun to be somewhere warm for Thanksgiving.

A few years ago, Ella and I went to visit my brother, JR and his family as well as other extended family members in Arizona (another warm place) for Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed ourselves so much.  My sister-in-law Aubree always pampers the girls.  We also enjoyed watching the BYU-Utah football game and enjoyed teasing my nephews!!

When we lived in West Jordan, we actually hosted Thanksgiving several times for our families.  One in particular....where we basically didn't provide anything homemade...except for the mashed potatoes.  We laughed about it, but then commented that it was probably the best tasting Thanksgiving dinner.......Lion House rolls, and Marie Calendar pies (introducing my nephew to his now favorite "Double Cream Lemon".  My sister did bring the turkey and gravy!  It was simple for us and we enjoyed the games and conversation that followed.

 I wouldn't say that I am a big shopper but I have done some Black Friday shopping.......most recently with my sister, Melissa.  I did find some great deals but I also enjoyed being entertained by other "Hard-Core Shoppers".  It was fun and I will be joining her again.

 I have enjoyed looking back at all of the great times that we have shared with those we love so much.  A children's book, "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" really explains what this time of year means to me.  It describes what a memory is....Something warm; Something from long ago; Something that makes you cry; Something that makes you laugh; and Something as precious as gold.  I am thankful for all of my Memories.....they all fit this description!