Happy Thanksgiving!!

"Gratitude is a sign of maturity. It is an indication of sincere humility. It is a hallmark of civility. And most of all, it is a divine principle. I doubt there is anything in which we more offend the Almighty than in our tendency to forget His mercies and to be ungrateful for that which He has given us.Where there is appreciation, there is also courtesy and concern for the rights and property of others. Without these, there is arrogance and evil. Where there is gratitude, there is humility instead of pride, generosity rather than selfishness.We would do well to get on our knees and thank the Almighty for His bounties. We would do well, also, to cultivate within ourselves a spirit of thanksgiving for the blessing of life itself and for the marvelous gifts and privileges we enjoy."
-Gordon B. Hinckley

I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY! How am I thankful? Let me count the ways.

I'm thankful for my membership in the Church and testimony of the Gospel...and for my parents. I love my daddy and mama soooo much. I'm thankful to have two wonderful sisters who have been such a great example to me and some of my closest friends even though I'm much younger and in a totally different time of my life than they are. Thanks for caring about my little things. And...for my brothers- even through everything I am very glad I have them. I'm grateful for my wonderful friends- my friends from home, my college roommates and honorary roommates, my current roommates (don't know what I would do without them), and all of my other close friends who love me and make me laugh and let me cry. I'm grateful for my job and the wonderful students that I've been able to teach and that I get to teach right now. They make a huge difference in my life and have taught me so much. Plus they make me laugh all the time. I just wanted you to be read some of these letters. They wrote a letter to Thomas Turkey after he asked them not to eat turkey for Thanksgiving.

Dear Thomas T. Turkey,
I will ask my friends to eat PB&J samwich becuse I hate Turkey it is hard to chew if I Forget to ask my friends to eat PB&J sandwich I will be sorry.

Dear Frende,
I Do not like meat very much. I might eat pork if you mind. Will you visit awr class? P.s My frend's want to eat you.

Dear Mr. T. Turkey,
I'm so sorry but I need to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. But I will make sure that it's not you because I do feel sorry that people try to eat you. My parents don't catch turkeys. They buy turkeys for Thanksgiving from the store. happy thaksgiving!!!
Regretfully,

or these sweeties....

Dear Thomas T. turkey,
I am so sorry but I am a ferocious turky eater! I am so sorry about it but I am going to eat you for dinner maybe leftovers too! I am sorry about this, but I will eat you anyway Happy Thanksgiving!
Regretfully, the carnivore

Dear Thomas T. Turkey,
I have to eat turkey for Thanksgiving because my mom makes me do it. But we have carrots and apples with you. I love the taste of turkey mmm mmm mmm. I am always going to be mostly carnivore.
Sincerely, your enemy

Dear Thomas T. Turkey,
I would eat you because you are delicious and tasty too. I like meat and it's Thanksgiving. You are supposeed to be eaten.

Dear Mr. Thomas t. turkey,
I fell so sorry, but you are a family favorite. We don't only eat you. We also eat stuffing and marshmallows and yams and green bean casserolle. I wonder which place I am going to have Thanksgiving this year. I am so full of regret.

But seriously, tell me they aren't adorable. They make me happy and add meaning to my life.
I have a million things to be grateful for. I am an extremely blessed girl, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Happy Bithday to ME!

"If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you. If you’d never been born, well then what would you do? If you’d never been born, well then what would you be? You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree! You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes! You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes."

"Or worse than all that…Why, you might be a WASN’T! A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t. A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present. But you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!" "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive...

...who is you-er than you! Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am! Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam! I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be! If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”

    I happen to be very happy that I'm not a fish or a tree or a baked potato. I am glad I'm me because if I weren't alive, I couldn't ride a bike or teach my cute second graders. My dad wouldn't have a girl to whine or brag to him every few days. Lots of people wouldn't have someone to make fun of. No one would get to see my brace face smile. I'm glad I'm me for lots of reasons. And more than that I'm happy that I have so many people in my life that make waking up being me feel like a very good thing.

Forget Not....

 

Who couldn't love this talk? It was exactly what I needed to hear. Exactly.