Thankful

Thanksgiving break was just wonderful. We went to Pocatello Monday evening with Park and spent the whole rest of the week there. It was hard to come back Sunday night. But the good news is that I only have 1 week of classes, 1 week of finals, and then a 3 week Christmas break. Lovely.

What did we do during the week in Idaho? Pretty much relaxed, ate, and partied.

• We slept in. 
• We did Taco Tuesday at Cafe Rio. delicioso!
• Rach and I went to see the final installment of Twilight, Breaking Dawn Part 2. I love Rach and am grateful for her wonderful friendship.
• The boys went to Red Dawn and loved it.
• Chris and I put together two puzzles. We were a little obsessed.
• My mom made amazing homemade calzones and Grandma made yummy minestrone. 
• Went and saw The Odd Life of Timothy Green. I must confess this was the second time I watched it. It is so sweet. I love it. 
• And ate and ate and ate. :)
• We also had some early Christmas: Choco got an actual coat, which was needed. I got a new camera! I love it and am excited to be better at documenting our lives. Plus, it was a swinging deal. Fun stuff!

Thanksgiving was pretty perfect.

My dad decided we were going to start a new Thanksgiving tradition: the Thomas Turkey Trot. We ran a 5K just in our neighborhood. You could just walk too. I am certainly not a runner but survived the challenge. We'll have to train for the 2nd annual one. What a healthy and fun tradition. Go Dad! I'm excited to bring our little ninos in future years to bundle up and get some exercise. It is especially good considering the amount of food we always eat later in the day. The participants even got to sign a special platter to show they had participated in the first one. It is rumored there will even be T-shirts next year. You best believe. 

After the morning exercise, we just relaxed and got ready for the feast. The boys went shooting for a bit. Then we ate a scrumptious meal at Grandma and Grandpa Boyce's house. It was extraordinary, of course. Mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, and stuffing? Just doesn't get better than that. Yum-o. 

This time of year is a good reminder of the many many blessings we have been given. We should of course be grateful the whole year long, but it is special this time of year being with family to reflect on the blessings of the year. So here's a little gratitude list for what I am especially grateful for right now:

• My dear husband being home.
• My body and the health I am blessed to have. 
• An incredible and delightfully fun family: Mom, Dad, Brit, Addie, Parker, and of course Chris. My amazing in-laws. Plus wonderful examples in my grandparents. I love them so much. And also cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. I am blessed to be surrounded by and to interact with and learn from such amazing people. 
• The opportunity to get an education. Especially to be loving my major and the things I am learning as I work towards becoming a teacher.
• A calling in Young Women.
• This wonderful time of marriage when it is just Choco and me: the fun that we have and love that we share. 
• The gospel of Jesus Christ and all of the happiness and joy that comes from knowing and living it.
• The temple and that families can be together forever. I can't imagine a better forever than with my sweetheart.
• etc. etc.

All and all Thanksgiving break was wonderful and fun. Here are some pics of the events:

After the Thomas Turkey Trot

they matched. oh Jacob. we sure love him

siblings

the lovely couple.

our beautiful Christmas tree!

decorating

helping with the classy Christmas lights

the fam

random picture of Choco.
so handsome in his bright new shirt

oh yeah. my new camera! cute, right? 

Mrs. Frizzle for a day

Happy November!

It is crazy Halloween has come and gone. Before we know it Thanksgiving will be here and then of course the splendid Christmas. What a wonderful time of year!

For the past couple of weeks I have been in Practicum. So everyday, I get to go to Riverton Elementary and spend most of the day with some adorable 1st Graders. It is a joy to be around such sweet kids and work on my teaching skills. Halloween, as we all know, is just the best in elementary school and this year was no exception. All of the kids dressed up, so of course I had to as well.  

I decided on Mrs. Frizzle. So when I was home in Pocatello last weekend my momma helped me put some planets on one of my dresses. Aunt Teresa was the sweetest and consented to helping me put sponge curlers in my hair on Tuesday night. I think it turned out pretty great. The kids called me Mrs. Frizzle all day long. We had a parade, party, a little writing lesson on Halloween, and pumpkin estimating and counting/measuring. So school was great. 

my wonderful momma

I look like an old lady :)

right after curlers were out

combed out a bit

there we go

Last week was exhausting with lack of sleep trying to finish up some big projects for my evening classes, but I made it through. This week will be better and with more sleep (hopefully). 

So Park and I went home last weekend because he went through the temple! What a sweet man he is. It was a special experience to be in the temple with him and my family, minus Choco :(. What a wonderful missionary Uganda is getting in February. I'm impressed with the strong and faithful young man Park is becoming. He's so grown up. He is a great student, a hard worker, and just a solid guy. I sure do love him and am so proud of him. What a blessing it is to have him in Provo to keep me company. He is simply great.

siblings

Elder Thomas

In other news, my husband will return on Saturday at 9:05 am. I am terribly excited! What a blessing it will be to have him home. Just counting down the days and hours and minutes.