Thanksgiving and New Beginnings

I love the Christmas season! It is by far the best ever (although sometimes I can do without the snow). Love and kindness seems to be remembered and radiates through those who strive to remember the true meaning of the season. I am also a firm believer in celebrating Thanksgiving (before listening to Christmas music), and recognizing Gods hand in all the blessings we enjoy. Thanksgiving is one of my favorites as well, although I am not always sure why. Most of the time we just sit around stuffing our faces. The thing I love most though, is that we are sitting around, doing nothing, but enjoying each other.

Most years our little family attends Thanksgiving celebrations at my grandma’s house. I love going to her house, because it holds so many memories and feelings of love there. It’s almost considered a family reunion with everyone we have! There is just something about spending time with your parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, amazing grandparents, and sharing it all with your child. This year was a little difficult knowing that it would have been Shanna’s first Thanksgiving, but I still felt so blessed to have the rest of my family with me.

Well, our days were filled of lots of visiting, watching football, taking naps, movies, eating, and of course lots of time to enjoy what we have been blessed with. Carter absolutely LOVED being there. Any thought of us having to go soon crushed him. He loved playing with his cousin Deklan, and whenever they were apart they constantly asked about each other. It made me think about all of Carter’s friends that he loves and would miss terribly while on our adventure in North Carolina.

One of Carter's favorite cousins. 

We're already missing our Spanish Fork friends

As Carter would tell you, "My best friend Kate!"

I still don’t think Carter quite understands that we have a new home. He absolutely loved the journey here and being able to ride in 2 airplanes! He thought he was one lucky kid. We left on November 30^th at 6:00 am MST, and finally unlocked the door of our new home in North Carolina at 11:30pm EST. Needless to say, it was a very, very, long day. During our flights, I got terribly sick (I hate turbulence, and it got pretty bad!), I heard, “Mommy I’m hungry!” about every ten seconds, and I watched my sweet little boy as he slept, knowing that I am far blessed than I recognize every day.

Us as we were pulling into the Salt Lake Airport

I've never seen him so excited about a plane!

Instead of sitting with us, he was looking at all the airplanes.

Right before taking off

Sweet boy fell asleep just before take off on plane #2

When we left Salt Lake City it was 17 degrees outside, and when we landed it North Carolina, it was 70! My dream winter weather! We have loved our time here so far (4 days) and often think of our Spanish Fork home. Carter still asks for his friends, and in fact asked to go to his friend Kate’s house the first morning we were here. He still tells everyone that he lives in Utah, and he has already made fast friends. I think we are going to like our time her and experience lots of new adventures.

Jason is amazed with the factory here. He says that they make tubs and tubs of Tollhouse Cookie D

ough, and they taste test each batch every day to make sure that it is perfection. He might be bringing us home some tubs of cookie dough, so I might look a little different when we return. I love my Nestle sweets!!!

Carter in his new room.

Our first day in Greensboro

Living in an apartment has been a HUGE change for me. It seems as if we are the only family in our complex with a young child, but they have a great gym where I can work off those cookie dough calories, and I’m sure there are people here who need our friendship too. We just have to find them, and find them before this small apartment living makes me go insane lol. Having neighbors so close to us again has been a big adjustment, but we’ve been pretty good about being busy all day everyday exploring our city. I think tomorrow we’ll visit the Children’s museum! Anyways… Until next time, Happy Reading! 

Carter got to see Santa!

Candle Fest in Greensborro