Giving Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for that I don't even know where to start!

Grateful for siblings:
It was so fun to have Jeremy and Lizzi come visit for Thanksgiving! I'm glad they were happy to just hang out at home, taking turns holding Caleb because that's about all that we did : ) It was fun just sitting around and talking to them and just being with them. It was also nice to take some naps and long showers while they held Caleb. Allen and I even got to go for a jog and go to Walmart without towing Caleb along!

Jeremy spun Caleb in circles

In Lizzi's words, "Aunts don't just hold/love Caleb when he's happy." She took such good care of Caleb!

Grateful for laughter:
One of my favorite foods/treats are the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apples! I love them so much! Last year Jenni and I made them together and even though they didn't look as pretty as the ones you can buy, they tasted delicious. Lizzi and I tried to make them on Wednesday night and we laughed harder than I've laughed in a while! I won't try to explain everything that went wrong but I did not know that microwaves can bake chocolate chips into a powder in less than two minutes! As a result, we had a shortage of chocolate and were left with two plain caramel apples but they all tasted good!

The second batch of white chocolate that we didn't mess up.

Lumping the powdery chocolate onto the caramel apples

Finished products . . . delish!

Grateful for plenty to eat:
I probably should have chosen a better time to read The Hunger Games than on Thanksgiving day, but it did help me reflect on how little some people have to meet their needs and how grateful I am to not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from or when I'll get to eat again. Our Thanksgiving feast was delicious: the turkey was so tender it practically fell off of the bone, the gravy didn't have lumps, the mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery (I won't describe every dish but they were all yummy) . . . but I can't leave out a new favorite of mine: Razzleberry pie topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. Mmm mmm good!

Making Grandma Rabbit's rolls

The turkey just fell right off of the bones, so tender

What a beautiful dining table we have

Caleb slept so we could all eat

Grateful for a healthy body:
On Wednesday I got to go on my first "run" since about March. (I stopped exercising, other than going on slow walks, about three months into the pregnancy because any time I did, I had contractions. The last month of my pregnancy, when it was okay to have contractions because I was ready for Caleb to come, I started going on faster walks and doing the eliptical and light weights at the gym.)  It was a definite eye-opener as to what it feels like for people to begin exercising because I had never stopped before. I jogged one mile in 11 minutes and then stopped to walk for a little bit. It was gorgeous outside and Allen convinced me to not push myself on my first "run" so we just enjoyed the sunshine and 75 degree weather as we strolled another 1.5 miles very slowly. Eight months without much exercise = sore muscles after a short, slow jog . . .  it feels good to be sore and am excited to get back in the swing of exercising! As a side note that may be more info than some of you want . . . I don't know if I can jog any faster until I stop nursing! Those things are heavy and it's hard to find sports bras that fit and are supportive without exploding out the top of them. Any suggestions are welcome!

Grateful to be a stay-at-home mom:
I'm grateful that Allen has a good job (that he likes) so I can be home to take care of Caleb every day.While I sometimes miss working, I wouldn't trade the opportunity to be with Caleb for anything. It also makes nights like last night (when I only got to sleep in my bed for 15 minutes) more bearable, knowing that I don't need a functioning brain the next day and can try to fit a nap in.

The best stomach workout is to try to copy Caleb while he's laying on his back. His feet never touch the ground for the full 30 minutes! Straight leg raises, bicycle, etc - I may be better at rolling over but he has a stronger core/abs

Tummy time

I love my job!!!

Grateful for Caleb:
I love this baby so much! I can just sit and watch him for hours. He is sleeping on my chest/stomach as I'm typing this and keep pausing in my writing to look at his cute little face and watch his belly rise and fall with each breath. Sometimes I still can't believe he's mine!

At seven weeks old: He can now reach his feet down to the end of his bath when he extends his whole body and holds a plank position. He likes to stare at his fists as he moves them around. Sometimes his focus changes from his hands to his nose and he stares cross-eyed at his nose until we get his attention focused elsewhere. He has better control of his hands, although he still hits himself in the face frequently . . . his depth perception needs some help. He has started to gnaw/suck on his hand but it usually just ends up with him licking his hands like a cat licks its paws (but much cuter than a cat).

Grateful for Allen:
Even if I tried, I could never find someone who is a more perfect match for me than Allen is. I won't go into any mushy details (because most of you won't want to read that and I know he never reads "our" blog) but he is my best friend and I'm so glad he is my husband. He is such an amazing dad too!

We visited Dad at work and everyone loved seeing Caleb

Caleb trying not to fall asleep

Caleb's already making funny faces at the camera

Dad babysitting

Grateful for temples:
Allen and I were asked to speak in church about the temple. Last week as we prepared for yesterday's talks, I was reminded of how blessed we are to know that because we were married in the temple, our marriage and our family are not bound together only "til death do you part" but for eternity. I can't imagine heaven without my family!