Pajama Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to remember all the things you are grateful for. Its also a great time to spend with family and friends. This year my parents went to visit my sister in Oregon since they haven't been in a couple of years, and my in-laws went to spend the holiday in Tuscon visiting the Uncles. Seeing as our parents were not in town and Daniel couldn't get off of work we had the opportunity to do our first Thanksgiving as a couple without the rest of the family. Some people might think "Wow that's sad to be alone on Thanksgiving" but I saw it as a great thing because we had the chance to create our own traditions. What we came up with was Pajama Thanksgiving. Instead of getting all dressed up for the BIG dinner we dressed down and wore our Pajamas. We made a huge dinner with the most moist turkey we have ever had. The best thing about wearing our P.J's was that after dinner when we had that horrible stuffed feeling you know the one where you tell yourself "I really shouldn't have eaten that 3rd, 4th, or 5th serving" our elastic bands on the pajamas were able to stretch as our stomachs did that meant we didn't have to unbutton our pants. (Hey you all know you have done that once or twice) After dinner and we planned on going out to do some Black Friday shopping but as usual I couldn't find my car keys so we tore the house apart looking for them. We finally gave up on the shopping idea and just kept looking for the keys because I had to work in the morning. I checked under the couch cushions a couple of times but thought "let me look again". That's when I experienced my Thanksgiving miracle. I reached my hand in the couch and pulled out my wedding ring. Weird place for a ring I know but it has been missing for at least 6 months. When we moved out of our old place we looked everywhere and just thought it was lost forever.   I had an epiphany this week with something that happened to me. I really believe the church authorities when they say "choose friends that inspire and uplift not friends that bring you down". This past week has past by very quickly for me as I'm sure it has for a couple of you. I have felt happiness, frustration and everything in between but what really puts things in perspective is a letter I got from my brother Michael who is on his mission. He was replying to a letter I sent to him about my medical problems. He wrote "Your letter reminded me of the story when Alma and Amulek were preaching in Ammoniah and when they finally have success the wicked people in the city burn all the people who believe in their words. Amulek is worried and he says how can we let this happen. Alma then explains that the lord suffers that the righteous fall so that their blood stands as a testimony against the wicked. Then comes the important part that your letter reminded me of. Amulek says maybe they will burn us as well, with faith Alma responds let all be done according to the will of the lord never the less we have not completed our work so they will not burn us. It takes a lot a faith to know that whatever we go through the lord has a purpose, faith that you have been blessed with" Sometimes I don't think I have that faith but if my brother can see it even though he isn't here then I must. Wouldn't it be great if we could see our future to see exactly what the purpose of everything is. If anyone knows exactly how we can see into the future let me know (anyone have plans to build a time machine?) until then I will just put my faith in the lord and know everything that happens is for the best.