Thankful

I am thankful for November.  It is a great month.  It is good to think of all of our blessings.  It is a good lead up to thinking about the Savior more during December.  Because He is the source of all our blessings!

November started out with a bang!  Literally.  Maren got in a car accident just behind the high school one day as she drove back to the school after her internship.  She was hit on the driver's side and her airbags deployed and the car was totaled.  It was one of her good friends that hit her, and he felt so bad about it!  We were just so glad they were both ok!  She called me to let me know and said she didn't need me to come, but I said a quick prayer and felt like I should, so with 15 minutes until my afternoon preschool started, I hurried and texted my preschool families that I would be a little late and drove down to pick her up and bring her home.  And it was good that I was there so I could talk to the police and the tow truck driver, plus be with her.  The next day we decided to take her in because she was having a really hard time focusing and her head was hurting pretty bad.  She has a mild concussion and whip lash from the accident.  So, for the last month she has been going to a chiropractor and other doctor appointments to try and give her some relief from her symptoms, and it seems to be helping.  She missed quite a bit of school and work that first week, but she is finally getting caught back up.  We are grateful it wasn't any worse!

RIP bubble (our affectionate name for our little car).

Gifts from her friend that he brought after the accident.  He felt so bad!

A soft blanket from my sisters that they sent her after the accident.  Everyone is so thoughtful!

We sent Avery some ornaments to hang on her Christmas tree.  She can't escape us!

Speaking of Avery, she is doing great on her mission!  She was transferred to Bothell a couple of weeks ago and is enjoying it there!  We got to talk to her three times last week!  On her P-day, on Thanksgiving and on my birthday a couple of days later.  She is happy and the work is progressing.  We are grateful for her!

Maren went to Sadies.  She had to be careful because of her concussion, so her and her date didn't actually even go to the dance part, but she still had fun.

The family room remodel is coming along!  And we will be so grateful when this is done!  We got the walls and ceiling all finished up with mud and tape and painted.  I'm getting to be a professional sheet rock woman!  (Dustin was already a professional from all the other home improvement projects I have thrust on him)  We got the carpet all fixed and the lighting finished.  This week we are working on the hearth and mantles and fireplace area, plus a little side project I started of refinishing our dresser that we had down there.  Why not?!  I have tons of spare time...

We had the Cross Country Awards Banquet.  Maren and Ryan both participated.  Maren got awards for lettering, for the Most Inspirational Female Runner, for Academic Region, and she was also recognized as a Senior and a Captain of the team.  She has worked really hard in Cross Country!  And I'm also proud of Ryan for sticking with it (and learning to really enjoy it), even with Comp soccer on his plate.

We had a tithing declaration with our Bishop, who happens to be Dustin, and I took a picture of Ryan during it.  He'll probably never again be able to be so casual in a bishop's office, haha!  But actually, we are super grateful for Dustin serving as our bishop!  We know we are receiving blessings for it, and I know he is blessing our ward.  We love him!

We had Thanksgiving at the Hanchett's house, and it was delicious, beautiful, and lots of fun to be together!  We are so thankful for family!

A couple of days later, I had a birthday!  44 is cool.  Dustin surprised me with a dinner date and then a play with my sisters and their husbands.  It was so fun!  Dustin is a good surpriser!

The next day was my actual birthday, and a Sunday, and Lana had us over for dinner and then my friend gave us tickets to the Utah Symphony Messiah Sing-In.  It was my first time listening to the whole Messiah and it was really fun to attempt to sing with the chorus!

We have so much to be grateful for!