Giving Thanks

This has been a wonderful Thanksgiving. We missed traditions of years past, but we embraced new traditions as well. With my parents out of town visiting my brother, we decided to have a couple of families over from church. We split the work in thirds, we split the cleaning in thirds, and we enjoyed it three times as much as I think we would have otherwise. No photos though. Sorry to disappoint.

This is a wonderful holiday! I love the idea of getting together with friends and family and sharing in good food and gratitude for what we have. Here are some of the things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving:

* Amelia started walking! She's absolutely adorable in what looks like her drunken stupor. She's wobbly but she's getting it. I think she's had it for a while, but she's finally gaining confidence to do walking more than crawling.

* Ella and Amelia let me sleep this morning while they played. Sure the house was a wreck when I woke up, but with a few baby gates and safety locks they were good to go. They're growing up and they're so adorable!

* Shaun is so helpful. He really tries to make me happy. He even did all the mashed potatoes this year.

* We have wonderful friends and family. We are so greatly blessed!

* I'm grateful to have the Christmas Season to look forward to. Now if only I can manage to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas as commercialism competes for my three year old's attention (my attention too for that matter). It will be a fun Christmas though. Ella's at a great age for Christmas morning!

A most glorious weekend

The first weekend in November has been a good one for the Calderwoods. We enjoyed having the sister missionaries over for dinner Friday night, and Saturday Shaun let me go on a four mile jog in the wonderful sunshine (after being at the gym four days in a row I loved being outside). Yesterday evening we got a sitter and went out to dinner with friends from church, and then for the first time since we've been married, Shaun and I attended the adult session of Stake Conference (a meeting for the adults of our church in the local area). It was really nice actually... a meeting free from distraction, unless it was self created. And to top off our weekend, we spent the day today driving to the mountains and enjoying the scenic overlooks of skyline drive. All in all a most glorious weekend! Here are some photos from today.

I've continued to focus on how much of what we make of this life is choice based. "Choosing to Become" healthier, happier, and holier has helped me also think about choosing to love. At stake conference last night many of the talks were on marriage. One speaker said, "Love is a choice." You don't fall in and out love, you may fall in and out of lust or infatuation, but not love. Love is a choice. I love that! Love really is a choice. Today I choose to love my family with all my heart. I choose to love my husband even when he's grumpy and tired. I choose love over all the other options out there. I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who lets us experiences the freedom of choice!

Skunk or Treat

Our little Family, Halloween, 2012

Little Miss Elle was the Belle of the ball. Her sitter got her this beautiful Belle costume and she was so excited to wear it to pre-school and trick or treating.

Amelia, well Amelia got her first of many costume hand me downs I'm sure. She was a Stinker, our little PU Skunk. She was so dang cute. I don't think the pictures do either one justice of just how cute they were. But we had a nice time. We visited a few neighbors before heading to our church "Trunk or Treat". I'm enjoying Halloween more now with little ones. It really is a great holiday. Now if only I can get rid of all that candy, and by "rid" I don't mean in my belly. I took most of it to work today, left a few things Ella will enjoy but wont tempt me. Anyway, Happy Halloween! Now on to my favorite season... Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!