Happy Thanksmas 2010

We finished Thanksmas at Joe's Cafe in Orem today for breakfast. Tasty food and a very charismatic chef named Joe. Thanksmas started with take-out Thai on Friday from a yummy restaurant in Lehi that I would endorse and hanging out time and sleepovers at Beal & Micah's and brunch on Saturday and Jon Canlas generously watching our kids so we could have Korean food at a restaurant that I choose not to endorse. Then more hanging out and Temple Square Christmas lights and home to put kids to bed. Sunday was Davis' baby blessing which was so incredible. I love being with my family and our home teacher bore his testimony and recognized the love that he watched our family show each other. Then people continued to bear testimony of families and the Spirit was incredible. I want to share my testimony of the love of God. It is manifest in many ways in my life - most often through my family, immediate and extended. I bear witness of the miracle it is that Heavenly Father allows us to be bound to Him through covenants. We get to make and keep sacred covenants. And through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those covenants are given power and effect to return us to the God that made us. Miraculous.

Speaking of miracles, it was amazing how many people could fit into our tiny home for the after blessing party. Then, later that Sunday night we went to Callie's for shepherd's pie and the traditional expression of gratitude round the dinner table. I love my family. We sat together and watched the Christmas devotional and ate tasty key lime pie. And today brings us full-circle to Joe's Cafe.

Serious shout out to Callie, the sister matriarch (satriarch) of our family who invented thanksmas through inspiration as a way to celebrate the holidays with our dad. Why fight over who gets to be with who on what holiday? Make your own holiday, people. It means more food and more together time.

And now again, in pictures.