Even though we are into December now, I neglected to say that the games we played for Thanksgiving were fun!! We laughed a lot during Dad's game and I can say that we are a pretty competitive bunch! The first game was a "roll the dice" game, where the first person had to put on a hat and tie and then use just spoons to open a wrapped up gift- no hands! The second person was rolling dice and when they got doubles the first person had to pass on their role to the next person around the table and start rolling dice. That poor gift was pretty beaten up by the time it was open! The next game was Thanksgiving bingo and we were sitting next to Matt and he had decided to double up on the bingo cards and it was fun watching him when Mom started to read off the words a little quicker!

This past week has been busy. Some things I have learned are to be able to say sorry and ask for forgiveness. Its something I have been taught all my life but I think it is something we are always tested on! Rocky is a great example of this for me and also for not holding grudges and not get upset quickly. He says that when we have grudges or jealousy or hard feelings, those take up the space in us that we could use for good feelings of love, charity, kindness, and happiness. I see this through his actions and that makes me have a greater desire to work on my weaknesses.

Last week I had the most amazing vegetable soup…maybe that doesn't sound so exciting, but it now ranks up there in my gold star soups. I will have to find out how it is made and get the recipe so I can make it in the future! A little background…I go get lunch Monday-Friday at the restaurant. They have a "lunch special" Monday through Thursday which includes soup, a main dish, and a drink, like lemonade. It is different each day and lately I have been on a soup kick (probably cause of the cold weather!) and would just get soup instead of soup and the main dish. Most of the soups are pretty hearty so I can get filled up just on the soup. I think it was Wednesday or Tuesday when I stopped by like regular and I saw a smooth and creamy soup on the stove, which was a new one! I got a spoon and dipped out a taste and I think time might have frozen right then. I asked Rocky, "What is in this soup?" and he said it was a veggie soup. That's what I had guessed, but I didn't think it was possible for veggies in a soup form to taste sooo good! (I like my soups to have some kind of meat in them usually). I took mine back to work and the day seemed brighter. Because of soup. (And of course seeing Rocky!) It's the little things that make me happy! (When the soup was served they added some chopped chicken and homemade croutons so in the end it was "veggie" soup alone. However just the soup alone without the add-ins was amazing as well! ) I called Rocky later in the day and asked him to bring some home if there was any left over at the end of the day. There was and I brought it to work the next day. Good thing too cause the next day the soup of the day included fish and I'm not a fan of fish!

Speaking of being in the month of December, it's the Christmas season!! I am trying to get into the holiday season more. It's a little difficult with our current living situation first of all and also our schedules. However, I am determined to have some good memories to look back on, so its just going to take a little more planning this year. I was thinking back on our family Christmases in California. Some of the things I remember are:

~making Christmas goodies to deliver for Family Home Evening to families we knew.

~Acting out the Christmas story and then sitting around the tree with just the tree lit and all the other lights out.

~Decorating the tree and putting on the ornaments that had special meaning and remembering them after not seeing them for a year. And our stockings! Mom made us each Christmas stockings and we hung up all 10 (eventually 10!) across the fireplace, which were filled little by little throughout the days before Christmas.

~The chocolate advent calendar that we would have, everyone taking turns opening the little doors/windows getting the chocolate inside (l always felt it took forever to be my turn!);

~Christmas music…especially being played on the piano! I remember James always played the loudest and with a lot of spirit!!

~On Christmas eve it seemed like we always had soup for dinner…and I was always so excited that I didn't have an appetite!

~Watching Christmas movies.

~Christmas shopping, and helping wrap gifts!

~Remembering the real reason of Christmas by looking at the nativity set that was always displayed either on the counter by where we ate or on the mantle of the fireplace.

~Christmas morning at home and then to Grandma and Grandpa's house later in the day.

~Dad reminding us to start thinking about new year's resolutions.

~The talks about Christ during Sacrament meeting at church.

And many more…when I start thinking about them I think of more and more; this list could go on for a while! There are many traditions we had (and still have, just that not all of us are living at home right now to celebrate them together through the month of December). Plus new traditions that were made when my family moved and Stace and I were living together in California and our wonderful friends involved us more in their Christmas, as well as having extended family close by. I'm sure you have many great Christmas season memories as well, don't forget to take a moment to think about them!