Letter of Thanksgiving

I've been wanting to say thank you to a lot of people lately but finding the time to make dozens of cookies and write bunches of thank you notes has been hard to come by. Plus, I really want these people to know just how sincerely thankful I am, much more than a thank you card's worth. And so, I am going to write this letter to everyone, omitting names, listing the wonderful things we've been blessed with this year and just how grateful I am for them.

To start, please know that we are not poor. Not anywhere near poor. And I'm not writing this in hopes of getting people's attention to just how little we have. We have a lot and are not "in need". That being said, the loads of free things we've been blessed with and favors that have been done for us this year are GREATLY appreciated and most definitely needed.

Our long sting of miracles started when we arrived in LA in February. With only a small amount of money left from our starting bonus and a U-Haul full of all our belongings (which fit in a 10x10 foot storage unit) we started the search for an apartment in the second most expensive city in the US. This was the FIRST place we toured. After the tour we ran into members of our church just outside of the office, what are the odds of that? We were then guided just a hundred feet around the corner to the bishop's house. It was then that we knew we were meant to live here. Just one problem, the rent would be half our income and applications were usually rejected for that reason. We were approved... by another member. Wow, Heavenly Father really does look out for us. Time went on, we found out we were expecting and knew rent was going to break the bank with all the upcoming expenses. Again, we were looked after, found a cheaper unit within the same complex and were moved with the help of the men in our ward within 2 hours of one day. Quite a miracle, eh? Wait, there's more... lot's more.

Many of you know that we only have one car. Thank you, thank you, everyone who has given me and my kids rides to doctor's appointments, the farmer's market, and play dates. Also, I am super thankful for my great friends that come to visit me during the day, often bringing a treat and their kids along. I cannot tell you how vital that socializing is for me. Speaking of socializing, my absolute favorite time of the month is Book Club and Girls Night Out. Not only for the chat but for the food. Ha, this may sound funny but it's true, I LOVE free food. I love food so much that if the TV weren't on Ethan's channel it would be on Food Network all day. That's one thing I can't wait for when we move and get a pay increase, the chance to go out and eat more often. Nowadays we grab McD's maybe once every two weeks and go to a restaurant on a date maybe once every 2 or 3 months. That's it. That's all we can afford. I CRAVE food that's not made by me... and so I seriously look forward to GNO and Book Club.  :) Thank you, thank you.

Before becoming a mom, I was a very artistic person. I majored in painting at BYU and was in the Women Chorus there as well. I spent my entire day painting, sculpting, studying artists, singing, and playing the piano. Every article of clothing I owned had some kind of paint on it. To go from breathing art to being cooped up in a small apartment with a baby all day was quite the challenge. I'm used to it now but I now face the fact that I'm slowly losing my artistic skills that I spent years and tens of thousands of dollars to refine. These days any chance I have to show my talents are super appreciated. This is why I love my calling. Playing the piano for primary may not sound so grand or as classy as singing in one of the country's best university choir programs, but it fills my music void and brings me a lot of joy. I couldn't ask for a better calling. I was also given the opportunity to design a park mural for a service day our stake was putting on. It felt great to be painting again. I'm grateful I'm in a ward that (as funny as this sounds) is not overloaded with musical or artistic talent. In Utah, I hardly had a chance to shine, everyone and their dog could perform. But here I'm bombarded with opportunities, and for that I'm eternally grateful.

Are you ready for this? 100% of Corryn and Ethan's clothing and toys have been given to us! No joke. We have been flooded with hand me downs and gifts. Not only clothes and toys, but strollers, beds, and high chairs. This has been such a great weight lifted off my shoulders, not to have to worry about additional unforeseen costs like kids clothes. Speaking of clothes, Jon and I haven't shopped for ourselves since Ethan was born. Well, that's not entirely true. I bought a pair of maternity shorts, one maternity shirt, a nursing bra, and 2 undershirts. So far (with upcoming medical bills, this may not be true much longer) we have been able to stay completely out of all debt while living here. (Minus Jon's school loans which we're chipping away at.) We're pretty proud of that. But in order to achieve this we do not buy any clothes, shoes, or fun things. Why am I saying this? Because the other day I was given 5 pairs of very gently used shoes, including super sexy high heels and wedges and nice running shoes. I secretly shed a tear, I was SO excited. Having two kids with in the last 18 months has left my body pretty mangled and it's easy for me to get discouraged with my misshapen body and outdated and ragged wardrobe. These shoes are my secret splurge. They bring a smile to my face and when it comes to thinking about my body, having a smile on my face is a very big step. :)

To all those who are going to read this: I hope you find yourself in here somewhere and see just how happy you have made this family. This Thanksgiving, I thought of you. I am so thankful that we listened to the Spirit whisper that this was where we should live. I couldn't think of a place I rather be than here with all of you. I love you. Thank you.