Thanksgiving

In preparing a lot of the food for dinner on Thanksgiving,  I did it on Wednesday so we could spend time with the Felixes Thursday morning. 

It was great going to the beach in the morning.  We got back and cleaned up. Travis did the mashed potatoes and Liz made the fruit salad. 

 President Felix sent an email out to the Ventura Spanish speaking missionaries inviting any who did not have a dinner invitation on Thanksgiving to come to the mission home for dinner.  They were to let us know the Sunday before.  Sunday morning we knew Felixes and the three Assistants were going to be to dinner.  Sunday night we heard from 11 others.  We went back to the store Monday to buy more food. 

 We did something new this year. I made gratitude rolls.  Questions or statements regarding gratitude were typed on strips of paper and wrapped in foil then rolled up in the dough and baked. We all found our foil and set it aside until after eating and then we went around the table and shared. 

Because Liz slipped me Maren's mine said Why are you grateful for your companion?

We would not be on this mission. We are where we are because of him. Because of him we have 5 wonderful children,  5 great in laws and 12 grandkids.  I didn't say too much at dinner but now I would like to share:

Dell is amazing! I am grateful for the wonderful husband he is and how he treats me. There are many times I wonder how I was so lucky to get him.

I am thankful we are best friends and that others can tell we love each other.  

President Eyring counseled us to be good examples to the missionaries in showing a good example of a happy married couple.  I'm grateful that isn't hard for us to do.

We are so blessed! 

 Elder James brought ghost peppers and the Assistants took on the challenge of eating them. I love that they're smiling now. 

 I think they are thinking "what have I done? "

 Elder Wallace ran into the house and took a spoon full of cool whip thinking that would help.  Travis told them to have milk and also limes would help if they sucked on them.  Fortunately we had both. 

Can you see Elder Lee's face is red? Elder Bryson who is not shown was so calm and had a tear running down his face.  I've not laughed this hard for months, in fact it was pre mission.  It was great. 

We loved sitting around singing hymns.

Another gratitude thing is the beautiful sunset as we looked off the deck.  The sliver of the moon is D's favorite.
GRATITUDE
"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven." President Thomas S. Monson