Thanksgiving 2015

Oh my goodness gracious.  Where to begin.  I've actually been trying to find the time to write this post for a while.  I've had the pictures in a draft but kept wanting to find an adequate chunk of time with no interruptions to write down just all the little things that made Thanksgiving this year so wonderful.  But alas that perfect time has not come, so here I am just writing a quick little tidbit of what comes to mind, so that I can get this bizz done!  

This year my parents flew in from Tennessee to spend Thanksgiving here in Utah!  I was counting down the days for quite some time.  We spent a lot of the time up in Salt Lake City at Megan's place, and it was so fun.  The place was decorated for Christmas, and it was just magical.  Cozy.  Surrounded by people I love so much.  

We ate lots of good food, relaxed, snuggled, watched Christmas movies, drank hot chocolate, ate leftovers like 5 times, hanging, talking, and just enjoying everyone's company.  Todd and I really enjoyed ourselves, and we were grateful for a relaxing, beautiful Thanksgiving break.  

I am so grateful for family.  I take them for granted, but I truly have a wonderful family.  Nothing like it.

Thankfuls

Because I need a reminder today....

1.  Lately when I've been putting Reese down for a nap, instead of just laying her down with her blanket and binkie and walking out, I've been singing a song or two to help her fall to sleep because she's in a phase where she won't fall asleep for the nap without getting up out of bed, but she definitely needs a nap!  This has become one of my favorite times of day the past week.

2.  Really grateful for people who do nice things just because.

3.  Social media has become a really positive thing for me lately.  I used to get bogged down with the comparison game, and don't get me wrong, I haven't totally escaped the wrath of comparison, but I'm so grateful for some of the genuine people I follow on Instagram and facebook.  People who share positive, uplifting messages.

4.  A big thanks to everyone who smiles without holding back.  I love a good, big, genuine smile.  

5.  Riggs.  That boy is a slice of heaven.  He is always warm and snuggly when he gets up from his naps, and whenever I get the chance or remember to, I like to soak in those warm cheeks fresh out of the crib.

6.  Christmas messages.  Click here to watch.

7.  The Norman Rockwell exhibit at Museum of Arts at Brigham Young University.  I am so grateful for people who share their talents with the world!  I went to it over the break with my mom and sister.  It reminded me of a love for art and creativity that I had forgotten about since becoming a mom.  When you become a mom, your kids come first.  You invest so much of your time finding ways to make them laugh and be happy.  Sometimes you get a little lost in the mix of motherhood.  I've discovered a lot of new loves and interests as a mom, but I've also forgotten about things I used to love to do.  Todd and I are both trying to rediscover those things, and art like Norman Rockwell's is one of mine.  

8.  Heaters.  Our house would be so freakin' cold without them.  Forgot to turn them on the other day, and our house got real cold, real fast!

9.  Family.  We had such a beautiful Thanksgiving.  We went up to my sister Megan's in Salt Lake for a few days while my parents were in town for the break and holiday.  Magical, cozy, lots of laughs, lots of down-time, good food, cousins playing together.  We had 2/3 of all the siblings there, but we were in major deficit missing my sister Courtney and her family, and my brother Hunter who's on a mission.  I love my family.  Todd and I both came back from staying at Megan's for the holiday, and couldn't stop talking about what a great time we had.  Nothin' like family.

Here's a little advent calendar that mormon.org is doing this year.  I love it.  I really want to try to keep the Savior at the focus of our holidays this year.  Follow the link here to share it with your family and friends!

Luke 1:26-27 

The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

The Holidays

(Barrett Family Picture, October 2015...Roni wasn't feelin' it haha)

"A thankful heart is a content heart.  It is a peaceful heart.  It makes us calm...the opposite of anxious.  A thankful heart displaces unrealistic expectations.  It brings faith and optimism.  When we gratefully focus on what we have and are, we don't become distracted or discouraged with all that we don't have.  I invite you to develop a thankful heart.  As you do, I promise you that you will feel a deeper sense of joy and satisfaction, and your love and testimony of your Heavenly Father will grow."

Today I really needed to be reminded of this.  My brother sent this quote from his mission president (he is serving a mission for LDS church in Mesa, Arizona) yesterday, and I just got to read his email this morning, and that quote was too perfect.  A perfect quote as the holiday season is upon us.  I hope I can remember this message throughout the holidays this season.  

I've been seeking more simplicity in my life lately.  It's been a slow but steady process of refining what's important vs. what's not and what's necessary and what's not.  It's the battle of good, better, and best.  I'm learning that I get more satisfaction out of spending meaningful time with my kids, with Todd, and with good friends than I would get checking things off my to-do list.  Not to say that there aren't days when I get frustrated because my list of things to do somehow continues to get longer and longer and pushed further and further on the back burner.  But I'm learning more and more how to be okay with it.

I'm learning to let go of my OCD tendencies and that everything can't always turn out the way I want it to be.  Life is about being flexible.  I'm learning to get back to the basics.  I really want to focus on the simple beauties of the holidays this year.  I want to spend time with the people I love.  I want to build relationships and strengthen friendships.  

I want to get down on the ground with Reese and Riggs, playing with them, interacting with them, and soaking in their little personalities.

I want to fill my life with light this holiday season, and try to always remember the reason for the season.  My Savior.  

In efforts to have a more thankful heart, I'll try to get on here more this month and talk about things I'm grateful for.  Truly grateful for.

Some things to start off that I've been thinking about lately:

1. A husband who insists on watching the kids while I go workout in the evening because he knows how much I enjoy it.
2. A mother who's always willing to chat and just listen.  Even if it's about nothing much at all, it always means the world to me.  
3. Good friends to laugh with.
4. All the people who love my babies, Reese and Riggs.  There is nothing more comforting than knowing my babies are loved.
5. A wonderful ward family that I love so much.
6. Sisters.  Each one of you.
7. A car that gets us from point A to point B.
8. A mother-in-law that has always been nothing but sweet, loving, and understanding.
9. In-laws.  All the in-laws.  They're the funnest group of people ever, and I'm lucky to call them my family.
10. Christmas music.  It is the most peaceful, happiest, heart-warming stuff ever.  And the Christmas tree.  I'll be putting it up tonight because I just can't help myself.  I put it up early because for me the lights on the tree remind me of Christ.  One month is too short a time to have that green, happy beauty up in the house. 

That's what came to mind today.  I'll try to post some more specific things throughout the month.

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday.  I was seriously having a rough start to my Tuesday but writing out this list made me feel a lot better.  Cheers to trying to have a more thankful, peaceful heart!

♥, Ash