Happy Thanksgiving 2014!

I took a long hiatus from blogging because as much as I was wanted to write what was going on in our lives, my friend Natalie introduced me to Instagram and convinced me to create an account so we can see pictures of some of the events going in our lives.

Basically Instagram replaced blogging!

On Instagram, you get the acknowledgement that your picture is approved and viewed by the amount of likes you get on your picture.

On Blogging, you get the sound of crickets.  When you don't have comments, you have no idea if anyone is reading.  However, there is the satisfaction that you can create a blog book at the end of each year for your descendants to read.  You hope your descendants are inspired by your story and learn through all your highs and lows.

I don't think Instagram can achieve that.

However this is a Thanksgiving post.  Here are just a few of the things that I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving.  (FYI:  The turkey is still cooking and it will take another hour before we eat and I'm really hungry, so to ignore the hunger pains....I'll blog!)

I'm grateful that late spring my mother treated all her girls and their families
for an all expense paid 3 night trip to Asilomar Monterey California.  

We stayed at this beautiful lodge right across the Pacific Grove Beach. 

 This was the first time my sisters, their spouses,
 and families were together in one event.  

Though we are not related by blood, we are united in our love 

for a mother who gave us a safe haven to call home, a refuge from the chaos, a place where love, and trust,  was built steadily over the years.

I am grateful for my health! 

This picture was taken two months ago and I lost 12 lbs at the time, but

I gained more muscle and lost inches.
 To date, I have lost 20 pounds and counting!

I'm grateful that our entire family is getting healthy. 

 RM has lost 50 pounds and Moe has lost over 50 pounds. 

 It helps when you're family is on the same page
 when it comes to health and fitness. 

 Early this Thanksgiving morning RM and I
were at the gym at 6am and Moe worked out later.  

Though it's Thanksgiving, we wanted to get a good work out
and still be mindful of how we eat.

 I am grateful for extended family, especially RM's family.
This summer we went to Utah for a family reunion
 to meet family members of RM that Moe and I haven't met.
Moe was reunited with cousins he had not seen since he was in preschool.

 (sad attempt of a selfie on the Gondola ride, can't seem to keep my eyes from being crossed!)

I am grateful for my husband.  He is the real deal.  

A man's character is judged not by how he acts in front of the world,

 but rather how he acts within the walls of his own home.  

After visiting with family out of state for a few weeks, RM took me (sans Moe) to a fun weekend in Lake Tahoe.
Another great thing about RM?  He's fun to be with!  

All we did was laugh, eat, and relax. 

I am grateful that Mitchell has cousins that he loves
and that is closer to his age.

As an only child, Moe's cousins are like his brothers and sisters.
I'm especially grateful for that.

They're having a fun night out
before they depart to college and church missions.

I am grateful to discover new hobbies like being a member of Toastmasters to refine my speaking and communication skills and.... being a foodie amateur photographer! We started a Paleo way of eating early this summer and I wanted to take pictures of the dishes that I was making.  I wanted to take pictures that looked like they belonged to a cooking magazine.  My love for food photography deserves it's own post....more about that in the near future.

A fun thing to be grateful for....
the SF Giants third World Series Title within a 5 year period!
YES! YES!  YES!
 (SF Giants championship mantra)

RM believes that when you watch an important game on TV,
it's important to have your game face on and wear your team's apparel.

RM has been a fan of the Giants since the 80s,
I've been a fan since I grew up in the SF Bay Area.
And Moe loved the SF Giants before he really knew what they were.
 We are definitely not  SF Giants bandwagon fans.

I am grateful that this year, I finally got it.
 I finally understood what lay beneath all the
 anger, hurt, and disappointments.
In order to start healing physically and emotionally, I had to step away from commitments and responsibilities outside of my family.  It was draining me.
RM helped me to realize that there would be people who wouldn't understand my decisions, but as long as I felt at peace with it,
 I had to stand firm with those decisions.
It saddens me that for almost 10 years, I've been existing and not living.
 I let all the disappointments of life break me.  No more.
 I am taking charge of my life, focusing on what I can control.
 And the things that I can't control?  I leave that to Heavenly Father.

I am grateful for Whole Foods Thanksgiving pre-made dinners!  When it's only the three of you for Thanksgiving, it makes more sense to buy your dinners premade.  I'm getting used to having Holiday dinners with our little family of three.  I'll always be the kind of person that enjoys having big family gatherings more, but I love our tight knit family.
We enjoy each other's company and we have great conversations.



I am very grateful for my beautiful family of three.