Thanksgiving and more

On Thanksgiving, we met with Richard's parents and his siblings, Megan, Kevin & Matt, with Matt's family,  Felicia, Eliza, and his Great Grandpa and my brother David.  I originally was either going to do my traditional key lime pie but I had just told my sweet Mother in law that we had some sweet potatoes and I wanted to do something with them.  And I did!  And I made a key lime pie.  And some Thanksgiving Oreo Turkeys (name card holders).  And some bread.  Yeah, it was about 130 when I went to bed.  :/  Crazy.  I then had to be up about 545 to get ready for work.  At least it was a shorter shift - usually I work about 630 to 1pm.  I've started  closing a bit too which is usually 1-7pm but as I've only closed by myself twice it took me awhile both times to get everything done. We had a relaxing day.  I am sooo very thankful to be around family and thankful we love each other and even though we screw up, we try to follow a Christ centered life.  Great blessings come to those who serve God and lead honest, virtuous lives which means repenting throughout our lives, to live with courage and faith in God.  What a great support our family is!  Both my own father and my father in law have great counsel and love for our little family.  They are kind.  I hope to be a kinder, more compassionate mother and, one day, grandmother.

I'm happy to be back in Midway and to be around family and friends again.  Richard bore his testimony today and spoke about ways we feel the spirit and how he was directed  to where we lived in NY and how vital it was during Hurricane Sandy.  I am so grateful for our Father who loves and guides us, as we listen for the Spirit.  I truly miss our friends there and yet I love being around my old friends here.  I am so grateful for the awesome friendships we've made with fellow brothers and sisters.  My heart was touched by them.  When our hearts are hurting, they so often wrap us up in the comfort of their love and compassion.

In my testimony today in Relief Society, I said how vital it was to have that love and kindness of my New York family as I felt depressed many times those first 18 months in Freeport.  We never really know how, "...in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye cant' see...." (LDS Hymn #220)  With our Savior though, we can follow him and  "....be my brothers keeper."  I'm so thankful for the love of Christ spread abroad through his disciples, no matter what religion they may be.  Or age.  Or ethnicity.  Some kids with whom I came to be good friends surprised me by their deep testimonies and desire to follow Christ.  Our Jewish neighbor and our Chinese neighbor showered love on my children that I've never really seen outside of immediate family.  It was beautiful!  I certainly have seen an immense desire to do whats right and follow God, no matter how hard or unpopular it may be, in my fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We don't follow man's ideas for success, though some are enlightened.  We try to follow the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit.  What gratitude we have for this messenger that guides us to correct and eternal principles, not just what will make us happy today.  Sometimes those correct paths lead us to act in ways that may not make sense.  But that path has peace, even if it takes time to understand to some degree why we were directed in such a manner.  Through our trials and miracles, we've come to learn that God is there, he knows us and empowers us as we put our hand in his.  :)