Thanksgiving

Brady, Spencer, and I spent this Thanksgiving holiday with Angie & Rhead Hatch family (Brady's sister). We enjoyed our vacation immensely. It was so nice to kick back, relax, and spend quality time with family.

I just want to take a moment and reflect on all the things I am thankful for this season.

Family: I have always appreciated family especially during my later growing years, but this year seems to tug at my heart strings when I think about family. So much has happened this year with my family, things which have brought us even closer together. Words can’t even express the love that I feel for each of my family members. I love you all: Dad, Mom, Amber, Elise, and James! I feel so blessed to have such a tightly-knit family, a family who will always be there.

I also feel so blessed to have married into a wonderful family. The Shaw family have made me feel so welcome and a part of the family. Over the years I have come to know all of them better and love them even more. I love you all!

Marriage: I am also very grateful for Brady and for our eternal companionship. Brady and I have grown so much together, this year is no exception. In fact, my love for Brady has grown so much this year…I love him more now than I ever have. I know that sounds so cliché, but I do love my dear husband very much. We have been through a lot together, especially within the last year and a half. The world is ever changing, but our love is forever constant. I never really appreciated the real blessings that come with knowing my Husband loves me and will always love me.

Motherhood: I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity in this life to be a mother. Spencer is such a blessing in our family. When Brady and I chose to have a family right away we both knew that is was what Heavenly Father wanted for us. I am so grateful that we went with our promptings and chose to have a family. Spencer has been such a huge blessing in our lives. I can’t even imagine what life would be like without him, sure it would be a little cleaner, but the mess is so worth the joy he brings us.

The Savior: Enough cannot be said for the loving Man who sacrificed his life and atoned for our sins so that we can have eternal life. I am so grateful to know that the Savior knows each of us and that he knows what we are going through. There were times during this past year that I felt very alone in what I was dealing with. I haven’t told very many people about my experience with Postpartum Depression. I didn’t want to admit what I was going through to anyone because it made me feel weak. I kept telling myself that I could get through my depression on my own, and If I did I would know I could get through anything. I quickly learned that is not the way to get through any hard time. With a lot of prayers and shed tears I turned to the Savior. It was then and only then that my pain was beginning to subside. I learned that the Savior understood what I was feeling and that he alone could heal my wounds. Now when looking back upon my experience I can see the Lords hands holding me and cradling me telling me everything would be okay. There is something so sweet and powerful in the healing power of the atonement. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know my Savior even a little more.

Here are a few pictures of our park adventure during the Thanksgiving break at the Hatch's: