Giving Thanks

I was lucky enough to get to go home and to NYC for Thanksgiving Break and got to do so many incredible things... Here are a few:

• Saw Lincoln in the brand new theater back home
• Went to seminary with two of my siblings - so great
• Worked out with Til (ouch but thank you...)
• Watched J-Fly play basketball
• Saw two Broadway plays (Newsies and Annie - SO good)
• Had the "best Thanksgiving steak dinner EVER" - direct quote from Papa Haws
• Ground Zero memorial
• Museum of Modern Art
• Helped Julia with her photography project (flashback to me doing the same thing four years ago)
• Warm, pretty, long drives up and down the east coast (passing TC Williams High School - which my dad was incredibly excited about)
• Stayed/shopped on Times Square
• Saw Old Towne Alexandria
• Got to catch up with my mom and picked up a small supply of her secret brown sugar
• Talked to my grandpa on the way to and from the airport

I feel so blessed and so lucky to have gotten to spend my break the way I did.

And just because November isn't over, here are a few more things I'm thankful for:

• Girls that I teach that say thank you
• Every girl participating in class today
• Jokes that the temple workers make to me
• Snapchats with my siblings
• Leftovers
• Teammates
• Roommates
• Christmas music

I apologize for the lack of pictures... I can't seem to find my phone cord (which might have something to do with the fact that I haven't unpacked yet. Oops).

Two Cents From the Haws Family

"I could take your car because it's Tuesday and I don't like your clothes."

"Nice grammar."

       "Yeah Grandma loves Mountain Dew!"

This is the nonsense I've come home to and I love it.

Happy Monday :)

I hope some things never change.

Getting into the Thanksgiving spirit

Now that we're less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving, here are some things I'm especially grateful for today:

-- Girls that make me love my job
-- Caramel hot chocolate
-- Having time to get all my homework done before class
-- A sore body that lets me know I played hard this weekend
-- Technology that keeps me in touch with my family
-- Diet Coke runs drop-ins
-- Hysterical teammates that make me drop to the floor I'm laughing so hard
-- A good study spot (that wasn't right next to a door letting in freezing cold air)
-- Not spraining an ankle or face-planting because of the ice today
-- Seat warmers in my car
-- Patient people willing to teach me things I don't understand
-- The nice person who gave me Jolly Ranchers to wish me luck on my test
-- Homemade bread (made by people with talents I don't have)
-- Trips to the temple
-- The cute old men that work at the temple and ask me the same questions every week without fail
-- Seeing the Lord's hand in my life in both small and big ways
-- Good examples all around me
-- The realization I had that I will be back in Charlottesville in less than a week

"Much More To Come"

I feel like this is especially pertinent to my life after watching one of my teammates and good friends open her mission call last night. So proud of her (and all of my other friends making the same decision). I'm so proud to be a part of this church.

"Mormons rise in this life because it is what their religion calls for. Achieving. Progressing. Learning. Forward, upward motion. This is the lifeblood of earthly Mormonism. Management, leadership, and organizing are the essential skills of the faith. It is no wonder that Mormons have grown so rapidly and reached such stellar heights in American culture. And there is much more to come."

Read the whole thing here...

Best Intentions...

Despite my best intentions sometimes things just don't turn out. Last night for example:

I had every intention of going to FHE

... but conditioning started and ended late and I hadn't gone grocery shopping yet. Oops.

I meant to have dinner done by the time everyone got home

... but not making it to the grocery store earlier in the day made that a little difficult.

I really wanted to clean up and put away all the laundry

...but the day was over before I realized what had happened and other things took priority.

I was really excited about dinner

... and then I caught the garlic bread on fire (yes, actual flames coming out of the oven), and couldn't even think coherently enough to put the fire out myself (thanks a million, Syd) . 

But

... luckily I have great roommates that not only are great at putting out fires but also make me laugh incredibly hard at funny situations and my incompetence when it comes to cooking. 

I love these girls...

I love these girls for their ability to bring out the truest version of myself and for loving me for all that that version includes.

I love these girls for their patience with me.

I love these girls for loving the same things that I do.

I love these girls for listening to me even when I ramble about dumb things that won't matter in a week.

I love these girls for their dedication and drive to be their best.

I love these girls for not letting me accept less than my best.

I love these girls for putting up with my quick temper on the field.

I love these girls for the healthy competition we have with each other that pushes us to be better.

I love these girls for the funny team pictures we take.

I love these girls for the way they've taught me to laugh at myself.

I love these girls for the example they are to me.

I love these girls for all these reasons and so many more...