It's almost Thanksgiving

It's been a good week. It started off with last Saturday. I competed Samba in DanceSport. We didn't get very far, but we had fun and I thought we danced our best. My sister had come in to town, and so after DanceSport I spent some time with her. Then I had work which was my last football game of the season and last time working in the President's Loge. It was a lot of fun. Our Events Coordinator is so nice. She got us all gift baskets. Sunday I had dinner with my sister and her husband at my cousin's house. It was nice to spend some time with family. On Monday, I had my Waltz test for Dance 380. I had fun with that and think I did very well. And we started learning Tango. I am very excited about Tango. Tuesday I had my Samba test for Dance 185, again I think I did well, and I worked the Basketball game. Basketball games aren't as fun as football, but we got to eat some good cake afterwards. The rest of the week just went by as normal. It wasn't very busy. It was nice to take things at a slow pace.
Friday night I watched Hocus Pocus with friends. Saturday I spent with more friends, eating ice cream, going to a poster sail, going Christmas shopping, watching Nightmare Before Christmas, and decorating for Christmas. It was a ton of fun! But I had wanted to buy Christmas decorations, but kept deciding against it, and in the end, the only thing I bought was a cheap Christmas tablecloth. There was a prettier one, but I thought "Nah, I'll just get this, it's cheaper." Unfortunately, it's too small for my table! I don't know what to do with it now! That's what I get for being cheap. ;)
Well Thanksgiving is almost here! Tuesday I get out of class at noon and then Lexi and I are going home!! I am so so excited to see my family. I have missed them so much this semester.
Well, I have started to write a list of things I am thankful for. These are things I have never really thought of before to be thankful for until this semester. It is inspired by the classes I am taking as well as other experiences I have had this semester.

I am grateful I have all my limbs.

I am grateful that my family has routines and rituals.

I am grateful to not have a vitamin deficiency (well that I know of).

I am grateful to not have vitamin toxicity.

I am grateful for plant hybridization, otherwise we wouldn't have most fruit

I am grateful for beautiful music like on “How to Train Your Dragon.”

I am grateful for the trust my parents gave me and also the boundaries in my family.

I am grateful for ChooseMyPlate.

I am grateful the FDA regulates foods and drugs to keep us safe.

I am grateful that my family tells each other “I love you.”

I am grateful that my family discusses our losses.

I am grateful that my family can evolve.

I am grateful that my parents got college educations and made it a family goal that we all do the same.

I am grateful that my parents, my sisters, and my grandparents were married/sealed in the temple to set the example for me.

I am grateful for beautiful dances like the cha cha, waltz, tango, rumba, and samba.

I am grateful that my parents have allowed me to grow up to be an adult.

I am grateful to have finally chosen a major.

I am grateful that my family didn't force me to do things with them growing up, but instead made it so that I just always wanted to.

I am grateful for family outings and picnics in the cold.

I am grateful that my mother fed me vegetables.

I am grateful that my family read scriptures together every night and I learned to read through this process.

I am grateful that the age requirement was lowered for women missionaries.

There is so much more that I could write. But these were things that became especially significant to me this semester. Usually when you list the things you are grateful for, you list your family. But this semester, while taking my Family Processes class, I have realized just how much I am grateful to have my family and not any other family.

Happy Sunday!

Today was a good Sunday. I went to the Temple Prep Class for the first time and really enjoyed it. I don't know what it is, but I have just not enjoyed Sunday School very much. I feel like something is missing from it. But whatever that missing thing was, I found it in Temple Prep. It felt very right to be there, very peaceful, and for the first time, I didn't look at the clock even once. I was very surprised when I realized it was already time to go.While sitting in that class, I knew that this was what I was supposed to be doing: preparing to go through the temple and serve a mission.
School has been going a lot better for me. Things have really slowed down since I dropped my Spanish Class. I'm still busy a lot, but I no longer feel like I'm drowning. I took my second midterm for my Living with Plants class and did SO much better. I have my Family Processes midterm tomorrow. No, I'm not ready for that, but I'm also trying to not stress, because I also have my nutrition midterm later this week, and I know I will stress about that later as I always do.
Halloween was fun. I went to the Social Dance Lab and had a blast. Then Lexi and I made mummy dogs and smores and watched "Elf." We were going to watch a Halloween movie, but then decided we were really in the mood for Elf. Tehe :) The weekend before, my family came to visit me. We went on a picnic and saw the movie "Hotel Transylvania" which was adorable. Sunday morning we went to a park and talked and ate snacks and I played in the leaves while my family watched me. It was very hard to say goodbye to them. I missed them so much, and was so excited for them to be there. But I've only got two weeks and then I can go home for Thanksgiving! And this week is bound to go by fast. Two midterms, and I work a basketball game and a football game, and Saturday morning is DanceSport which I am dancing the Samba in. I really enjoy the Samba.
Well the CES Fireside is about to start, so I will say goodbye. Happy Sunday!