Two Turkey Dinners and Full Bellies

We enjoyed another visit back home to spend Thanksgiving with our families. And yes, that means two Thanksgiving dinners in the same evening! This year we didn't stuff ourselves during our first go around. We're a little more wise now and made sure to leave some extra room for the other feast we would have about two hours later. We were very satisfied by the end of the night and loved being surrounded by such amazingly yummy foods and desserts.

Better than that though, we loved being surrounded by such fun cousins, nieces and nephews to play around with! Kyle continues to be the jungle gym while I get in on the fun sometimes to persuade all the kids to join me in giving Kyle a tickle attack. :)

We were glad to have been able to visit Sequoia National Park with Kyle's family to enjoy such beautiful creations away from all of the hustle and bustle. Although the drive made some of us a bit queesy, being amongst such incredible and ancient plant life really made up for it.

We also stopped at a quaint candy and ice-cream shoppe. It was so fun seeing the vast variety of items to choose from. The best item that Kyle and I saw was a wooden sign that said "Never Trust A Skinny Cook." We laughed at that one, but we didn't bring it home with us. :)

We are thankful for our wonderful families and for the special moments that we share.

We were also excited to catch up with a very special couple whom we have not seen for about 3-4 years! The last time I was able to see them was when they visited me in the Washington DC Temple Visitors' Center during my mission. At that time they were preparing to serve a mission themselves in Spain! So since that day, I've been anxiously awaiting our reunion! Over lunch we filled them in on my missionary service, Kyle's proposal, our wedding, our life together, our first home purchase, and of course, their missionary experiences. We looked through some books and photos and were amazed at the beauty of Spain. We know that they were special instruments in bringing about the Lord's work in the areas that they served in. We love them oh-so-much!!

On a final note, before heading home for the holiday, we were invited by our awesome real estate agent to hike in Red Rock Canyon with some friends. Unfortunately after living here for about a year, that was our first time visiting Red Rock! ;{ Nevertheless, we had an awesome time and hiked huge rocks and boulders that I thought would be impossible! The views overlooking the valley were incredible. I sure was sore after that short exploration, but there are many more adventures to be had!