for everything thy goodness sends.

ralph waldo emerson really knew what life was about. the more i read from him, the more i love him. and love this card from the indigo bunting for paperless post. both great things you should know about.

three things:

first, a short list of things i'm grateful for this thanksgiving, and always:

1. jesus christ, his gospel, and his atonement. 

2. my job and the events that led me here. 

3. my dad and the way he loves me. 

4. my mom and her charity. 

5. my paige and her hilarity.

second, a song that i'm grateful i can listen to now that it's thanksgiving. i'm grateful for sufjan. i'm soso grateful for him.

third, an article from the ny times titled "the united states of thanksgiving" where they catalog thanksgiving recipes that "evoke each of the 50 states".

happy thanksgiving! 

**more from youarewhatyoulove on thanksgiving:

happy thanksgiving

100 thankful thoughts

movies for thanksgiving

thanksgiving is upon us

happy thanksgiving.

 

via sophie ledesma.

the year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. to these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of almighty god. in the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the union. needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. no human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. they are the gracious gifts of the most high god, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. it has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole american people. i do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the united states, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last thursday of november next, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens. and i recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and union.

- president abraham lincoln, done at the city of washington, this third day of october, in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the united states the eighty-eighth.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

read this the other day in preparation for my thanksgiving feast and LOVED it. that lincoln, #whataguy! wishing you the happiest of thanksgivings. may you always remember the original purpose behind the turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing with whipped cream topped pumpkin pie for dessert. god bless.

100 thankful thoughts.

1.a big family 2.my parents house, a home to me wherever i may be 3.salt lake city 4.washington,dc 5.taranto,italy 6.the restored gospel of jesus christ 7.my job 8.barbara burdick 9.jared doxey 10.paige 11.mom 12.dad 13.the salt lake temple 14.the opportunity to work in the temple 15.planet fitness 16.audrey 17.new hobbies 18.anthropologie 19.blogs 20.all my cousins 21.my wightman family heritage 22.my wood family heritage 23.big, tall smart water bottles 24.goals 25.plants 26.knowledge 27.fancy soap 28.my iphone 29.my imac 30.sufjan stevens 31.my dad's music taste 32.my dad's movie taste 33.movies 34.the theater experience 35.music, of all kinds 36.culture 37.the book of mormon 38.revelation 39.prophets and apostles 40.cute little scions 41.missionaries 42.good food!! 43.stevenannie 44.talents 45.spotify 46.mission presidents 47.mission companions 48.the dc vc 49.byu 50.tradition 51.grandma wood 52.art 53.rhodes rolls 54.french silk pie 55.season change 56.colored nail polish 57.saturday morning breakfast at home 58.sunday dinner at home 59.my mom's cooking 60.roommates, old and new 61.friends 62.tv shows, but mostly just recording them and then watching later. 63.lessons from my mother 64.cocoa latte 65.herbal tea 66.city creek 67.chick fil-a 68.paper source (and that they are opening one in fashion place mall!!) 69.stylish men 70.bearded men 71.netflix 72.space heaters 73.warm things 74.my bed 75.big windows 76.jesus the christ 77.mary rich 78.l'occitane 79.the ensign (especially the current conference issue) 80.insurance 81.my education 82.psychology and art history 83.letters from my missionary 84.diet coke (especially from mcdonald's for only $1, 7-11, and the cute pharmacy across the street) 85.pretend nieces and nephews 86.mosiah4:5-12 87.my mia clarisonic 88.my boscia black mask 89.clinique 90.savings 91.christmas lights on temple square 92.forgiveness 93.jesus christ and his atonement 94.prayer 95.funny things 96.pretty things 97.bloggin 98.nail files 99.happy attitudes 100.new opportunities

happy thanksgiving! if you're bored between eatings, read living in thanksgiving daily by joseph b. wirthlin. it will put everything into perspective today. and it's wonderful.

"gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. we like to be around those who are grateful. they tend to brighten all around them. they make others feel better about themselves. they tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable ... gratitude turns a meal into a feast and drudgery into delight. it softens our grief and heightens our pleasure. it turns the simple and common into the memorable and transcendent. it forges bonds of love and fosters loyalty and admiration."

joseph b. wirthlin

peace and thanksgiving.

i'm peacin' out for a thanksgiving beneath the red rocks of st george. i thought i'd leave you with this christmas playlist:

happy holidays!

*please note that it is sufjan heavy (i can't help myself) and then check out his latest christmas album.

movies for thanksgiving.

it feels as though it's been ages since we've heard from our movie expert emily. glad to have her back for this month's movie list. i'm always looking for festive films to watch between cooking and turkey and pie, and then cozied up by the fire. now thanks to emily i've got a list of ten! thanks gurl!

hello all! we're halfway through the month and on track to one of my favorite holidays of the year: thanksgiving! unfortunately, it's not one of hollywood's favorite holidays, which will be evident when you see how creative i had to be to get to ten films that could pass! one thing i learned is that thanksgiving is apparently not a kid-friendly holiday. which makes sense ... it's one you learn to appreciate more and more the older you get. but as such, most of the films i watched tended to have adult moments, so if you're trying to watch with the whole family i made a nice HEADS UP list for each film so you won't be caught off guard. let's get going!

1. planes, trains & automobiles
this is the ultimate thanksgiving movie because it shows that there is no place like home on thanksgiving. and you can definitely feel that in the very last scene. it's a funny buddy/road film throughout, but the last few minutes really make it worth it. HEADS UP: skip the scene at the rent a car place where f-bombs fly every other word.

2. a charlie brown thanksgiving

leave it to charlie brown (well, actually marcy in this case) to tell us the true meaning of a holiday. in this short film charlie brown totally botches up a thanksgiving meal he promised to make for peppermint patty, but in a heartwarming moment we pause to reflect that the point of this holiday is not just to stuff one's face with food, a part i admittedly love too, but to be with the ones we love and to show gratitude for the things we have. HEADS UP: it's charlie brown , it's clean. unless you wanna read more into peppermint patty and marcy's weird relationship.

3. pieces of april 

this is both a great film and a great thanksgiving film. who knew katie holmes could be a decent actress!? the family drama is so broken and real. there were a few moments that really made my heart ache! the film has a simple premise: estranged daughter april attempts to cook thanksgiving dinner for her family in her apartment in new york city. it's this simplicity that makes the film work as we feel april's desperation in trying to reach out to her family, and even if they don't see eye to eye, family is what thanksgiving is all about. HEADS UP: skip the scene where the mother and son are looking thorugh the photo album, oh and there's a quick sex scene.

4. hannah & her sisters 

thanksgiving acts as the bookends in this movie that follows the lives of three sisters. i don't want to give too much away, but the holiday definitely acts like a character in the film and subtly helps the characters put things into perspective. HEADS UP: there is an adulterous relationship, but nothing is ever shown, and an inappropriate sexual reference here and there.

5. avalon 

like hannah & her sisters, this was a film that was more an examination of life rather than the examination of just one holiday. but like hannah, a special emphasis on thanksgiving was placed as we got to see four different thanksgivings in the life of this family. this is because thanksgiving is the holiday that celebrates FAMILY more than any other holiday. the progression of the thanksgivings says so much on the state of the characters and their relationships with one another. until finally they're eating their thanksgiving dinner with their televisions as opposed to their extended families. HEADS UP: ... nothing to report.

6. home for the holidays

this movie is a little uneven, but it definitely gets the FEEL of thanksgiving and is devoted to it. plus it features a hunky dylan mcdermott (NEVER got the appeal until just recently, and now i can't get enough!) so that's definitely not a bad thing AT. ALL ... and the ending is great. HEADS UP: RDJ's character is gay and his sister has a problem with that and once provoked, calls him some pretty filthy names.

7. waitress

i cheated by including the next two. no it's not a thanksgiving film ... but it's a film about PIES, and that to me is what thanksgiving is all about. that and being grateful or something, which i think the movie definitely touches upon by the end. great film. HEADS UP: marital rape & adultery included.

8. pocahontas

there are not many films about PILGRIMS and indians getting along, but at least we have this very fictitious film to give us the warm fuzzies about some of the earliest settlers and their relationship with the natives. i didn't have the patience to sit through a new world, so we'll stick with this film about cherishing the land and loving our neighbors .... and trying not to destroy our neighbors. it's basically avatar. HEADS UP: NOTHING! it's a disney film! yippee!

9. dutch

this is pretty much the poor man's planes, trains & automobiles; an unlikely pair that can't stand each other, are forced on the road trip of their lives to get home for thanksgiving dinner to a pretty lady waiting at home. just change it so that one of them is a snot nosed, pre-teen brat (played by none other than ethan embry, the bass player in that thing you do!), and the other is ed o'neill (low brow humor included). it's not always a pleasant journey, but they do have the quiet moments that show what thanksgiving is all about, and the final reunion was surprisingly heartwarming. HEADS UP: just skip any scene where racy playing cards are involved.

10. son in law

yep, the list of thanksgiving movies is so sparse i have to include a pauly shore movie. PAULY SHORE! this movie is so ridiculous, but i can't say i didn't kinda enjoy it; a guilty pleasure at it's guiltiest. featuring all of your favorite forgotten 90's stars: tiffany amber thiessen and the guy who played perry white in lois & clark. HEADS UP: pauly doesn't have the cleanest vocab-u-larrrrrry (that as my impression of him) and there's a bit of lesbian PDA at the beginning of the film.

well that oughtta do it! i hope you enjoyed the list, and if i missed any i'd REALLY be interested to know, because getting ten was sure hard! happy thanksgiving! see you next month!

thanksgiving is upon us.

tonight, the night before thanksgiving, is one of the best nights of the year {perhaps THE best}. all my life, this night has been filled with jingle listening, bread drying, crust fluting, pie cooking, egg whipping, and pumpkin smelling. a time just before the hustle and bustle of the season for just the 4 of us to prepare for thanksgiving feasting. oh, just thinking about it makes me a little teary. i'm excited! probably because for the last two years i was street walking, guest greeting, book sharing, and family less.

last year on thanksgiving i woke up at 6:30am, studied my scriptures for two hours, then set out to deliver the turkey treats we had made the night before. one to a less active member in chevy chase, one to our member friends the menzels, one to sammy our investigator who worked at the apartment building on mass ave, and one to our homeless investigator at 18th and e. we also shared some with the sisters who fed us thanksgiving brunch. we had mulled cider and a "harvest crepe stack" {as they called it}, turkey shaped rolls, sausage stuffing, and pumpkin crepes with maple syrup and cream cheese spread. we ate again when we got to the visitors' center for our shift. this time we ate all the traditional fixins made with love by the senior couples. my parents had sent me homemade thanksgiving costumes, so we played around with those for a while. after that meal it was back to work, greeting the crowds of people who came to the temple to celebrate their thanskgiving night. it was so wonderful to kick off the season on temple grounds with 500,000 christmas lights and the christus watching over us. oh that spirit!

each year, i make a list of the many things i have to be grateful for. it's the perfect time to reflect and acknowledge what you've been blessed with. this year i am especially grateful for my family. for each and every thing that they are. for their love and support. and right now, i'm so grateful that i will be able to spend the holiday season side by side, with them!

in addition, i'm thankful for:

• salt lake city
• church employment
• my misson
• friends
• knowledge
• ikea pillows
• starbucks hot cocoa
• sleepy time tea
• yoga {especially when its with annie!}
• speaking of annie, GOOD FOOD!
• sufjan stevens
• technology {aka, my ipod}
• my scriptures
• my savior and redeemer, jesus christ
• prophets
• creative minds
• j crew
• cute little scions
• cute little {actually it's huge} city apartments

"therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our god forever. behold, who can glory too much in the lord? yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? behold, i say unto you, i cannot say the smallest part which i feel."

alma 26:16

i hope you have a spectacular thanksgiving filled with gratitude and pie.

friday happenings.

today was probably one of the more boring days of my entire life. really. 8 hours of ABSOLUTELY nothing to do, but sit in front of my computer screen and wait for the phone to ring. and while i type this i'm remembering the following phrase:

which isn't remotely true. i am exciting. my job ... not.

i did the following to save my brain from self destruction:

-counted my calories for the day

-searched for the perfect movie to watch thanksgiving day {have you seen pieces of april? if not, you should}

-looked up all the nominees for the academy award's best picture and counted how many i've seen

-in preparation for monday, looked up the best horror movies of all time

-text and called a few people to ask how i should fill my time

-played sudoku

-pondered about why "cool crowds" end up in every social situation in our lives, you think that after high school, they might be over and done with, but no

-listened to this and this and this and this and this ...

-tried to convince myself that i am creative enough to take shannen's family christmas photo tomorrow

-tried to think of a way i could convince myself and maybe one or two others to go to this exhibit before it closes

-stalked peoples interests via pinterest

and for a brief moment {30 minutes} i got MAJOR action when i signed the lease for my new apartment {cue billy joel}! 

have a good weekend.