It had been literally a few years since I had seen Jared's family, and it was great to spend some time with them once again.
All of the trimmings were there, too: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, and - my personal favorite - pumpkin pie. I don't think I have ever seen that much food at the house at one time, counting all of the other Thanksgivings, missionary farewells and homecomings, birthday parties, etc. A lot of good cooks contributed a lot of time into preparing it all.
At dinner, Jared - who lives and works in California as a highway patrol officer, or one of the "CHiPs" - entertained us with various humorous stories from his experiences on the job, including pulling over cars that were filled with illegal drugs. (Yeah, the kids weren't around for this part.)
While most of the gang stayed indoors and played "Catch Phrase," I joined my cousins Eden and Jordan and my nephew Dallin in the garage for several rounds of what Eden called "Scar Pong." Unlike regular ping-pong, this game involved the four of us traveling around the ping-pong table, each taking his turn at hitting the ball and trying to keep it bouncing without stopping. Anybody who messed up earned a letter towards "SCAR" (as in "Horse"). When anyone reached "SCAR," the other three of us got to take turns trying to hit him, with his back turned to us, with a ping-pong ball. If you hit him, you got to try again. At one point, I had hit Dallin 17 times in a row. But he was a good sport about it.
It's not too hard for me to take a look around and realize how many blessings I have in my life. My family, many of whom I got to spend the day with, are foremost among them. There are other aunts, uncles, and cousins in Utah, California, and England whom I didn't get to see but who were, nevertheless, in our thoughts. Between last Thanksgiving and this one, I have gained a a nephew (seven-month-old Jackson), a niece (six-week-old Kira), and a brother-in-law, Jeff.
The above picture is from Biz and Jeff's wedding in June. It's missing Kira, who was born in October, but it's the most current family photo that I have.
I am likewise grateful to have many good friends - probably more than I deserve - who help to keep me on the "straight and narrow" and who inspire me to be a better person. Many of these people are in my ward, which I feel is the right place for me to be right now. Others are people I have known for most of my life - some as far back as pre-school - who continue to influence me for the better.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ still blesses me on a daily basis. I don't know where I would be without it.
Wherever you are or were, I hope that you enjoyed your day, too.
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