TENNESSEE!!!!

Well, in case you didn't know, I was very privileged to go HOME for Thanksgiving. I'm still home, for the next 10 hours or so... :( But Christmas will come soon. As I was running down the road in my parents' new neighborhood, I realized that I am a much more fun person when I am at home. I get so sucked into my schoolwork out at school that I get very boring. But at home, I'm with my sisters and I get to be completely myself. I love it! I've done a very LITTLE bit of homework this week, as I was trying to maximize my time with my family and Clayton. I might be a little frustrated about that decision come next week when I'm closing four days at Subway, but it was worth it. I've also got a dance project to choreograph, a test to take, an enrichment meeting to plan and a Relief Society lesson to plan this week, but, life goes on. And I'd much rather spend time with all the people I love than have special handouts and treats for Relief Society. We've had a blast eating and shopping and baking. I've made and consumed SO MUCH FOOD this week. But I can take one for the team... :) My family is so amazing. We got up at four in the morning to go shopping yesterday and did not get home until almost noon. We made sugar cookies and studied anatomy (for Taylor) and set up our Christmas tree. Clayton got to spend the day with us on Thanksgiving. We played Scrutineyes -- we all lost miserably to Clayton (I figure I'll get him back next time we play scrabble). We played my favorite game, Taboo, where my team won (not much thanks to me though). I spent Friday afternoon going up to Clarksville with Clayton and spending a little time with his family. His dad made ribs for me. They were wonderful. Then he came home with us and helped set up the tree. It's a wonderful tree. We always have multi-colored lights with ornaments from when we were all in elementary school and brought them home to our Mom. It's really a modge-podge of decor, but it's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen. And those ornaments could tell hundreds and hundreds of stories. My family may not be very proper or politically correct, but it's just the way I like them!

The home should be the center of family and gospel activities, and I love to be home. My family has been blessed to have the gospel in our lives. We are all tied together with our beliefs, and we all believe that families are eternal and important. I'm glad and truly blessed to be able to spend forever with mine.