so thankful.

Thanksgiving Break has come and gone. And let me tell you what, it was such a great break! 

Taylor and I drove to Denver late Tuesday night and enjoyed spending the rest of the week with family!

Side Note: This just has to be pointed out. Because it was just the two of us taking the road trip, we had a lot of extra space in my car so why would we need to be super reserved on our packing? 

Take a look at this picture. Mine is neatly on the left side, Tay's stuff is the rest of the car!

I thought I was bad, but then I saw Tay as he came out with golf clubs, the huge blue bag (in the middle back of the picture), A LOT of hanging clothes (there were still 4 more sweatshirts/jackets he brought out after this picture), and all his shoes (because he "didn't know which ones he'd want to wear"). I felt much better about my two Vera bags (the small one was just for some shoes/boots to justify myself). But it really didn't matter since we didn't have to squeeze anyone else in (thank goodness).

My parents, Cody, and Lexie also came in for the holiday break! It was great having them there with us, but we definitely missed Cal and Brandon there. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for 3 of the days we were there- it was in the high 60's! I always wonder how Denver is right next to Utah because I think Denver is prettier most days. (sorry Utah lovers) We spent some enjoyable time outside at the park the first afternoon with our cute little boy cousins.

That night the cousins all went to Aubrey's house to make s'mores, watch Modern Family, and play Just Dance. It was a lot of fun spending some time with my cousins! Not to mention, my primo, Jordan, has returned from his mission in Argentina! It was so great to see him again! I swear, it's like they never left when they get back. But I sure do miss those missionaries while they are gone!

 

Thursday morning we were up bright and early, ready to play some football on a GORGEOUS morning in Denver. Seriously, the weather was perfect. It was fun to play with all family for the turkey bowl. Normally we go play with our ward back at home and they are slightly more competitive, which means they make the girls play with the young children (so lame.) Anyways, the teams were the "oldies" vs. "under 30's". Let's just say the oldies have had a lot of time playing with each other. We'll be ready next time. But we still had a lot of fun together.

After getting all cleaned up, and taking little naps, we were ready for some delicious food! I felt like royalty with all this great food placed right in front of me. I felt incredibly blessed to be surround by family I love, enough food on my table, and a warm house to enjoy. One.lucky.girl. Sadly, Aubrey Lynn was only able to stay for 2 days because of work so she had to leave Thanksgiving night. It was great to see her and spend time with her for a few days. She can always put a smile on my face. Love that girl.

I am so glad my family was able to come out for the break! It has been such a long time since we were all out there together. I definitely enjoyed them coming out, making me yummy breakfast, paying for my meals & activities.. but really, just being around me all week long was the greatest! Thankfully, Christmas is right around the corner and we'll have Cal and Brandon with us!

I'm also glad these 2 cute boys and their parents drove from Arizona for the break! They are the CUTEST things ever and such a joy to be around! Precious Crewe (on the left) has adapted to the cheetah sign. This wasn't the best pic I could get of him, but his eyes just widen and he makes a growling noise as he does it. BEST.THING.EVER! As they get older, they slowly love spending time with their older cousins! Callahan (with me on the right) wanted to be my partner for the infamous game of "scum" my family loves to play together. He was hilarious the entire night as we talked trash to the other players. I sure do love those cute boys. Hopefully I can make a trip to Arizona soon!

Jordan gave his homecoming speech that Sunday morning and it was one of the most tender talks I have ever heard! You could tell that he just LOVED his mission with all his heart and loves his family a whole lot. I'm so lucky to have him as a cousin! 

After his talk, a lot of extended family went over to their house for a delicious breakfast. Of course I take advantage of things like this because normally I just have some yogurt or cereal and head out to work!

My grandparents are the most adorable people I know! Normally I stay at their house whenever I visit, but my Uncle, Aunt, and their 2 boys did so I didn't spend as much time with them as normal. But I still am grateful I got to see them for a few days! They sure are fun people to be around! 

And I got to spend more time with this cousin of mine, Cory (middle of the picture on the right). He's actually my 2nd cousin so we normally don't spend as much time with their side of the family because ours is just so big in and of itself. But because him and his other siblings and cousins are a little older, we got to spend a lot more time with them over the break and had a great time! It's funny once kids reach a certain age, it's a lot easier to hang out with them (even if I feel old). But Cory comes out to BYU next summer and will be playing for the Basketball Team next Fall! If I'm still around, I will definitely be at his games cheering him on! I've heard that he's quite the basketball player. So proud of that cousin of mine!

I can't even believe this is my 16 year old brother! He has turned into quite the stud and an enjoyable boy to be around! I can't wait till we spend more time together in a few weeks!

I am soooo incredibly thankful that I was even able to go to Denver for 5 days with having a full time job. Our office actually closed the 3 days I would've missed so it worked out quite nicely. Denver has been like my second home, especially since I moved to Utah and they were the closest family I have had around. I'm lucky to have such a loving and amazing family! We enjoyed our time we had together this past Thanksgiving week. We ate lots of good food, played many games of scum, danced our booties off, watched some Christmas movies, and just enjoyed being with one another.

Sadly, Thanksgiving break ended WAY too fast! But, thankfully Denver isn't too far away so I hope to visit again soon!