so much to be thankful for!

I know Thanksgiving was last month but this post is better late than never!

I'm grateful for my family.

Dad. I love my dad. He is one of my best friends and we have always gotten along really well. He is the best listener EVER. He has great advice when you want it. He spends time with us kids. He does weekly PPI's which I think is awesome. He is a peacemaker. I want to marry someone like my dad someday he is just the best.

I like this picture.

Okay so I need more pictures of my dad and I! This is all I could find!

Mammamia! My mom and I always have a lot of fun together. I have tons of memories of she and I just goofing off or going to the store together or to Starbucks (before moving to Louisiana where starbucks is nasty and so now we go to Sonics). My mom either completely designed and made or at least made alterations of every school dance dress I ever had. And they fit me perfectly and they are gorgeous. she is so talented. She cooks the yummiest food. She spoils me. I love my mom!

See? Spoiled.

I like this picture because we are all matchy.

Ben was my buddy in Louisiana. We kinda suffered through Dutchtown High together. I think moving to Louisiana made us better friends. I'm so grateful for that. He's my best workout buddy... When we actually work out. He's my best movie buddy. We like the same movies and have a similar sense of humor so we have a lot of fun together.

At my graduation.

At the Northpointe ward sock hop years ago!

At the spiral jetty a few weeks ago.

Sari is my FAVORITE SISTER. :) I love this girl. She is so great. She is so funny, unique, friendly, GORGEOUS, smart, she laughs at my jokes to make me feel funny, she's so so talented, she loves to cook and she's good at it. We decided when we were like 12 and 7 or 8 that we would grow up to be next door neighbors and I would keep both of our houses clean and she would cook for both of our families. I still hope that happens haha... In Washington Sari and I slept in the basement and everyone else lived upstairs.... SO sweet! We had so much fun I remember Mom and Dad would yell down at us to be quiet and go to sleep at like 2 in the morning. This happened a lot! We would just giggle and keep talking usually. We would draw funny pictures for each other and write notes to each other. We made books. We read books together. We talked about boys. We told each other secrets. We did each others nails. We argued over who gets to name their daughter Isabella. I decided that I'm the oldest so HA! She decided that karma would get me and I'd have boys and she would have a daughter before me. We'll see.... ;). When we moved to Prairieville we shared a room and a bed..... We fought all the time! She is messy and I'm a neat freak and she's a wild sleeper and I stay in one position. She snores and I talk in my sleep. It just was not going well. We got a bunk bed and things improved. Then we moved to Baton Rouge and things improved even more. We still fought once in a while over keeping the room clean and wearing each others clothes. But when I look back we were just having fun. It's so fun to see the amazing girl she's growing up to be. I can't wait to make more memories with her!

At Pensacola Beach.

In the car.

Daniel is SUCH a sweetheart. He is the most kind hearted person you will ever meet. If anyone is arguing or raising their voice he really doesn't like it and he plays peacemaker probably every single day. And he's super funny. He has a great sense of humor. He can quote movies just like Ben can. He is very witty and says the funniest things. He's also way talented. He loves to draw and he's really goooood! I love it. And he likes to sing. Which I also love. He is such a good example to me I want to be like him when I grow up.

Isn't this a great picture? He looks so cute and kind and he's drawing which is his favorite thing to do.

Joseph! I love this kid. He is always always ready to give everyone a big joseph hug. Joseph hugs are the BEST. When Jojo was a baby I held him all the time. And he would go to sleep with me in my bed and then my mom and dad would come and get him and put him in his crib before they went to bed. When he got old enough to crawl he would climb out of his bed (maybe even his crib... he was still way little!) and he would go all the way from the third floor down to the basement and he would pull on my blankets until I woke up and lifted him onto my bed. Then he would snuggle up and we'd go to sleep. When he got a little older he would brings books down with him and he would wake me up and tell me that mom and dad said i had to read him the books. I would get up and read him the books then put him back in bed. I don't even remember how long this went on but one night I was so tired and I went upstairs crying and asked my parents why they always made me read to Joseph in the middle of the night... They had no idea what I was talking about! Haha! Joseph totally made that up so I would read to him. I'm so sad he's ten now. I wish he would stay that cute FAT baby boy he used to be!

I need more pictures of Joseph too apparently. But this one is super duper cute.

Matthew. Matt is SO cute. He used to be a little tyrant but he was so funny about it. I would wake up in the morning and I'd see him and say good morning mammew! Lol he'd glance up and say, mornin ugly. In his little baby accent! It was so mean but so funny!!!! Or you would ask him for a hug and he'd say NO fatso! Hahaha. But if you were ever crying he softened right away and would tuddle (cuddle) wif you. He's so tute. In the last year or so he has totally turned into the sweetest little boy. He'll give hugs if you ask for it, but he'll roll his eyes first haha. :) He's a funny little guy I miss him!

I think this is the saturday before I flew to Utah to come to school.

He is so cute. I miss him.

I'm grateful that I go to BYUI. I always wanted to go to one of the BYU's but I have really wanted to go to BYU Idaho ever since my old babysitter Mandi went here. I remember it seemed like she was having so much fun and it was not as far away from home as BYU Provo. And all through high school I heard tons of good things about it. I really am loving it here. This has been such a good semester and I lucked out with my roommates. We haven't really had any dorm drama that you always hear about and we all get along pretty well. I also really like all of my classes except math. And I LOVE all of my teachers except my math teacher. I'm really not sure why he's here. I love that my dorm is on the bottom floor and that it's right next door to the laundry room... Seriously best dorm ever. I like my FHE group. We have a lot of fun together. My FHE dad, Peter, is hilarious. We call him Papa Peter. And my FHE mom's name is Melanie so we call her Mama Mel. I have good home teachers. I haven't met my visiting teachers but I love the girls that I visit teach. I love that every Tuesday I get to hang out with my best friend and that every weekend I get to go to Idaho Falls with him. We have had a TON of fun. I've met a lot of new people here and I am SO grateful for all of them. :)

A few of the people in my FHE group.

Papa Peter. He's hilarious, we like him.

My roommates!

Jake and I!

I'm grateful that my family moved to Louisiana. I miss my home in Washington and I miss a couple families from my ward and I'm bitter than I didn't graduate from Mead High... But really I learned so much in Louisiana and I had an easy senior year (except freaking math) and I met a TON of people who are different and all taught me something. I met Merlynn who I love and adore and admire. I'm Brycen's adopted baby daddy and I love him too. I had a lot of experiences that I would not have had if I hadn't been there. I feel like I grew up a ton and I learned a new culture. It's been good I'm excited to go back for Christmas.

The. Cutest. Baby. Ever.

I love Merlynn!

They are so cute.

Lakaya was my choir buddy. She is one of the nicest people she went way out of her way to befriend Ben because she knew he wasn't as mean as he looked and she knew he was miserable.

I'm grateful for all the people who helped me grow up and helped to teach me as I grew up. All my leaders I had in young womens in Washington and Louisiana, most teachers I had in school over the years, my sunday school teachers, bishoprics, home teachers, my cross country coach, my piano teacher in WA, my hula teacher, and so many others. I can't list everyone but I'm so grateful for those people.

I'm grateful that I was raised in the church.

I'm grateful for fall colors. It's my favorite season and Louisiana doesn't have it.

The fall colors at Bear Lake.

I'm grateful for "my" car Omaomao. Even though he's dead in my parents driveway in LA right now and I'm the only one who loves it. haha I think it's the best car ever ever ever.

I'm grateful for the job I had this summer as a maid. Holy crap I hated it but I met tons of people who have super hard lives and it really made me grateful for my life and for the college education I'm receiving right now. Plus I totally got some major guns doing all that cleaning. ;)

I'm grateful for my extended family. My Hathaway grandparents only live a few hours away and they do so much for me. They are so fun to visit. I love them! My Sant grandparents are SO kind and I wish I could see them more often. They make me want to be a nicer person they are just so sweet. Everyone in my dad's family is like that actually. I love them. And I know my mom's family so well and they are funny and a blast and I'm so grateful for the relationships I have with them.

Ramona and I.

Mom, me, Heidyn, and Teilani in New York.

Destry, me, Teilani, and Heidyn on Thanksgiving!

My cousin Logo (Logan) and I. He leaves for his mission in January! I can't believe it!

Grandpa Hathaway and I having a water fight like... 9 years ago. I wonder who won? ;)

I LOVE HEIDYN.

I love my grandma Hathaway too. She is awesome. :)

I don't have any pictures of my dad's side of the family... Good thing they're having a reunion this summer!!

I'm grateful that I get to go home for Christmas in SEVENTEEN DAYS!!!! And that Jake is coming with me! I'm so so excited.