Jeff and Kallie

The last week or so has been just blissful! We spent Thanksgiving with Jeff's family at Grandma Balls' house. His cousin Katie couldn't make it all the way home to Seattle for the holiday, so she came too. It was so fun to be with everyone. Grandma had everything ready before we got there on Wednesday night, so we didn't spend much time at all in the kitchen - we just talked and played with Riley and Gentry.

On the way home, we did a little Christmas shopping. I didn't think it would be bad, since it was like 2:30 in the afternoon by the time we got to Salt Lake, but the store we went to was pretty packed. We bought a little fake Christmas tree and some other decorations. Once we got home, I couldn't wait to put everything up!

That night, Jeff's cousin Corey came down from Salt Lake and we went to dinner at Red Robin, then we went to Nate and Heather's house. I laughed my head off at Jeff, Nate, Corey and Angie playing Olympics on the wii. It was super funny to watch them!

We got home pretty late that night, so Angie spent the night. In the morning, she got up just after I did and while Jeff was sleeping, we finished hanging the garlands and putting pretty little berries in them. That night I made "s" cookies, which took me back to all the years of my childhood when Grandma & Grandpa Johnson used to bring over a big bag of them, along with the box of oranges and grapefruit. This was the first time I'd made them myself and I felt really nostalgic about it all - it was really special to me to be able to make the same cookies that my great-great grandma used to make for her family! I wondered what it was like for her to make them - what her kitchen looked like and what it was like to make them without a mixer. :) Silly stuff I know. It will be neat to meet her someday and be able to talk about her life.

Anyway, as you know this is my first week on my own, and I LOVE it! I love waking up and not feeling the burden of having to get ready and go to work - to spend the day there. I feel like I have more flexibility and that I actually have time to do the things I want to do...like make dinner! Today I will be picking Dan up from his physical therapy and taking him home. Something I wouldn't have been able to do a week ago without feeling guilty for leaving work. This is the kind of work I was born to do. I'm really grateful for the place I'm at in my life. I'm thankful for Jeff, who really encouraged me to do this.

So...life is really good. Can't wait to hear from some of you soon!

xoxo