November

Wow... the end of November was a whirlwind! So many things happened, both happy and sad, and I just can't believe that December is already here! Soon it'll be Christmas and I'll just have no idea what happened to the year 2008. I'll try to recap November as well as I can.

On November 17, 2008 my beloved Grandpa Moyle C. Jensen passed away. Let me just say it out loud for everyone to hear: I love my grandpa Jensen! He was the best grandpa anyone could ask for and I hope someday to find a husband that is even a 10th as amazing as he was. He worked hard, loved his family, and cared for his friends and neighbors. He cared for everyone, really. He always told it like it was, but we grew to appreciate his blatant honesty. He was a sweet, sweet old man with a twinkle in his eye who would scold us if we didn't give him a big hug when we walked in the door and again when we left. He always told us to "Remember whose you are!" He was loved by all who knew him and he will be missed dearly. I, his little Padiddle, will miss him dearly.

At midnight the night before my grandpa's funeral, the Twilight movie was released. I had NO intention of going, partially because we were all pretty emotional and down right around then and because I knew I had to sing at the funeral the next day. No sleep+emotions+singing=bad, so in spite of my excitement about the movie's release, I had decided to put it off a week... until my cousin told me that she had tickets that she was just going to waste! SO, because we couldn't stand the thought of wasted midnight Twilight movie tickets, Jana, my cousin Arin, My cousin Shaylynne, and I went to the movie. It ended up being so fun! We laughed and were dorks waiting for the movie to start, which was great because I don't know how many more years we have left to just be silly little girls for a night, and then of course enjoyed the movie too! I know some people didn't like it, but I REALLY did. In fact, I went again the next week with my sisters. Anyways, I also got enough sleep and wasn't too tired the next day! I think sometimes the Lord just knows what we need at different times and gives it to us! I was able to have a fun night with the girls and still be awake and ready for the funeral the next day.

Thanksgiving was great too. It was nice to have all of the family together again for this holiday at my grandpa's house for what may be the last Thanksgiving we spent there. Grandpa was missed but it was a time for all of us to be there together and share the love and memories... Oh yeah, and some amazing food too!

The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is annually a pretty eventful day for our family as well. We all sort of enjoy getting good deals, so we're always at the stores before dawn on this particular day every year. Last year Candice had to put herself over her baby's carseat (which was in her shopping cart) to save her baby's life. She was nearly mauled by a pack of women seeking a Barbie car. This ain't no joke, people. ha ha ha. Anyways, this year, I was the casualty. At 3 o'clock am, Tara, Candice, Jana, and I pulled up to Walmart to start our adventure, but I didn't make it past getting out of the car. (FYI: the weak of stomach may want to quit reading here... and don't look at the picture either. ha ha.) Don't ask me how I did this, but when I got out of the car and shut the door, I slammed my thumb in the door. OUCH. I tried to stay calm, politely asking Candice to open the door (I thought I'd locked it) and when we got the door open, it was bad. The nail was broken across, horizontally, and it was gushing blood. I said a few choice words before walking swiftly into Walmarts bathroom (passing a useless employee who looked completely confused by the phrase "first aid kit") and put my thumb under the water in the bathroom. It hurt REALLY BAD and was still bleeding, so we headed back home and dealt with it there. Long story short, I missed out on Walmart but was able to go to some of the other stores after sleeping a couple of hours. It was definitely a Black Friday memory for the books! Here is a picture of my sick thumb taken exactly one week, to the hour, after it was slammed in the car door:

All around, the end of November was a sad time, but filled with a lot of great, great times with family. It was a time when all of us, with my cousins and aunts and uncles and all, could regroup and get to know eachother again. It's always sad when a death brings us together, but grandpa would've liked to see us all together, supporting each other through the sad days.


And now I close the book on November and look forward to the events of December. I'm excited for this semester to end (only one more week!) and of course all of the Christmas festivities. Happy Holidays, everyone! Spread JOY CHARITYand LOVE this holiday season!