94- 11/25/24

 Happy Thanksgiving! Even though we don’t all get to be together this Thanksgiving, we wanted each one of you to know that you are at the top of what we are most thankful for.

This week our Bishop asked the ward members to consider those we are thankful for and to express this gratitude to them. That is an easy invitation for me, because I get to tell each one of you how much Mama and I love and are thankful for you.

I felt a little guilty this week as I was studying Elder Uchtdorf’s message from conference when he was joking, talking about “the perfect family”. He said, “Doesn’t it seem reasonable to hope that if we keep the commandments and are sealed in the temple, we will be blessed with a large, happy family with bright, obedient children, all of whom stay active in the Church, serve missions, sing in the ward choir, and volunteer to help clean the meetinghouse every Saturday morning? I certainly hope that all of us will see this in our lives. But what if it doesn’t happen?”

While me may not have a bunch of choir members in our family, Mama and I feel so extremely blessed for the amazing family we have been entrusted with. We are so thankful for the blessing each of you are to us and to each other.

Here is just a just a little of what we are thankful for in each of you.

Sadie - From the very beginning you were energy and passion our family needed. You put your whole heart into those things that are important to you, and your family is definitely one of those things, we are blessed because of it. As the oldest, you set an amazing example for your siblings to follow, but probably none more important than your example of faithful service as a full time missionary. We love and are so grateful for our Buggy!

Seth - You have felt like part of the family from the very start. Being the first to marry into the Miller family, you have set  the perfect tone of how our family can grow. We are so thankful for who you are and the kind, gentle, and loving husband you are to Sadie. We genuinely love you and are thankful to have you in our family!

Emma - Right away we felt the blessing of peace and calmness you brought and continue to bring to our family. You have a gift of offering so much grace and gentleness wherever you are. You follow the Savior’s example of being a peacemaker, and this has been and will continue to be a huge blessing in our family, keeping us all closely knit together. How we love our Cakes!

Noah - It has been a blessing to watch over the past six months how you literally bring out the very best in Emma. Your goodness and the light in your countenance brings a joy to our family. We can see you striving to put most important things first in your life, and we are thankful for your example. Like Seth, you just fit seamlessly into our family and we couldn’t be more grateful. We love you already!

Miles - As an infant you were so easy to smother and love. Your big sisters couldn’t love on you enough, and as your parents we couldn’t cuddle or squeeze you enough. You blessed our family very early on to develop the ability to show affection easily and freely, and this has never stopped. I also have always admired and have been thankful for the type of relationship you have with Graham. Your sisters adore you, but your brother looks up to you in every way. As parents we are so thankful for this example and the kind of young man you have become. We love you so much son!

Avery - Mama and I were just talking a few nights ago about how thankful we are for our Avery. You not only bring so much fun to our family, but you are rock solid as a person, so grounded in your faith and purpose. Your gift to freely forgive, to nurture and to love, brings so much glue to our family. Your ability to build deep relationships with all of your siblings, older or younger, is a testament to your caring heart. We love and are so grateful for our Abe!

Graham - When Graham’s name is mentioned in our family circle, usually the next thing that comes from one of his siblings mouth is, “I love that kid!” How thankful we are for you Graham, the good, kind, and loving person you are. Your gift and desire to make others happy is one of your greatest strengths. You are so quick to serve and to notice the one, and we are thankful for the focus and direction you bring to home and family. Even from a very young age you have been spiritually mature beyond your years, and this has been a great strength to our family as well. We love you so much Graham!

Lainey - The Miller family would definitely be missing something great without our little caboose. Lainey you also have the gift to be a peacemaker. This Christlike quality makes our home and family a place where the Spirit can easily be felt. You are so quick to forgive and show love, and this builds up each one of us, allowing us to be the close family that we are. You are so fun to be around and bring so much joy to all of us. You are one special young lady and we are very thankful for our not so little anymore Lainey!

Every Thanksgiving since 1993, I have felt an extreme amount of gratitude for your mama. She is your rock, and she is mine! Never in my life have I ever met anyone like her. She is selflessness, charity, beauty, and love all combined into one. You kids often ask, “Dad, how did you pull that off?” The answer, I have no idea! But I am so grateful for the blessing she is in my life and for the blessing she is in each of yours. You kids are who you are because of your mama, and there aren’t words to express the joy and peace and gratitude that brings to my heart.

What binds us all together is the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We couldn’t and wouldn’t have what we have without it. I am most grateful for my Heavenly Father, for His loving Plan of Happiness, and for our Savior. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that through His atonement, we can be reunited with them as a family for eternity. This is our greatest blessing!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We’ll miss all of you that we can’t be with, but know you are always in our hearts and prayers. I’ll leave you with this scripture to ponder as you consider this Thanksgiving what you are grateful for.

“And it was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land, and the earth did cease to tremble, and the rocks did cease to rend … And the earth did cleave together again, that it stood; … and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. (3Nephi 10: 9-10)

He indeed eliminates any darkness in our lives, making us whole when we feel broken, and able to stand again after we have fallen. Our joy and our thanksgiving are most certainly in our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Love,

Dad

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