Thanksgiving

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow (I think), this email is dedicated to thank all my wonderful family members individually. Thank you for all your support, prayers, emails, and love. I really am so blessed to have such a great family! Scroll down to find your name. And just like Patriarchal Blessings, you shouldn´t compare lengths of others or content of others lists with your own. ;) They are all personalized.

What is everyone doing for Thanksgiving? Is everyone getting together? Are you doing tournaments?

This week was great. I don´t really have much time to write more because these gratitude lists took up almost two hours! But, I played for Stake Conference this weekend. Everyone is praying I won´t be transferred for a long time! One man said I had to serve the whole mission here and then get married and live here after the mission! Hahaha! How sweet. It´s nice to feel loved. The playing went well and I´m grateful I can basically manage playing any hymn in the hymnbook even without ever seeing some of these Brazilian ones. I know I will be here at least til the transfer after Christmas because the conductor of the stake choir asked Pres. Milder! Well, that´s it for now. I love you all very much! (More than any words can describe).

Happy Thanksgiving! Love, Sister Ellis III

Grandma Turtle—I am grateful for your emails every week that bring a smile to my lips as I read your descriptions of everything happening there. I can actually picture myself there in Ontario with you!
I am grateful for your support and encouragement.
I am grateful for all the fun memories we have together (visits, birthdays, tea parties, etc).
I am grateful we got to see each other again before I came on the mission. We still have many more birthdays to celebrate together after, ok?
I am grateful you raised my mom with good principles.
I am grateful you are my grandma!

Mom—I am grateful for your love that hás blessed my life all these twenty-one years.
I am grateful for your fun-loving laugh that makes me happy every time I hear it.
I am grateful for your sense of humor and all the fun we have shared.
I am grateful for your considerate and generous nature. You are always willing to put your needs behind the needs of others. What an example of service!
I am grateful for your understanding nature and that I can always open up to you.
I am grateful for your friendship. I am grateful for the wisdom you share with me in times of plenty and famine. 
I am grateful for your patience and perseverance in making me practice piano over the years.
I am grateful for your support and encouragement in all I do (no matter what the odds).
I am grateful for your testimony and how it strengthens my own.
I am grateful you taught me to live the gospel from infancy—to pay tithing, study scriptures, pray, keep the Sabbath Day holy, etc.
I am grateful you are my mother!

Dad—I am grateful for your loving wisdom that has guided me throughout my life.
I am grateful for your love of life and for teaching me to love it too.
I am grateful for your love of the gospel and teaching me to live it.
I am grateful for your trust and teaching me how to be independent.
I am grateful for your help with my affairs while I´m serving the Lord.
I am grateful you taught me how to work.
I am grateful for your patience when I keep making mistakes.
I am grateful for the insights and scriptures you share every letter.
I am grateful you taught me to live the gospel from infancy—to pay tithing, study scriptures, pray, keep the Sabbath Day holy, etc.
I am grateful for the love and respect you show for Mom and how you always taught us to do the same.
I am grateful you are my father!
(Just so you know, I got your mission pouch letter written on Nov 7th on Nov 21st. Thanks for the letters!)

Joy—I am grateful for your sisterly advice that blesses my life.
I am grateful for your fun-loving nature.
I am grateful for your beautiful family and the happiness they give me.
I am grateful for your generosity in letting me stay with you for Thaksgiving last year.
I am grateful for your great sense of humor!
I am grateful for your thoughtfulness in writing me and sending goodies to brighten up my day! (I think it takes roughly 2 weeks—maybe more b/c my birthday package arrived the week after my birthday. Just so you know for future reference…;)).
I am grateful to be sister to she-who-creates-such-great-indian-names. 
I am grateful for your creativity in raising such stalwart young men. (It is giving me great ideas for my future family).
I am grateful for your never-ending patience in raising such wonderful future missionaries and Priesthood holders! You are doing such a great work!
I am grateful for your courage to try new things (learning to play the organ) in order to serve the Lord.
I am grateful you are my sister!

Darrell—I am grateful for your fun sense of humor that keeps me laughing.
I am grateful for your love for my sister. I am grateful you waited so patiently for her to realize you were the one for her! Our family wouldn´t be the same without you!
I am grateful for the dad you are to my nephews.
I am grateful for your patience and generosity towards me.
I am grateful that you help me develop patience with all your teasing! 
I am grateful you are my brother-in-law!

Kit—I am grateful for your love of music that has blessed my life.
I am grateful for all your help in counseling me with my dramatic social life (before the mission, of course).
I am grateful for your help in listening to me sing so I can improve.
I am grateful for your selfless nature in caring for everyone around you.
I am grateful for your friendship.
I am grateful for the mother you´re being to your girls. You are such an example to me!
I am grateful for the CDs and case you gave me for my mission.
I am grateful for all the fun times we had hanging out while I was at BYU.
I am grateful we got to sing together in my ward (even though we didn´t use the ´Sound of Music´motif. ).
I am grateful you are my sister!

Kevin—I am grateful for your fun sense of humor.
I am grateful for your voice that helps invite the Spirit.
I am grateful for your love for my sister.
I am grateful for your patience with her. ;)
I am grateful for the time we had to spend together when I was at BYU (remember sledding with Ryn?!)
I am grateful you are my brother-in-law!

Matt—I am grateful for your funny jokes and songs that always crack me up!
I am grateful fro your strong testimony that has taught me so much.
I am grateful for your good work ethic and how that has helped me, learning from your example.
I am grateful for your beautiful family and the dad you are.
I am grateful for your kindness in always letting me stay with you while passing through Dallas.
I am grateful for your kindness in playing those speed card games with me (even though it was late and I was just too fast for my old brother! ;)). (just kidding)
I am grateful for your emails and advice from your mission experiences.
I am grateful you are my brother!

Natalie—I am grateful for your beautiful and contagious laugh.
I am grateful for your fun-loving nature in playing and laughing with me.
I am grateful for your consideration in always treating me like a grown-up.
I am grateful for the mother you are to my nephews.
I am grateful for your support to my brother and that you fell I love with him.
I am grateful for your friendship. (Remember when we ate mint-chocolate chip ice cream out of the carton in your closet that summer you were home from college?)
I am grateful for your understanding nature—always empathizing with me and helping me see both sides of the coin.
I am grateful for all our talks—sharing ideas, thoughts, testimonies, experiences, etc.
I am grateful you are my sister-in-law!

Mark—I am grateful for your great sense of humor—always helping me laugh even if I was crying before!
I am grateful for your loving care as my older brother--always being concerned for my safety when driving, etc.
I am grateful for all the good memories we have together (from pictures with suction-cup goggles to shuffleboard on the cruise and money pictures in Iowa).
I am grateful for your creativity in helping Spencer and I have good childhood memories with the whole ´Master´ thing—better to be brainwashed into being your servant than fight, right? 
I am grateful for your hospitality in letting us stay with yáll after selling books.
I am grateful you are my brother!

Aup—I am grateful for your thoughtfulness in helping with my blog.
I am grateful for your kindness in letting us stay with you after selling books (always cooking gourmet meals, etc).
I am grateful for your love and support for my brother.
I am grateful he found such a loving, kind, patient, beautiful woman to be his eternal companion!
I am grateful you´re helping ´civilize´ Mark through Pride and Prejudice, etc. 
I am grateful you are starting your family! Be careful and send me pictures when you finally start to get a belly!
I am grateful for your help with my blog. I´m excited to see it in a year and a half.
I am grateful you are my sister-in-law!

John—I am grateful for your concern for me as your little sister.
I am grateful you always put up with me when I passed through Houston.
I am grateful for the dad you are to my nieces and nephew—raising them with gospel principles and correct morals.
I am grateful you always make time to play games with me.
I am grateful for your example of patience and longsuffering.
I am grateful you are my brother!
(Don´t forget to work hard, but play hard too!) ;)

Laura—I am grateful for your loving kindness towards everyone.
I am grateful for your hospitality every time I come to Houston.
I am grateful for your example of Christ-like love to all.
I am grateful for your constant support and encouragement you give to John.
I am grateful for your patience and care you are giving to the house in Houston—even when it is ridiculously big and old. (Remember the experience of the water falling through the ceiling in the living room?!!)
I am grateful for the sweet mother you are to my nieces and nephew.
I am grateful for the missionary you are continuing to be with Celeste.
I am grateful for your ability to see the best in others.
I am grateful that you inspire me to be better than I am.
I am grateful for your patience in hearing me blab all my stories, concerns, etc. to you.
I am grateful you are my sister-in-law!

Rob—I am grateful for your friendship and encouragement.
I am grateful to be the sister of the Great DalMuti.
I am grateful for every laugh we share.
I am grateful for your example of unwavering faith and exact obedience.
I am grateful for the rose colored glasses you wear—always seeing me as the person I can become rather than the person I am.
I am grateful you are working so hard at Harvard. You always have set an example of academic excellence for me.
I am grateful for the memories we made living in Brazil together.
I am grateful for all your help and advice while selling books. I really wouldn´t have made it through 3 summers without you!
I am grateful you always looked out for me (whether it was driving long distances late at night, or offering your help in chaperoning my dates). 
I am grateful you are my brother!

Christa—I am grateful for all the fun times we have shared (selling books, family vacations, BYU game nights at your place, etc.).
I am grateful for all your advice.
I am grateful for your excitement in everything you do!
I am grateful for your support and love for Rob.
I am grateful you and Rob were there for me during my freshman year at BYU.
I am grateful for the fun we have whenever we are together.
I am grateful you are my sister-in-law!

Spencer—I am grateful for your love and support.
I am grateful we got to be ´roommates´ selling books this summer.
I am grateful for your patience with me (even when it´s difficult)! 
I am grateful for your example of unwavering faith.
I am grateful for your example of humility.
I am grateful we are both serving missions at the same time!
I am grateful for our friendship and talks about ´love life´ etc.
I am grateful you are my brother!

Emily—I am grateful for your cute sense of humor that always keeps me laughing!
I am grateful we got to be roommates on the cruise.
I am grateful for your testimony that strengthens mine.
I am grateful for the woman you are becoming.
I am grateful for your kindness in always sharing with me when I come to visit.
I am grateful you are taking such good care of Mom and Dad.
I am grateful for your help with my email while I´m on my mission.
I am grateful for the cute drawing you sent me and for the letters you have sent.
I am grateful you are my sister!

Becky—I am grateful for your friendship and support.
I am grateful for the fun we had these last 2 years watching chick flicks, talking about boys, decorating your house, cheering for Mick, etc.
I am grateful for your kindness in always inviting me to family activities, dinners, etc.
I am grateful for your example of unwavering faith and optimism.
I am grateful for your sweet smile and fun-loving personality.
I am grateful you were always willing to play a game with me even when no one else wanted to! 
I am grateful for the wonderful example you are to me of a supportive wife and mother.
I am grateful for all your packages you send that brighten up my mission even more!
I am grateful you are my aunt!

Kelly—I am grateful for your words of wisdom you are always willing to give. 
I am grateful for your ability to help me laugh at every situation.
I am grateful for all the rides you gave me at BYU.
I am grateful for your careful watch over me while I was away from Mom and Dad! ;)
I am grateful for all the invites to family functions with Tribe #5.
I am grateful for your example of service.
I am grateful for the support you are to Aunt Becky.
I am grateful you are my uncle!

Clay—I am grateful for your patience with my loud laugh, talkative nature, and all the questions I ask! (even during a movie!)
I am grateful for all the cousin bonding time we had just the 2 of us partying it up while Kelly and Becky were gone! 
I am grateful for your sincerity and openness with me (when I nag you enough). ;)
I am grateful for your advice with all my boy issues over the last 2 years.
I am grateful for your desire to seek and obey the will of the Lord.
I am grateful you sent me an email during my mission (since it´s true I never wrote one to you). You are truly magnanimous!
I am grateful for your example of working and studying hard. Keep it up!
I am grateful you are my cousin! I don´t know how I got so lucky!