Grateful for Surprises

I LOVE surprises.  Always have and always will.  Gifts, events, food - if it is a surprise it makes it about 10 times better.  I am a little picky so it isn't really fair when it comes to gift giving but I can't help it.  Richard was supposed to be home from his rotation in Indianapolis really late on Thanksgiving.  The plan was to meet him at his parent's house around 11:00 pm.  We hadn't seen each other since Sept and only two times total since May.  Basically I was dying for him to get home.  On the eve of Thanksgiving Sharice, Steve and I went to Tandoori Oven, which happens to be in gas station to get some delicious Indian food.  He called me a couple of times because he was supposedly driving to Des Moines.  We got home from dinner and were just hanging out as a fam and in walked Rich!  I was speechless and so happy.  He had told lie upon lie in order to make it a complete surprise, which I approve of.  It was the best gift anyone could have ever given me.  This Thanksgiving will go down in my best memories book.  

 

^^I'm not the only one who missed him.  She wouldn't stop kissing him and insisted on being held by "Dada" for the next 3+ days.  Below is one of my favorite pics ever.  You can see the love for him in her little face.^^

 ^^The Larsen's and Aunt Marla (my grandpa's sister who used to play pro softball.  She has looked the same since I was an infant.  I swear.)^^

 ^^My Grandma & Grandpa Bankhead.  They couldn't be cuter.^^

 ^^The goy-rls^^

 ^^Mastering the fish face for dad.^^

 ^^I finally invested in a carrier cause of a great black Friday deal.  Pretty sure I missed the boat to carry Henley in one.  She looks like a 1st grader in it and my back was breaking.^^

 

^^Hitting up the Aggie basketball game with Grandma and Grandpa.^^

 

Also, on Thanksgiving day we moved down to American Fork to live with his parents for a few months since Rich is working in Salt Lake.  Henley celebrated the move by waking up the first night at 3:00 am and not going back to bed until 7:30 am.  It was a bit of a rude awakening for Rich.  Is it terrible to say that I'm glad I didn't have to suffer alone?  So glad he is home.  We loved 2013 Thanksgiving!