November brings Thanksgiving and the reminder to have gratitude. November helped me to be grateful for a healthy body (which I did not have the beginning of the month :') and people.
Justin started to sport this outfit in November and we dove into the season. November and January are his big road trip months so while I didn't spend a lot of time with Justin, I was reminded of how blessed I am with good people in my life.
We kicked off November by saying goodbye to this...
& hello to this!! Justin had a long trip in Mexico City & I got to see the mountains for the first time since September. It had felt longer than two months & I teared up a little bit at this view.
Justin's trip aligned nicely with a couple of weddings for my college roommates. I got to have some family time & see lots of people I hadn't seen since graduation.
We divvied up the Grizzly gear and tried to convert Andrew to a new favorite NBA team. #gojazz
Dad turned one year older and wiser. He requested Grandma Rowley's White Mountain Icing on chocolate cake. Mom taught me how to use a double boiler and it turned out pretty good.
Then the wedding festivities began...
Alexa was my freshman roommate & has been one of my best friends for 5 YEARS now. She was on her mission when Justin and I met.
Justin and I had both known Stephen through different groups of friends before we had even met each other.
At our wedding reception in August 2021, the stars aligned and Alexa & Stephen met for the first time. They're both such amazing people & it was so special to be in the sealing room for their wedding day.
God is so good!
After Alexa and Stephen's wedding, I drove to one of my favorite places & saw one of my favorite people on the way. ;) They switched out Justin's basketball billboard for a polo. I love him!
I had a few hours in Logan before driving to Idaho for another wedding. I got to hang out around campus with Courtlyn while we visited old professors, institute teachers, and admissions staff. So grateful for USU & the people I met because of the university.
A biiig highlight was the siblings trip to Herm's with James, Courtlyn, & Erin. The yummiest brunch in a cozy cabin on a windy road in Logan Canyon - could you ask for anything more?!
I'm currently doing a paint by numbers of the Logan temple. So many special experiences and prayers answered there. <3
Got to visit NAPA's #1 employee! Who actually doesn't work there anymore because James started his own pruning business with one of our cousins in Logan. That was something he talked about doing since before his mission. Go James!
And then it was time for this beautiful bride to marry the man of her dreams. I love Shelby!! We became roommates after my mission when I moved into a townhome with 9 other strangers... who all became my best friends! It was the best semester ever.
We would watch Shelby go on date after date. None of her boyfriends lasted too long and when we heard about Garrett something was different. Justin and I met Garrett one time over the crazy summer and heard lots of voice memos about how much Shelby loved him.
I love, love. Watching Shelby and Garret get sealed to one another made me so happy, there was so much joy in the temple that morning.
I'm also grateful weddings are a big deal in our culture & that people make it a priority to gather because I got to see my college bffs. It was the best!!
Grandma Hart lives not even five minutes away from where Shelby got married so I got to visit with her on her birthday.
Then the trek back to SLC began so I could see Justin in Memphis.
One more pit stop on the way. :') Love you forever, Alexa!
with my twin driving me back to the airport. So many good people and that was only the first half of the month.
REUNITED & NEVER HAPPIER. I miss Justin so much on the road trips. It gets a *little* easier each time but doesn't lessen how much I miss him. So grateful for the person & husband he is that makes all of this worth it.
We went on our favorite walk (that we go on almost every day), behind our apartment overlooking the Mississippi.
Then, not even 48 hours later, it was goodbye again for another week. November had some tough days!
Luckily, I got to hangout with these two & baby Brooklyn in Boston while Justin played his games.
I love Jourdon & Jacquelyn. Their love is also one that I really admire. They only have a few more months in Boston before they finish dental school and head off on their next adventure. I was hoping to visit them in Boston before they left and this was the perfect window to do it.
They gave me a tour of the city (bless them because it was a little chilly :') & I loved it! Lots of quality time to get to know them better & make memories.
Love you both!!
We were lucky to catch a break from the games to spend some time with family for Thanksgiving. Justin said between basketball and his mission, he hadn't spent a Thanksgiving at home in Oklahoma in 8 years!! That streak came to an end as we road-tripped a couple of states to the west.
We didn't get a picture with everyone but it was so nice to have Erin home from USU & spend time together.
We took a break from all of the good food to help Ty & Abby move into their new house! They're the best & it was fun helping them get more settled.
November 29 & 30 had us back at the Landers Center in Mississippi to finish off the month. Our church branch has been so supportive of Justin. We've had friends from church at almost every single one of his home games.
What a month!! Lots of gratitude reflecting back as I write this post. So many good people around us & I'm grateful for our little apartment in downtown Memphis that feels like home.
Love this boy & what we're doing together.