One Year

This week we signed another one year contract on our apartment. To me, it really felt good to be staying home for another year.

We have been really blessed here. I have reflected a lot on our life here in Topeka recently, and when I do, I'm filled with gratitude to Heavenly Father for the blessings he's given while we've been here. No matter where we are in a year, or two, or five, I think we will always look back at our time here as incredibly blessed.

We have really made a home here. We have been grateful for the people in the Topeka area, who have been warm and inviting and have helped us create a life here that is really special. We love the midwest, and we love our friends here. We have church friends and work friends and law school friends and volleyball friends.

I am really grateful for the last six years of my friendship with Todd. He is really my best friend, and home is anywhere he is. I think it is alright for me to say that we will appreciate this time of our lives without children, and look back on it as a time of necessary growth in our marriage. We want children, but life is sweet now, and we are grateful for these four years we've had to be on a perpetual (somewhat roller coaster-like) date :)

So thanks, Heavenly Father, for looking out for us and guiding us here. We would not be as happy as we are without the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks, Topeka friends, who are here now and who have moved on, for being kind to us.

Thanks to our families, who have supported us while we are far away. We are grateful for the technology that has allowed us to stay close and keep in touch.

Merry Christmas!

Things and people we love:

Church and law school friends :)

Work friends :)

Oh, the barbecue!

The history.

Date nights!

The church history nearby.

The sports!

Sports x2 :)

The Winter Quarters temple and the one being built in KC!

and, finally--Volleyball friends.

Love,

The Thomasons

The Boys by Ari

Dad reading the paper. I think I like to read the paper because of him.

Ian. I get to see him when I visit in Jan. because he will be off track at BYUI.

This is Jacob's leg. He's the brother that gashed himself with an axe during Scout Camp. He is a total trooper...and more careful with sharp objects!

When I visited last July, I let Ari have the run of my camera, and he's quite good. He thought it was hilarious to go back and look at the pictures he took. I took the last one, he loves balloons!

Mom called me last night and said Ari was walking around in his own little world going, "Megan...Todd....Megan....Todd." She put him on the phone and I could understand, "Hi Megan, Hi Todd, watch Cars, Bye Megan, Bye Todd." It was so cute and melted my heart! I guess my Granny told my sister last week that she was going to die with only one grandchild...um, major hint, eh? Ari is the only grandchild on my side, and Jess and I are the only ones married. Considering the next cousin in line is only 25 and is by no means an old maid, I don't know where she is expecting all these grandkids to come from! I love my Granny, she says what's on her mind!

Daily Deals

These are some sites I check daily, cuz it's fun, and because I've found some good deals!

No More Rack--they list a few things a day on sale. Occasionally they offer a $10 credit for signing up ;)

Groupon--daily deals....I check for Topeka and Kansas City, and sometimes I look at Omaha too in case I find something good that we can check out when we go to the temple.

And my volleyball friends have made me a Vera Bradley lover, so I get their emails, because I can't afford VB stuff at regular price, and they have some great deals if you sign up for their email :)

Check 'em out!

RUFFLES!

I am going through a serious ruffle phase. I want to sew ruffles, wear ruffles, and NOW, I want to SLEEP in RUFFLES!!!

Check this out!

I like the ruching on this one too:

And this one too!

And there ruffle curtains and ruffle shower curtains too!!!

Winter Essentials

Meg's Winter Essentials--things that help me prevent S.A.D., hehe :)

1. I told Todd the other day that I would die if I had to go a winter without skiing. I know this makes me sound like some kind of diehard ski bum, which I promise you I'm not, but I do really enjoy it. Unfortunately, I think the nearest ski hill is a hill with manmade snow about an hour away, and Todd can't stand manmade snow so I don't know...I think I will have to try to swing it in Pennsylvania when I'm there in January, but that would mean I'll have to leave my skis. I think I'm in as much love with my ski boots and skis as I am with skiing itself. We got them for a steal when we lived in Boise, and they are red, black and gray and AWESOME!! The picture below is not a picture of my skis--go figure, that's the picture I chose! Suffice it to say, I really hope we will be able to go somewhere this winter, or Kansas may be out as a permanent home. Just sayin'!

2. Hot Chocolate--especially if its Stephens, so good! I am one of those people whose feet and hands are constantly cold. I stay warm with hot chocolate. They have this raspberry cheesecake kind I am digging this year!

3. Good kiddos...Finally in November and December we get a little more used to each other and I don't want to pull my hair out everyday :) They really are sweet and I enjoying teach them (most of the time, let's be real here!)

4. Good friends and green bean casserole. Being away from family is always pretty difficult for me...I am content here, but it is nice to have good friends to hang out with. This picture is from Thanksgiving...the one picture we got! Also, I have finally perfected my green bean casserole and now I want to eat its warm deliciousness all the time. It's the sour cream!

5. Winter volleyball. I love volleyball. It gets me moving, its fun to be with the girls and be doing something out in the community. We have a good time, and it feels good to win from time to time.

6. Nieces and Nephews...enough said :)

(McKenzie thought the fire hydrant was a little person she could talk to, and yes, even kiss...I don't think we let her get that far!)