December 12th through December 18th

December 12^th through December 18^th:  Not much to report this week.  I worked a couple more days on the Veteran’s home correcting woodwork and tile work that other people had done.  Thursday: Mom attended the dance demonstration of Ellie, our oldest granddaughter.

Ellie is the third one from the left.

In the evening, we met all our children and grandchildren at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City and walked around a live nativity. The actors were dressed like shepherds and led us through the trees in the park to different scenes of the Christmas story where the wise men or Mary and Joseph were represented and they sang songs. They even had live sheep and a camel. It was very dramatic when an angel suddenly appeared in the dark with a light on her and she began to sing to the shepherds. Kimball (age 4) asked, “Is it a real angel?”  It was really fun, but REALLY cold.  Mom had hot chocolate for everyone afterwards. 

Most of us with our Shepard escorts.

The 3 wise men on their journey to find the Christ child.

Saturday:  Mom attended the funeral of her uncle on her father’s side.  She enjoyed visiting with all her cousins.  That evening two girls from our Sunday School class were in a dance performance.  We went to support them and took two other girls from the class with us. 

The dance performance.

Sunday: We met with the stake president a few days ago to finalize our mission papers and he didn’t have our medical papers.  So after church, I talked to the Bishop and he assured me that he had delivered the papers that night and that the stake clerk had sent them to church headquarters. Now we wait to see if we end up in Oaxaca, Mexico or some other place that the Lord needs us.  After church we drove out to see Pres. and Connie Crayk and pick up the two suitcases he shipped in his container for us. They look great.  It was fun to see them and hear about their last 2 months of adventures in Bolivia.  We then went to Charlotte’s house where all our children and grandchildren that live in Utah came to dinner.  They get together once a month for Sunday dinner and it is so fun to have them all so close.  Sorry, Ginny, Sam, Xela and Willa-- we love you too and miss you so much.  We had breakfast for dinner.  Right in the middle of dinner Merritt and Tom, one of Chris’ dearest friends and her husband arrived with a huge plate of cinnamon rolls.  So yummy.  Mom had said she wished she had made cinnamon rolls.  

Tom, Mom and Merritt and her cinnamon rolls that my kids devoured in seconds.

After dinner we watched old family videos of Christmas from when they were kids themselves.  Great memories and lots of laughs.  Monday: I went to work at 5:00am and mom had a substituting job.  Tuesday:  After work, we went to a Christmas concert at Evan’s school.  He is in the school choir.  He had a small solo part and did not tell anyone.  His mom was really surprised and when she saw him in the front , she sent his little brother Miles, with her I-phone  to get a picture of him.  I am still working on punch list items on the kitchen and front room.  Yesterday I painted the kitchen table and a corner cabinet.  We tended Charlotte’s kid in the evening and decorated ginger bread men.

Papa, Luke, and Evan and the gingerbread men.