December 23rd through December 29th

 

December 23rd through December 29th: Monday mom had to work. I drove Uber every morning from around 3am to 7 or 8am except Tuesday and Sunday.  Tuesday I started early, cutting up vegetables and getting everything ready to make a few Chinese dishes for our Christmas Eve dinner. I cooked most of the day.  I had ordered rice and noodles and two dishes from Panda Express so I had to run out and get that order picked up. I cooked spicy dried fried green beans, spicy chicken, broccoli, and snow peas in a peanut sauce, and spicy cucumbers.  Panda Express added orange chicken and broccoli beef. We had way too much food. After dinner, we had the grand-kids act out the nativity while I read the Christmas story from Luke. It was quite the performance. Then we had a family prayer.  We so missed Sam and Ginny and their girls.

My peanut dish.

Dried fried green beans.

Broccoli beef,  orange chicken, noodles and rice.  Thanks Panda Express

Dinner is served.

Christmas Eve dinner, kids table.

Adult table.

Wednesday, Christmas, we visited Charlotte’s, then Kate’s and finally John’s house to see what Santa had brought the grand-kids. Then we all went down to James’ house to see what Santa had left at his house. We faced timed with Ginny to see what Santa had left at her house for Xela and Willa. Kate’s family did not make it, but the rest of us enjoyed a huge prime rib roast dinner that James had cooked in his smoker. It was truly the best piece of meat I have ever eaten.  We stayed and played some CEO and enjoyed being together.

Alex and Charlotte's house Christmas morning.

Bryce and Kate's house, Christmas morning.

Thursday mom had to work till noon. I got my tools cleaned up from Paul’s house. We went to the movies in the afternoon.

The force is strong with with one.

Friday we took down the Christmas decorations and then I went out in the afternoon and drove Lyft. I am going to see if there is any difference between Uber and Lyft. The apps are a little different, but the work is very similar so far. Saturday we left at 1pm for Arizona. We made it to Littlefield Arizona, near Mesquite, Nevada. We stayed at an airbnb we had rented.  James and Kirstin and kids arrived at about 10pm and stayed with us. Sunday we got up early and drove to Phoenix and went to church at the ward house where Mark and Linda, Chris’ brother and sister in law, go to church. We got there just as Mark and Linda’s sacrament meeting was getting out. We said hi and then stayed for the 12 noon sacrament meeting. We then went over to Linda’s mother's house for lunch. She is almost 100 and Linda takes care of her.

Mom with her brother, Mark, and his wife, Linda.

We then went to the house we have rented for all 28 of us to be together for New Years. It is a 6 bedroom house in Glendale, Arizona a suburb of Phoenix.  It is huge and will be great for our togetherness. Pictures next week of the house will be included in the blog. This is only the second Christmas that we have all been together in 11 years. We are truly loving being with all our our kids and their spouses and especially all of our grand-kids. We feel so blessed, because we are.

December 16th through December 22nd

December 16^th through December 22^nd: Monday I got up early and drove Uber and Mom went to work. I spent the rest of the day framing a wall above the half-wall of brick that made the fireplace in Paul’s basement and covering it with OSB board.  

OSB installed.

Tuesday I again went drive early till I had to meet with Shawn at Client’s Design, the cabinet company where I am now working part-time.  He gave me a list of companies to visit and deliver a box of apples as a Christmas gift.  I went and finished installing MDF over the fireplace and then installed molding over the MDF.  I also got all of the crown molding installed.  I then delivered apples the rest of the day.  

MDF and moldings installed.

Wednesday we went to our temple shift.  Before we got started with sealings, one of the other sealers saw that one of his sheets of marriages had 3 couples with Spanish names.  He said, "I can’t pronounce these names, you had better switch one of your sheets with this one of mine".  Our first session of sealings is always with temple workers participating as patrons.  I got choked up doing the Spanish names.  It took me right back to Guatemala.  I apologized for being so emotional and explained that I had memories of being back in Guatemala.  We think of Guatemala every day and have such fond memories of our time there.  One of the temple workers asked if I was there when Larry and Babbette Jenson were serving there.  I of course said yes, they were our temple missionaries and we loved serving with them.  He said, "Well, Larry is my brother." The church is such a small place.  In the afternoon, I went to the dermatologist and he took a biopsy of something he did not like by my right eye.  He also froze something on the tip of my nose.  So now I have some scabs on my face.  We had a ward temple activity in the evening.  I went up and did a sealing session with members from our ward.  Chris went to watch Ellie and Moose/James at their orchestra performance.  They both play the cello and did very well.  The music was excellent.  

Ellie and her cello.

Moose and his cello.

Thursday I drove early and then went and finished the casing and base in the room where I installed the door to the garage.  Then in the afternoon I delivered apples.  Mom went to lunch with Kate and Charlotte to celebrate Kate's birthday that she will have next week.

New door to the house and concrete step.

Friday I drove for a few hours in the early morning.  I then finished my Christmas apples deliveries.  I dropped mom off at the train station and she went down to American Fork to tend James and Kirstin’s kids for the evening.  I drove Uber till 8:00pm and then I went and picked up Chris.  Saturday I got up and drove early.  I am finding that from 3:00am to 8:00 or 9:00am is a good time to drive and I always wake up early so it doesn’t interfere with my other projects.  I got a text from one of the sealers at the temple asking if I could take his place for his mid-day shift.  He had come down with a bad cold.  So I stopped driving and went home to shower and eat and get ready to go to the temple.  Mom went with Kate and her kids and Alex and Charlotte and their kids to see the lights on temple square in the evening.  

Visiting the Christmas lights at temple square.

Mom with 2 daughters and 2 granddaughters.

Sunday we only had sacrament meeting and the speakers and music were very nice and brought the Christmas spirit to the meeting.  We went to dinner with Alex and Charlotte’s family in the evening. It was a great week and went by really fast.  Merry Christmas to all of you.

December 9th through December 15th

December 9^th through December 15^th: Monday I started helping a neighbor, Paul, make some changes on his new condo that is just up the street.  He and his wife plan to move from the house they have lived in for many years and down size to a smaller home.  I cut a new door from the garage into the house.  Before you had to go out the back of the garage and then into the front door of the condo.  I installed the new door.  

Almost ready to take out the studs and then reframe and install the new garage door.

Mom went to work.  In the evening we went to Jake’s holiday concert.  

Jake is on the back row with a white shirt.

Tuesday I got up early and drove Uber for a few hours.  Mom went to work and I then went and framed up a step from the garage floor into the house. We then poured the concrete step.  In the afternoon, I started visiting general contractors to get to know the players in temple remodeling.  In the evening, mom had her work Christmas party.  Wednesday we went to our temple shift and then I drove Uber for a few hours.  Chris went to Tilda's class and talked about Swedish Christmas traditions.  

Grandma telling Tilda's class about Swedish Christmas traditions.

Tilda dressed as Santa Lucia.

In the evening we split up and Chris went to Badger’s band performance and I went to Evan’s orchestra concert.  

Badger at his band concert.

Badger with his two grandmas.

Evan at his orchestra concert.

Evan with his mom and dad and little sister, Tilda, after his orchestra concert.

Thursday I got up early and drove Uber.  I then went and installed crown molding in Paul’s condo.  We also went and purchased all the materials to build out his fireplace and make it look craftsman style.  I then drove Uber till 8:30 pm.  Friday I drove Uber till 9:00am and then I visited more general contractors.  In the evening, I substituted at the temple for one of the other sealers and Chris tended grandchildren.  Saturday morning I work up early and drove Uber from 2:00am till 8:00am.   I am really surprised that I am kept busy in the wee hours of the morning.  We then went to our ward Christmas breakfast.  Mom had cooked two breakfast casseroles.  

Badger, Jill, John B, and Moose at the ward Christmas breakfast.

We did not sit on Santa's lap, but he did say he would see what he could do about the corvette I want for Christmas.

We went to Tilda and Abby’s dance recital in the afternoon.  I then went back to driving Uber for 3 hours in the evening.  

Abby and Tilda are up there somewhere.

Abby and Tilda after there dance program.

Sunday we had church and then a family dinner at Kate’s house.  We got our trip to Arizona all planned for the week after Christmas.  We have rented a house big enough for all of us to be together.  I know we will have a great time. 

Emme and Abby as Santa Lucia after our family dinner.

December 2nd through December 8th

December 2^nd through December 8^th: This week I got into my two new jobs.  Monday I drove Uber from 4am till 9am and then I went and worked on the punch list at Kory and Amy’s house.  Afterwards, I went to lunch with an old friend, Wally Cooper.  I asked him for his help in getting the names of the project managers at some of the construction companies that are doing temple remodels.  I am going to help try and get more temple work for the cabinet company I am now working for.  I went back to Kory’s and finished the last of the punch list.  Tuesday I went out again at 4am and drove Uber till 8am.  Chris and I then went to the rec. center and walked around the track for 30 minutes.  We are trying to get some exercise.  I drove Chris to work and then I drove Uber till 9pm when I picked Chris up from work.  Wednesday we went to our morning temple shift and then I went to lunch with Shawn, the owner of the cabinet company and Doug Thayne.  Doug is an old friend and has been doing out of the country temple work for the last 20 years.  He has some good contacts that will help me get to the right people.  Chris and I spent the rest of the day doing errands and finishing the Christmas decorations around the house.  I went out in the evening and drove Uber.  Thursday I drove Chris to work and I stayed in Salt Lake driving Uber.  When I picked Chris up from work at noon, we drove to American Fork and took Kirstin out to lunch for her birthday.  James and Campbell joined us for lunch.  We had a nice time with the three of them.  

Lunch with Kirstin, James and Campbell.

We then did some Christmas shopping.  I went out in the evening and drove Uber again.  Friday Chris and I drove into Salt Lake to attend the Salt Lake temple one last time before the 4 year closure later this month.  My brother, Van, was on shift and we saw him and then went to lunch with Van and his wife, Maude.  When we got home from lunch, I got changed and went and drove Uber.  I took a break and went with Chris to see Bryce and Kate’s son, Stan, sing in his school’s holiday choir.  

Kid choirs are great.

Stanford at his choir performance.

Chris then went with Kate to Ogden to check on her booth at a Christmas boutique for the Ergo spout and I went back out driving.  Saturday I changed out the vent in our bathroom and went and hung a very large painting at Bryce and Kate’s home.  It was the painting we had painted of Kate when she was young.  Chris went to breakfast with some of her old colleagues.  She then went shopping.  I went out and drove for a few hours.  I am trying to figure out when is the best time to drive Uber.  I am always surprised that at almost any hour I seem to find trips to either take someone somewhere or to deliver food to someone.  I never knew that people ordered food at 4 in the morning.  When I got home Chris and I went and watched Kate and her son, Kimball, sing at their ward Christmas party.  They did a great job.  

Kimball and Kate singing.

Sunday we went to church and then in the evening we went and visited Alex and Charlotte’s family and Bryce and Kate’s family delivering a Christmas book to them.  We also watched the First Presidency’s Christmas devotional with Charlotte’s family.  When we got home we gave John and Jill’s family their book. 

November 25th through December 1st

November 25^th through December 1^st:  Monday I drove Chris to work and then I spent the day driving Uber.  Then I picked her up from work and we rode home together.  When we got home, I drove down to American Fork to pick up my truck because James had a new back window installed.  Thanks James for your help.  Tuesday I went and cleaned up all my tools from Kory and Amy’s house.  I still have a few punch list items, but they want the basement cleaned up for some house guests that would be staying for Thanksgiving.  I then drove Chris to work and I drove Uber while she worked.  Wednesday we went to the temple for our shift and I had the honor and pleasure of officiating the sealing of Truman and Susan Welling.  Truman is the son of our niece Megan Welling who is the daughter of Chris’ brother Craig and his wife Pam Cornwall.  It was the first sealing I have done for a family member.  It was very special to be asked to seal this wonderful couple.  

Truman  and Susan Welling 

They both served missions to Thailand,but did not know each other in the mission field.  They met in a Thai class at BYU.  After pictures at the temple, we went to the wedding luncheon here in Bountiful.  Then in the evening John B and Kate went with us to the reception in West Point.  It was snowing very hard and a lot of snow was expected for the rest of the week.  After the reception, I went out and drove Uber for a few hours.  

Wedding luncheon with L to R Wendy, Pam's Sister, Craig, Chris' brother, Pam, Craig's wife, Sidney, Craig and Pam's grand daughter and sister to the groom.

At the reception, the bride and groom took a break to eat.

Thursday we had Alex and Charlotte and their family over for Thanksgiving dinner.  They were going to go to Denver to be with Alex’s family, but with the big snow storm this week they decided to stay home.  It was fun to some of our family with us for Thanksgiving dinner.  All the rest of our kids were with their in-laws. In the evening, I went to work driving Uber and everyone else went shopping for black Friday even though it was not Friday yet.  Friday I got up early and drove Uber till 8:00 am.  Craig and Pam, Chris’ brother and sister-in-law came to brunch at 10:30 am and we enjoyed a nice time with them.  We then went and picked up my brother, Van, and drove down to Cedar Hills to visit my sister-in-law, Molly.  My oldest brother died in 2008 and she was down from her home in Washington visiting a daughter for Thanksgiving.  Tad met us there and we had a nice visit with her.  We then drove home in another snow storm.  

L to R Van, Me, Molly and Tad

I set up the Christmas tree and Chris and Ellie, our granddaughter started decorating it.  

It snowed almost everyday this last week.

Saturday I woke up early and went and drove Uber till 8:00am.  I then customized some shelves for John and Jill.  Chris finished the tree and then we went and saw Tom Hanks in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”.  We liked it and felt like it had a great message.  Be kind.  Sunday we went to church and ate leftovers.  We are truly thankful for all our many blessings.

John B. said that with the new shelves I am officially done with the punch list on his house.

I put up the tree and mom and Ellie decorated it.