Last Part of December!

Hi, Y'all!  I'm such a puddle right now!  I saw some pictures of Eden, and then Seth called, and I thought of her being way up in Alaska, and everyone else spread out for now, and I'm just a bawl baby!
I told Mark that I caught Haley's illness, 'cause she's always saying that she's being hormonal, lol.  I'm supposed to be past all that, I thought!  Oh, well.  Maybe it's the post-Christmas, end-of-year post.
Below are different random pictures from the past couple of weeks.  The first picture is of a magazine that Mark got me for Christmas, called "Women  Who Kill."  I think that's hilarious!

Look how long my hair is!  I didn't know till I saw this photo!

Santa did come!  The box has a baguette-shaping cloth in it, and the stockings have candy in them

Mark got a Chromecast thing, I got Chanel No. 5!

This was a little girl/baby in the store - isn't she darling?

Isn't this one a doll?  I mean Eden, not her lookalike doll  :)

Her Grandma Forceski says she was scared of Santa, but a champ at opening presents!

Little,, funny, cute Eden

 

I don't remember what I've told you before this, but I hope you had a Merry Christmas ans a Happy New Year.  We just stayed home, and it was lovely.

Mark or Santa, one, got me these Kelly dolls with complete outfits.  Yay!

Grandma just sent me this one, captioned "Getting her used to the toilet"  Lol  She has the cutest little smile

Mark's caramel corn for Christmas, cooling

He stayed up all night baking chocolate and chocolate chip cookies, from his own, *secret* recipes

Take a big stand mixer

Add liquid nitrogen

to a chocolate custard base (another Mark recipe)

Minus 341 degrees!

Finished chocolate ice cream

Strawberry above this picture

 This is his finished cherry chocolate chunk ice cream

in the above and below pictures

All for the residents of his facility

He does it for the reaction:  Ooh!  This is so good!!

 

We had a couple of days at the very end of December where Mark and I were in pain,

he from gout and me from neuropathy,

but we're being quite careful with our meds, and the salt ("Mark!"  No, really, it was his idea to do that.)

and we're doing much better now.

Nothing like pain to get your attention!

We heard from Seth, and he is doing all right.  

He really, really appreciates it when you write him.

Has anyone heard from Justin and Tara?

We really love living in this third apt.  The extra room and more open layout are great!

Plus, we have a big pantry and a stovetop!

I hope this blog post helps fill you in on things here.

2013 was a great year, with the July 4th reunion and grandbabies and a good job,

and Justin and Tara's wedding, and Haley and Dallin moving back here and getting their house,

Megan and Melinda going to school,

getting to know the Forceskis,

I've also gotten to be in contact with my cousin Bonnie and her family, my cousins.

That's been wonderful!

I've been on Facebook, finally, and love that contact with different 

family members and friends on there.

We started out 2013 by fasting and praying for Bishop Baird and his recovery,

and learning to be a Zion ward and people.

I feel like my capacity for happiness grew this year,

and I'm thankful for the lessons I've learned.

I learned a great deal about love when Heather and Mike's girl, Hannah, passed away

from being in a car accident.

The whole family prayed and fasted for her,

and the whole family shared in her family's grief.

Their strength, love, and testimony have been so precious to me.

I love you all, deeply and eternally.

The veil is thin, so many times in our lives.

Others are watching over us.

I tell you this because it is something I know,

and because knowing this is life-changing.

It is true, and I give you my testimony that it is true

because I love you.

Happy New Year

With Love and Big Hugs!

xoxoxo