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At Walgreen's thru Saturday 12/3 Limit one - Cost is $2 and you get that back at the register! Also, Kattie stopped in for a while yesterday - we watched some goofy tv and talked. It was fun! My aide and I straightened and cleaned that a.m., and Mark and I watched Larkrise to Candleford(?) last night; it's a tv series set in Victorian England. I told Mark that that is how my Grandma Wakefield/Gray raised me (I visited with her often, in her different apts.), and I love that genteel atmosphere. So, that's about it for yesterday. A wonderful, peaceful day! How was yours? (This a.m. it is snowing so much that there was a whiteout. Wow November's going out with a bang!) xoxoxo

This Past Thanksgiving Weekend

Hello! Thank you for your comments, and Merry Christmas to you too, Bonnie! We had a nice Thanksgiving at Danny and Melinda's. Everyone brought food or contributed money to the feast. Seth and Justin, Linda and Ben and Josh, Haley and Dallin and Hunter and we were there, although Haley and Dallin had to come later on. It was a nice, quiet meal, as I recall. The kids were cute as usual, and baby Irelyn's hair continues to get redder and redder. Alaina is growing noticeably taller and Emme is looking more like a toddler than a baby. Her face is so piquant, if that's the right word. Very sober most of the time, and looking like a little orphan. It's so funny. Hunter's hair is longer and curly too. Very handsome on him. Josh talks quite a bit and is a little man, like Ben was, lol. That night at about 11 p.m., Haley got me and we ran by Wal Mart, then went to Macey's and Target. The lines were soooooooooo long! And the people were very nice! She picked up boots and Hunter toys and a couple of other things, and I got a soft, cuddly blanket, mainly. We had tons of fun, and stayed out till 3:00 a.m. or so. Mostly we just waited in 2 lines, tho. : ) The weather was windy and cold and Haley had trouble getting her trunk open; therefore, she froze. Maybe that's why people were so happy in line - at least they were warm! A tiny little aide at Mark's work got something grabbed from her by a strange man. He pushed her, grabbed the gadget, and then ran away. She ran after him, caught him by the collar, and kicked him in the seat. So funny! And, btw, she got her gadget from him too. Good job!! Sunday we went to church and Mark gave the S.S. lesson on John, the first 3 chapters. His lesson was wonderful, and so was Relief Society's on repentance. Today has been fairly quiet. Saturday I attended Eleta's bday. gathering here - she's my very good friend. It was her 80th birthday! I got her a couple of small things and made her a card which she really liked, 'cause it had cats all over it (she loves cats and has a tuxedo cat named Cricket). This a.m. I went to the dentist/dentite (our joke name for dentist) and he needs to do more filling or pulling, it's up to us. Either one is very expensive. We'll see... We love the red down-alternative comforter we got Friday, when Mark and I went out to the store. It was a really good price and it's so lightweight and comfortable. Goes just great with our apt.! Hope you all are well and strong and being gud! lol xoxoxo

Newsletter to You

Italicize the "You," because this is just for us to share. Usually this time of the year prompts me to write a family newsletter that I save, but never get mailed. It kind of sums up our year and how the family's doing. With us, it mainly focuses on the "kids" getting schooling or jobs, marriages, and the birth of babies, besides Mark's career highlights and my health low-lights, lol. The main reason I type one up, though, is just to get a sense of where we are and where we are heading. This past year (and maybe this December!) brought the birth of two darling little girls into the family, a job and location change for Mark, a location and job change for Seth, deployment halfway around the world for Phillip, a new career path for Ben, and Linda expecting a little sister for Josh, ajob change (a comin' one of these days) for Justin, Kattie's marriage and new work with Mark, and Dallin finishing up his degree and looking around the country at job opportunities. Whew! People have moved (thank you for your help!!) and we've all been pretty well, for the most part. I think we've all felt blessed. But what I am most happy about and want to write to you about is a more all-encompassing blessing that I have noticed and been so grateful for. It's a settling, an acceptance and an acknowledging of effort as an accomplishment to ourselves. I've seen an over-arching faith in Heavenly Father's timetable and plan, regardless of what threatens the world or us individually, and a strength and flexibility and grateful peace and enjoyment in our lives, rather than fear or over-analysis or over-planning. My own testimony has been added to in an indefinable way. I don't wonder whether we are happy or good so much anymore. I just know that God is good and loving and that we are surrounded by blessings I feel more aware of the veiled world around us and I sense the support of family members on the other side. I feel their overwhelming joy. I mentioned something in my last post, and that was the opportunity we have to serve one another. That is a great thing that is unique to this existence, in that it will never be more meaningful. Every little thing we do, every word of encouragement and every small moment of teaching, thoughtfulness or understanding that we offer, has a real and lasting impact in this world and in the eternities. Those moments should be accompanied by a sound of resonating thunder. They are that important. You know, so much of what Jesus did and taught, His greatest lessons, were accomplished in small moments, often occurring on His way to something important. Funny how that worked. He always stopped when the Spirit told Him to He always listened He always felt such love for the creations of His own hand. He walked the earth with reverence and power. This Christmas, let us be aware of the real glory of Jesus Christ and why He came to earth: That we might have joy. Bless you! xoxoxo