27 Dec 2015 - This week has been very different from the norm. First off I stayed home sick for 2 days and could have stayed home another day or two but decided there were things that had to be done before Christmas so I went in on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were holidays for both of us which was really nice. We are so productive when we aren't at work! We got the garden tilled, 4 compost piles built, did a manure run, did the annual butchering, went to the neighborhood Christmas dinner and party and got the house cleaned up.
Christmas was a lot of fun. We did stockings by ourselves in the morning and had a Face Time visit with the Harts. Then we went over to Randy & Dona's for breakfast and more presents. We were definitely spoiled and had lots of fun. Baby Katelyn (9 months) was more interested in the ribbons and paper than in opening her presents but I'm sure that she will be more into it next year.
The day after Christmas we drove down to Mesa for the Bailey family Christmas party. It was fun to see aunts, uncles and cousins.
We got a smidgen of snow both on Christmas day and the day after but nothing stuck. It has been quite cold though and we are glad that we have our wood burning stove and lots of firewood.
I was thinking the other day about New Year's Resolutions and such and I recalled something that I had seen a few months ago. It might be fun for those of you who are wanting to beef up your savings accounts. It is called the 52 week challenge (for those of you who like challenges!). The basic idea is to save in "doable" amounts so each week you only save that weeks amount. For example:
Week 1 = $52
Week 2 = $51
Week 3 = $50
........
Week 50 = $3
Week 51 = $2
Week 52 = $1
The reason you do it "backward" is so that the smallest amounts are right around the holidays! Just a fun idea for anyone who wants to look into it!
Life in Snowflake is great. Hope that you are all in a similar situation.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Hyde Park Happiness
What a lovely Christmas we enjoyed! It was delightful to have the elders from Dad's stake join us for Christmas Eve. It was a last minute thing, so we weren't very organized, but we had a good time watching some church Christmas videos, singing and hearing a message from the elders. Lauren and Nick came later and stayed all night with us, which greatly pleased Emma! Even without little ones here, we stayed up too late, but got all of the projects finished that had to be done by Christmas morning. Of course, it was wonderful to have the Harts and Nilssons join us later on Christmas day and to listen to the cousins play and sing and laugh and have fun together! We all enjoyed a rousing game of volleyball - and have the bruises to show for it!! It was great to connect with Joe's family and Jenn via Face Time. There are some technologies I am very, very glad for - and Face Time is one of those! Bless Apple's heart!!
Here are some of my favorite Christmas memories from this year:
I, for one, am looking forward to 2016. It's exciting to think about what may happen! I will be contacting each of the family to hear your predictions for 2016 and will post them next Sunday, hopefully. Here's a recap of the predictions and happenings of 2015 - to get your thoughts flowing for predictions for the coming year... (who made the prediction, which predictions actually happened)
Dad: Harts will move, Lauren married
Mom: I will graduate with good grades (3.99 GPA), wedding or two, Flakes will have renters, two new apostles, Harts will find dream home (even though they didn't buy it, it was found and an offer was made on it!), Emma will get a ticket, more than 50% of family will travel out of country
Elise: Harts move, Joe offered the job of a lifetime, Dad super-successful side venture, Mom deliver 30 babies (only 24 this year, 160 total)
Jenn: at least one new baby (Henry), at least one new home (their own rental home!!), Lauren will take trip to England
Joe: Jenn new job, Emma will get ticket (only a warning for having a headlight out), Lauren engaged, Mom paid for births, Garrett back to school, Dad nothing changes
Emma: Lauren married and pregnant, Lauren will plan trip to So. America
Ruth: Robert D. Hales will die, Boyd K. Packer will die, wedding or two in the family, Lauren will pass her preview, Nilssons will do a house project
Lauren: Thomas will travel (went on a cruise, Colorado, Idaho), Thomas engaged, another major calling (Joe - elder's quorum pres., Lauren - primary pres., Elise - RS pres.), someone pregnant (herself!!!)
Thomas: Lauren married, another child addition (Henry), Mom and Dad new car
Grace: the cousins will go to Disneyland
Miscellaneous predictions thrown out by family members playing ping pong:
- three new babies in the family or on the way
- two weddings
- four new cars (Joe & Lori van, Ruth and Garrett van, Thomas Subaru, Alex & Elise Lexus)
- one new prophet
- two new apostles
- Grandpa Belliston on a mission
- Garrett will run another race
- a new greenhouse in the family
- Harts will have a girl
You are quite good predictors! Maybe we should all try manifesting along with our predicting and more things will occur that we want to have happen! For more information about manifesting, talk with Elise and Alex!
Can't wait to see those of you who will be at Carl's for the New Year's party! For those who can't be there, we will miss you, but will be in touch. Love you all!
Here are some of my favorite Christmas memories from this year:
Dad: Harts will move, Lauren married
Mom: I will graduate with good grades (3.99 GPA), wedding or two, Flakes will have renters, two new apostles, Harts will find dream home (even though they didn't buy it, it was found and an offer was made on it!), Emma will get a ticket, more than 50% of family will travel out of country
Elise: Harts move, Joe offered the job of a lifetime, Dad super-successful side venture, Mom deliver 30 babies (only 24 this year, 160 total)
Jenn: at least one new baby (Henry), at least one new home (their own rental home!!), Lauren will take trip to England
Joe: Jenn new job, Emma will get ticket (only a warning for having a headlight out), Lauren engaged, Mom paid for births, Garrett back to school, Dad nothing changes
Emma: Lauren married and pregnant, Lauren will plan trip to So. America
Ruth: Robert D. Hales will die, Boyd K. Packer will die, wedding or two in the family, Lauren will pass her preview, Nilssons will do a house project
Lauren: Thomas will travel (went on a cruise, Colorado, Idaho), Thomas engaged, another major calling (Joe - elder's quorum pres., Lauren - primary pres., Elise - RS pres.), someone pregnant (herself!!!)
Thomas: Lauren married, another child addition (Henry), Mom and Dad new car
Grace: the cousins will go to Disneyland
Miscellaneous predictions thrown out by family members playing ping pong:
- three new babies in the family or on the way
- two weddings
- four new cars (Joe & Lori van, Ruth and Garrett van, Thomas Subaru, Alex & Elise Lexus)
- one new prophet
- two new apostles
- Grandpa Belliston on a mission
- Garrett will run another race
- a new greenhouse in the family
- Harts will have a girl
You are quite good predictors! Maybe we should all try manifesting along with our predicting and more things will occur that we want to have happen! For more information about manifesting, talk with Elise and Alex!
Can't wait to see those of you who will be at Carl's for the New Year's party! For those who can't be there, we will miss you, but will be in touch. Love you all!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Flake Fun
21 Dec 2015 - Apologies for not "blobbing" yesterday. It was most definitely not a day of rest, as I am sure most of you can relate to. We had our Christmas program at church and I was involved with all but one of the musical numbers. Between practicing, performing, primary and treat deliveries, we didn't have much time to sit down and relax.
This past week was pretty typical. I did spend a couple of days in Phoenix at a statewide exercise which was a nice break from the norm of the office. We also had our ward Christmas party and our work party. So, I guess it wasn't at all typical!
Scott got the tiller working which was pretty exciting! We put a new motor on it and had to change some gaskets (or something) but it works nicely! It is quite the beast.
I learned an interesting lesson in gratitude this week. I was in the dollar store on Friday looking for some things and I over heard a piece of a conversation in the next isle over. It went something like this:
"Well I called the bank to see why my card was declined and they said that they were doing a system update. Who does that in the middle of the day? Anyway, this lady behind me must have been in a big hurry because she paid for my packages. She wouldn't let me pay her back or give me her address so I could send a check. It was so embarrassing."
I'll have to tell you the back story for it to make much sense. A couple of weeks ago I had been contemplating what to do with Grandpa's holiday money. We had been praying to know who needed it. I had just left the temple and that subject was on my mind. I stopped at the post office and noticed that the lady at the front of the line was having trouble with her card. There were about 4-5 people ahead of me in line. The lady stepped out to call her bank and the post office lady kept ringing people up. By the time I got to the front of the line, the lady had not returned and it hit me that perhaps I could make someone's day a little brighter so I paid for her packages. A week later I was in the dollar store...
Why do we have such a hard time allowing people to be kind? How can we create a Zion family or community when we refuse to allow people to help us? When we don't let those around us know when we need help? I am as guilty as anyone in this but this experience has really driven it home to me.
Anyway, I'm glad that the party went well. It was fun to attend digitally!
Merry Christmas!
This past week was pretty typical. I did spend a couple of days in Phoenix at a statewide exercise which was a nice break from the norm of the office. We also had our ward Christmas party and our work party. So, I guess it wasn't at all typical!
Scott got the tiller working which was pretty exciting! We put a new motor on it and had to change some gaskets (or something) but it works nicely! It is quite the beast.
I learned an interesting lesson in gratitude this week. I was in the dollar store on Friday looking for some things and I over heard a piece of a conversation in the next isle over. It went something like this:
"Well I called the bank to see why my card was declined and they said that they were doing a system update. Who does that in the middle of the day? Anyway, this lady behind me must have been in a big hurry because she paid for my packages. She wouldn't let me pay her back or give me her address so I could send a check. It was so embarrassing."
I'll have to tell you the back story for it to make much sense. A couple of weeks ago I had been contemplating what to do with Grandpa's holiday money. We had been praying to know who needed it. I had just left the temple and that subject was on my mind. I stopped at the post office and noticed that the lady at the front of the line was having trouble with her card. There were about 4-5 people ahead of me in line. The lady stepped out to call her bank and the post office lady kept ringing people up. By the time I got to the front of the line, the lady had not returned and it hit me that perhaps I could make someone's day a little brighter so I paid for her packages. A week later I was in the dollar store...
Why do we have such a hard time allowing people to be kind? How can we create a Zion family or community when we refuse to allow people to help us? When we don't let those around us know when we need help? I am as guilty as anyone in this but this experience has really driven it home to me.
Anyway, I'm glad that the party went well. It was fun to attend digitally!
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Hart Happenings
So, I was a huge fan of the Christmas party. It was a riot. The kids had a blast picking out books, making snowflakes and gingerbread houses, and acting out the nativity. And I had a good time visiting with all the siblings and their spouses/fiancées. The food was delicious and it was fun to recognize mom's achievement. I also got really excited to hear the Manning's announcement. Yay!
It was nice to relax after a crazy week. We decided to set up Alex's parent's house as an Airb&b location so we had to stage the whole thing and do some cleaning. Mom, you blessed us all with high standards in the cleaning department and in this instance it did not serve me well. It turned into a monumental project. But it looks nice and clean now. Still some things to do but we have it booked for weekends all through January 3rd.
Things are nice and cold here. We spent the evening walking around the neighborhood caroling with some good friends of ours. It is a fun tradition that we look forward to.
Not much else to recount. Just doing all that fun holiday stuff.
Sure love you all. And my apologies to Nick for not wishing you a Happy Birthday. I had no idea you even had birthdays! Now I do and I can put it on my calendar. I hope it was a wonderful day!
What a great family Christmas party we had!! We missed Jenn and Scott terribly, but were glad they could join us electronically for a few moments. I have some photos that I will try to get Dad to help me put up when he gets home. I must look into the app that Elise has that makes it easy to do that...
My very favorite part of the party was being at the bookstore with the grandchildren. I loved watching them look for books, read them together, give each other ideas, show aunts and uncles their choices. It was sweet to see Elise reading to Joe and recommending books to Emma. It was fun to watch Joe and Lori chase the twins around and doing "Jack in the Box," with squeals each time Jack jumped out! It was delightful to hear darling little Eliza adamantly state that she would only settle for a book about monsters (she finally chose one about a pig). Thank you, thank you for allowing me such a wonderful time with the children. I really hope it can become a tradition! We loved spending time at the church, too. Fun, fun times. Loved every minute of it :)
And thanks for your kindness to me. I feel officially graduated now! Thank you for the flowers, the oils, the support and patience. I'm grateful for the experience and all I've learned. It has been a life-changing experience for me.
Now, on to the next phase of Christmas. Emma is about finished collecting money for her private "sub for Santa" effort. She tries to find some very needy people and usually goes to Angela (Ashcroft) Hansen for ideas. Angela is the RS Pres in a ward by Willow Park where there are some very intense needs. She is always so grateful and says the people are very humbled and grateful to receive any help. For perspective, I've pasted a copy of her email here. These are the kinds of folks we feel very good about helping.
"Robin and helpers,
Here are some people. There's quite a few. Don't feel obligated to do them all. Pick the ones you want. And thanks so much for helping! You make a huge difference!
Any type of gift would be great for these first few families.
Gentile's:
Brinlie - age 9
Gauge - age 7Elliana - age 6
Max - age 3
Bunkall:
Kyle - age 10
Done:
Zachary - age 14
Kyle - age 13
Wilkins:
Corey - age 10
For the families below I have a few suggestions:
Mathison family: They have 1 son named Oscar - age 7 or 8. We don't have him on our records for some reason (probably wasn't blessed as a baby) so I can't look up his exact age.... His family is very dysfunctional - but leaps and bounds more functional than the families his parents grew up in. So they are doing well...sort of. They are all addicted to their electronic devices and all go to separate rooms to watch TV, play video games, and Oscar watches movies and you-tube videos most of the time. They never eat dinner as a family and their meals consist of hot dogs and chicken nuggets - stuff you can heat up in a microwave. Then they carry it to their rooms and eat alone while they do their games and stuff. I would recommend some thing they can do as a family like board games, etc.
Bro. Carlson - age 59. I recommend some kind of care package. He had a brain tumor years ago. When they did brain surgery it left one side of his body not able to work - kind of like someone who has had a stroke. He is very poor and is only able to work 4 hours per day at the DI. I know he doesn't eat well because he can't really cook one-handed and it's super hard for him to even open a can. He recently quit smoking and went through the temple this year for the first time! He comes to church an hour early and waits for ward council to get out so the men can help him put on a tie, tie his shoes, and button up his shirt. I'm sure its a hard task to get ready every Sunday morning. However, lately he hasn't come at all for the last 5 weeks. We are all very concerned about him. We're concerned he feels he's a burden to everyone. :(
Helen - age 47. She recently got out of jail and moved into a camper trailer in the trailer park in our ward. She is doing great - comes to church every week without fail. She's working hard to change her life. She's going to start working at DI this week. She could use some curtains or fabric to make curtains or a propane tank to heat her trailer (about the size of one you'd use for your grill).
Sis. Cox - age 75 widow. A care package would be great for her too.
Thanks so much for all you do!!!!!"
Have a lovely Christmas, you wonderful family, you!! I hope you find joy in helping some people who need a lift this season. Like Emma said, "Why is it only at Christmas time that we think it's the 'season for giving'?" She's certainly right - we can determine to give more generously all year long! That would be a great New Year's resolution...
Speaking of New Year's - we talked with some of you about Carl's invitation to have another party at his house on the first day of 2016. If you are interested in attending, please let us know right away!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Hyde Park Happiness
Whew!!! What a week! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement so I could finish my classes. It feels kind of weird to think I don't have to read textbooks, write papers, take tests, etc. any more. I don't really know what I'll do with myself now, but there are plenty of things to choose from! It is a great relief and I'm very grateful to Dad and Emma especially for putting up with my absenteeism for the last while. They've been beyond patient and have taken over what I should have been doing. I think it's been worth the effort.
We drove down to Layton yesterday to see Addy perform in her Christmas dance recital, which was really fun. They did dances to Nutcracker music, which I love! Addy's becoming quite graceful and danced beautifully. Dad stayed with sick Emerson and Eliza so their parents and I could watch Addy. It was nice to be there.
One or more of us have been to three Christmas parties lately and we're invited to another one tomorrow night. I guess the season is in full swing. Emma is doing her annual neighborhood sub-for-Santa effort, mostly by herself this year. It's always a wonderful experience. Thomas is in Colorado at a training for mascots. He should be home tomorrow, just in time for finals! Nick and Lauren were here tonight to celebrate Nick's birthday. I'm not sure he enjoyed the celebration much until he finally won Rack-o! It was great to have them here.
We can't wait for our family party!! We're very excited to see all of you and are looking forward to a delightful time together. It's going to be strange to just be together for one afternoon instead of planning three days worth of activities and food! :/ We have some fun things planned and will have a great time next Saturday! See you there....
We drove down to Layton yesterday to see Addy perform in her Christmas dance recital, which was really fun. They did dances to Nutcracker music, which I love! Addy's becoming quite graceful and danced beautifully. Dad stayed with sick Emerson and Eliza so their parents and I could watch Addy. It was nice to be there.
One or more of us have been to three Christmas parties lately and we're invited to another one tomorrow night. I guess the season is in full swing. Emma is doing her annual neighborhood sub-for-Santa effort, mostly by herself this year. It's always a wonderful experience. Thomas is in Colorado at a training for mascots. He should be home tomorrow, just in time for finals! Nick and Lauren were here tonight to celebrate Nick's birthday. I'm not sure he enjoyed the celebration much until he finally won Rack-o! It was great to have them here.
We can't wait for our family party!! We're very excited to see all of you and are looking forward to a delightful time together. It's going to be strange to just be together for one afternoon instead of planning three days worth of activities and food! :/ We have some fun things planned and will have a great time next Saturday! See you there....
Flake Fun
13 Dec 2015 - First off...Happy Birthday to Nick! Congrats to Lauren on her new calling! My advice is don't forget to laugh!
This week was a long one but we survived and had a great weekend! We decorated for Christmas on Monday. Friday morning we helped with TJ's house. It was pretty windy but luckily most of the roof is on and the walls are up so we had some "indoor" things to do.
We woke up to snow on Saturday and it snowed off and on for the rest of the day. It was beautiful. It is the heavy, wet snow and it is still hanging around today! The forecast calls for some pretty low temperatures this coming week so I guess winter is here.
I think that is about it for us! Hope everyone survived finals week.
This week was a long one but we survived and had a great weekend! We decorated for Christmas on Monday. Friday morning we helped with TJ's house. It was pretty windy but luckily most of the roof is on and the walls are up so we had some "indoor" things to do.
We woke up to snow on Saturday and it snowed off and on for the rest of the day. It was beautiful. It is the heavy, wet snow and it is still hanging around today! The forecast calls for some pretty low temperatures this coming week so I guess winter is here.
I think that is about it for us! Hope everyone survived finals week.
Manning Musings
This last week of school was packed full! But we both survived. Nick had the harder end of the deal because he was teaching seminary on top of final concerts, papers and projects. He worked so hard on those lessons and it ended up being a really good experience. Thanks for your prayers!
Today is Nick's 27th birthday and that has been fun. He is the best 27 year old I know! I got called to be the secretary in the primary so Jenn will have to teach me the ropes. We have a unique and fun primary because we have the Spanish and Chinese kids too.
That is about it for us. We are looking forward to a break after this week of finals and lots of grading. We hope to see you at the family party!
Today is Nick's 27th birthday and that has been fun. He is the best 27 year old I know! I got called to be the secretary in the primary so Jenn will have to teach me the ropes. We have a unique and fun primary because we have the Spanish and Chinese kids too.
That is about it for us. We are looking forward to a break after this week of finals and lots of grading. We hope to see you at the family party!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Hart Happenings
Thanks for posting that recipe, Mom. It just sounded so good yesterday. I was torturing myself by perusing my fully illustrated cookbooks on Fast Sunday (does anyone remember doing that as kids?)and I started remembering that stemmed pudding and couldn't find any complete instructions. I think it will be our FHE treat tonight. The missionaries are coming over to teach one of their investigators at our house. Patricia and her daughter Olivia. They are lovely!
This week was great. Alex and I actually got the majority of our Christmas shopping done right after Thanksgiving so we have been just enjoying the season. We got out Christmas tree on Monday, went sledding on Tuesday, Ian's concert was on Wednesday (which was so fun!), we've been enjoying our advent calendar every day, and we went to our favorite glass blower's workshop open house and watched him blow his glass ornaments and picked a new one out to add to our collection. We spent an evening with Alex's business partner and his wife at their home eating and watching a Christmas movie. Our ward Christmas party was on Saturday and it was fantastic! So much fun and a great turn out. We got all the poinsettias delivered and set out at the mall, we've made tons of snowflakes, and I was able to enjoy a craft say with some of my favorite friends. Then we topped it all off with a houseful of lovely people who joined us for cookies and milk and the Christmas Devotional. It's been a great start to the season!
Can't wait to see everyone again in a couple weeks!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Requested Recipe
This post is per Elise's request. I don't know if any others of you remember eating steamed pudding, but it was one of Dad's favorites growing up. Give it a try if you want something really yummy!
Marcelle Belliston's Steamed Pudding
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated potatoes
2 cups raisins (I usually add a little less)
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp each of salt, cinnamon, soda, nutmeg
1/4 cup melted butter
Mix ingredients together. Grease 2 - 3 large peanut butter jars or wide mouth quart jars. Put a cloth in the bottom of a pot that is tall enough to put a lid on with the jars inside. Put 3 - 4 inches of water in the pan and place the jars inside. Turn heat on medium and put the lid on the pan. Bring water to a boil and let the pudding steam for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until carrots and potatoes are soft. Watch to make sure the pan doesn't boil dry. Add more water if needed.
It's more delicious with the sauce!
Steamed Pudding Sauce
Melt 3 Tbs butter in one cup of boiling water.
Stir together:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg
Add to hot mixture. Cook until thick and clear.
Add 1 tsp. vanilla.
Serve on hot pudding.
Marcelle Belliston's Steamed Pudding
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated potatoes
2 cups raisins (I usually add a little less)
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp each of salt, cinnamon, soda, nutmeg
1/4 cup melted butter
Mix ingredients together. Grease 2 - 3 large peanut butter jars or wide mouth quart jars. Put a cloth in the bottom of a pot that is tall enough to put a lid on with the jars inside. Put 3 - 4 inches of water in the pan and place the jars inside. Turn heat on medium and put the lid on the pan. Bring water to a boil and let the pudding steam for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until carrots and potatoes are soft. Watch to make sure the pan doesn't boil dry. Add more water if needed.
It's more delicious with the sauce!
Steamed Pudding Sauce
Melt 3 Tbs butter in one cup of boiling water.
Stir together:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg
Add to hot mixture. Cook until thick and clear.
Add 1 tsp. vanilla.
Serve on hot pudding.
Manning Musings
It was so great to be with family over Thanksgiving. We have such a good family! It was wonderful to be with the Mannings on Thanksgiving Day. There are a really great group and so fun! This week is the last big marathon race for school. And just to make it fun Nick is teaching seminary this week and is being observed to see if he can student teach. Lots of prayers would be appreciated! He is such a great teacher and he loves the students but he wishes there was more time to prepare the lessons with all of his school demands and teaching. But whatever happens will be good and it is all in the Lord's hands anyway.
My music class students have been doing final projects where they present on something they have been researching or they can perform something. It has been pretty fun and there has been lots of creativity in the topics.
Thanks for all your prayers and concern for my health. I am doing much better and am very grateful for that!
Nothing too out of the ordinary this week except that Nick became buddies with Kurt Bestor. Not really, he just played in a concert with him! Looking forward to the break and more time with family and friends!
My music class students have been doing final projects where they present on something they have been researching or they can perform something. It has been pretty fun and there has been lots of creativity in the topics.
Thanks for all your prayers and concern for my health. I am doing much better and am very grateful for that!
Nothing too out of the ordinary this week except that Nick became buddies with Kurt Bestor. Not really, he just played in a concert with him! Looking forward to the break and more time with family and friends!
Nilsson News
This week was our sick week. On Tuesday, Eliza came down with a fever and stomach bug. It lasted two days and Henry caught it. He seemed to throw up just about every half hour, poor little guy! This is the first time he has ever been sick and what a way to be introduced to the realities of mortality. Saturday night, Emerson began complaining of a stomach ache and he also threw up all night. I am sitting home from church with him as I type this. I guess we teach our kids to share with each other, but I wish some things they would keep to themselves. It was fun to have Grandma here on Friday evening. She was so kind to watch the kids so Garrett and I could get out for a few minutes.
A funny thing did happen amidst all these germs, the kids were getting bundled to go and play outside. A few minutes later, Emerson came running in to tell me there was a pig outside. I wasn't sure if he was seeing things because in Layton nobody has a pig. I walked over to the window and sure enough, a large, black and grey spotted potbellied pig, was sniffling around the mailbox! How random can you get? I started to call around to some neighbors to see if they knew anyone with a pig. The neighbor on the corner just had to find out who it belonged to and soon discovered our neighbors across the street had just bought it a couple days earlier. They have six dogs, five boats, and ten cars, why not add a pig to the mix? It definitely added some excitement to the kid's day.
Like mom mentioned, we finally went and bought a Christmas tree. It isn't as thrilling to go choose a tree at the tree lot, but when I think about taking all our littles and going on an excursion in the mountains, I suddenly don't mind the tree lot. We settled on a tall and skinny tree. For the first time in the history of our Christmas trees, this one looks loaded! When you only have ten branches to hang ornaments on, it fills up rather quickly.
We hope all is well with all of you and hope you are enjoying this holiday season!
A funny thing did happen amidst all these germs, the kids were getting bundled to go and play outside. A few minutes later, Emerson came running in to tell me there was a pig outside. I wasn't sure if he was seeing things because in Layton nobody has a pig. I walked over to the window and sure enough, a large, black and grey spotted potbellied pig, was sniffling around the mailbox! How random can you get? I started to call around to some neighbors to see if they knew anyone with a pig. The neighbor on the corner just had to find out who it belonged to and soon discovered our neighbors across the street had just bought it a couple days earlier. They have six dogs, five boats, and ten cars, why not add a pig to the mix? It definitely added some excitement to the kid's day.
Like mom mentioned, we finally went and bought a Christmas tree. It isn't as thrilling to go choose a tree at the tree lot, but when I think about taking all our littles and going on an excursion in the mountains, I suddenly don't mind the tree lot. We settled on a tall and skinny tree. For the first time in the history of our Christmas trees, this one looks loaded! When you only have ten branches to hang ornaments on, it fills up rather quickly.
We hope all is well with all of you and hope you are enjoying this holiday season!
Hyde Park Happiness
It was a busy week around here, again! I helped with the Relief Society Christmas program, which ended up being very nice thanks to all of Dad's help. The spirit was rich and uplifting and I think the sisters were inspired to reflect on Christmas in a more meaningful way. We were sorry to miss Ian's concert because both events were on the same evening, but he may favor us with some of his music at our family Christmas party!
Dad's been working hard to get approval for the ward boundary changes he already made in his stake. A YSA stake/ward functions so much differently than regular ones that it's tricky to get needed information and approvals. The big, new student housing building will open in January and the residents will be incorporated into Dad's stake, which will be interesting. He's trying to help get things ready for that. They have to wait to see how many active members it will involve before they can create another ward and find another bishop. Lots of exciting changes!
We set up our Christmas tree, the best we've had in a long time, thanks to Emma and her friends. We've also started reading our favorite Christmas books. I hope you all have the "old favorites." If not, let me know and I'll do my best to find them for you.
Emma has been in high demand lately. Friends are constantly inviting her to watch movies and hang out. Sometimes she goes. Sometimes she doesn't. She was thrilled when Lauren came the other day and stayed to watch White Christmas with her. I think she'd watch it every day if I'd let her! She's still having pain in her foot, though. I had hoped it would improve after marching band season, but when she gets cold, the pain increases. We'll have it looked at soon.
We haven't seen much of Thomas lately. I'm pretty sure that when this semester is over, he will sleep for three days straight! Poor guy... Trying to balance school, work, coaching, wedding planning, etc. is exhausting!
I sent in my Graduation Application to Midwives College of Utah this week. I have 3 more papers to write next week and then I'll be finished with all of my class work! I can't believe it! It's been a long and satisfying journey, but like having a baby, I think the most challenging part has really just begun. I attended a birth on Friday night at the birth center in Ogden and was grateful to be able to crash at Ruth's house afterward. It was delightful to stay with Henry the next morning while the rest of the Nilssons went to find the perfect Christmas tree. I have another mom due here who has been having signs of labor for a couple of days. After that baby arrives, I'll have a break for a few weeks. It will be nice to feel like I can travel out of the valley without worrying about getting too far away!
Watch your email for news about the upcoming Belliston Family Christmas Party!!!!!!!
Christmas thoughts:
http://bcove.me/e6r6tf96
“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.” President Hunter
A Great Christmas Story
I'm always touched by stories of love and sacrifice. Life is pretty tenuous (as evidenced this morning when an ambulance came to take Brother Purser to the hospital) and we all try do to what we can to relieve suffering and help others. Some are able to go above and beyond the call of duty....
"My Uncle Ed has always had an infectious love of life.
Unfortunately, he also had a deficient pair of kidneys. For several years, Ed
had been staving off kidney failure through dialysis. The treatments were
painful and frequent. Each treatment wiped him out until the next one, and by
the fall of 1995, he seemed to be just a shell of his former vibrant self.
The doctor finally told Ed that if he didn’t get a new
kidney soon, his body wouldn’t hold out much longer. Although only one kidney
is necessary to sustain life, Ed didn’t want to ask anyone to donate one of
theirs due to the risk that inherently accompanies any surgery. But there was
no choice. Several close friends and family members were tested to see if their
kidneys were compatible. Only one perfect match was found: Ed’s sister,
Dottie—my mother.
On December 7, many of Ed’s friends and family joined in
fasting and prayer in behalf of him and Dottie. The surgeons who performed the
operation were twin brothers. Even more interesting, one of them had donated a
kidney to the other. Ed and my mother were impressed to learn that with each
surgery, these two doctors did all that they could and then bowed their heads
and left the outcome in the Lord’s hands.
On the day of the operation, one doctor removed one of my
mother’s kidneys. As he sewed her back up, his brother carefully secured the
donated kidney inside Ed’s abdomen.The surgery was a success, but it remained
to be seen if Ed’s body would accept the new kidney. The antibodies in his
immune system were suppressed to improve his chances, so Ed had to be isolated
in intensive care to protect him from viruses. Even after he was released, he
had to remain isolated from everyone except his immediate family. On Christmas
Eve, however, Ed received special permission to attend my grandparents’ annual
Christmas Eve celebration.
Wearing a face mask, Ed walked in the door, headed straight
for Dottie, and enveloped her in a tremendous hug. As they embraced each other,
there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Everyone could feel the love emanating
from them. A sister had suffered in order to give her brother the gift of life.
It was a gift of love, a gift of sacrifice, a gift he couldn’t provide for
himself.
As I watched them, with tears streaming down my face, it
dawned on me: this could be what it will be like to meet the Savior face to
face. He did something for us that we are unable to do for ourselves. Only He,
being divine, was able to endure a sacrifice so great that the law of justice
would be satisfied. And only He, being perfect, was worthy to atone for the
sins of all mankind so that the law of mercy could be extended to all who
accept Him as their Savior.
As I savored these insights, I recommitted myself to do all
I could to show my appreciation for the Savior and His sacrifice. I would
strive to live my life as a disciple so that someday I might be worthy to enter
His presence, embrace Him, and personally thank Him for loving me enough to
make such a sacrifice."
Flake Fun
6 Dec 2015 - Why does it take so long to recover from a vacation? This week was a long one but we survived! On Monday we were invited to eat with TJ and Kim so we took the opportunity to install blinds in the house so they now have some privacy! It was a great way to start the week. The rest of the week was spent at the office.
Yesterday we helped TJ and Kim some more on their house. We had pizza for lunch. There was one pizza left and the box was sitting on a shelf in the garage. I was standing on the second floor looking into the garage when I noticed Reynolds, the golden retriever, sneak into the garage, snatch the pizza box from the shelf and saunter off. I think that if I hadn't raised the alarm, no one would have been the wiser. I just thought it was so funny that I had to tell Scott and it was overheard...Hilarious!!!!
Last week was pretty cold but this weekend has been beautiful and we are enjoying sunshine. Hope everyone has decorated for Christmas and is enjoying the holiday season!
I don't know if anyone likes jalapeno poppers but I found a delicious jalapeno popper casserole recipe. It is more of an appetizer/chip dip but oh so yummy!
Yesterday we helped TJ and Kim some more on their house. We had pizza for lunch. There was one pizza left and the box was sitting on a shelf in the garage. I was standing on the second floor looking into the garage when I noticed Reynolds, the golden retriever, sneak into the garage, snatch the pizza box from the shelf and saunter off. I think that if I hadn't raised the alarm, no one would have been the wiser. I just thought it was so funny that I had to tell Scott and it was overheard...Hilarious!!!!
Last week was pretty cold but this weekend has been beautiful and we are enjoying sunshine. Hope everyone has decorated for Christmas and is enjoying the holiday season!
I don't know if anyone likes jalapeno poppers but I found a delicious jalapeno popper casserole recipe. It is more of an appetizer/chip dip but oh so yummy!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
P.S. From Hyde Park
Dad and I took our donations to the Center for Pregnancy Choices yesterday and had a wonderful experience as they gave us a little tour of their space. The people who volunteer there are all good, Christian folks. They provide services to women who find themselves with an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy and pray with them and try to help families come together. They receive donations of clothing, blankets, diapers and other supplies that they provide to new mothers. The women can also "earn" additional clothing and supplies as they attend classes to help them with parenting. They are reaching out to the community and providing classes in some of the high schools (Cache High and Fast Forward) about abstinence. We felt really good about their program. They were very grateful for the donations and said to tell our family thank you very much. We have a baby bottle for each of you to fill with coins and will bring them to our family Christmas party - as soon as we get it planned! Thanks again!
More From Hyde Park
Thanks to Emma for submitting our last post. I didn't realize how tired I was at the end of our celebrating together - I just collapsed by Sunday evening (after a day of two Sacrament meetings, tithing settlement, teaching primary, home teaching with Dad, and a rehearsal for the Relief Society program I'm helping with this week)!
But it is December now and I'm all recovered :) Here is a little story to help get/keep you in the spirit of Christmas:
“One year come December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive shopping, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.
So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.
Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center
stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."
The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to hush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it
together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.
In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRISTWAS LOVE" And, I believe, He still is.”
A sweet story with a true message. I hope our family will not over-extend ourselves during this wonderful season to the point that we totally forget why and what we are really celebrating. I hope we all have eyes to see each and every day that Christ was (and is) love. Merry Christmas!!
(I may share more stories now and then, so you might want to check the "blob" more frequently!)
But it is December now and I'm all recovered :) Here is a little story to help get/keep you in the spirit of Christmas:
“One year come December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive shopping, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.
So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.
Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row- center
stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."
The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to hush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it
together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.
In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRISTWAS LOVE" And, I believe, He still is.”
A sweet story with a true message. I hope our family will not over-extend ourselves during this wonderful season to the point that we totally forget why and what we are really celebrating. I hope we all have eyes to see each and every day that Christ was (and is) love. Merry Christmas!!
(I may share more stories now and then, so you might want to check the "blob" more frequently!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)