I write early this morning, grateful for health! I acknowledge the gracious, kind almighty hand of God in the lives of my family as we were able to take our trip back East and not have a single day of sickness! Laus Deo! We did not have a single runny nose, sick tummy, sore throat, especially trip to the emergency room! I am so grateful! Thank you! I recognize this was a miracle worked on behalf of my beautiful family!
This week we have welcomed J home! He flew in on Thursday night to Vegas, and everyone wanted to spend the time in the car to pick him up! I am sooo grateful to have such a close family that we all love being together!
As a result of choosing of priorities, and our time away... we have not found time to get a Christmas Tree. For a few days this week, I justified it saying that we would do it when J got here. Then he came, and still that activity didn't work it's way to the top of the Best priority list. Last night we had the Office Christmas Party here, and gratefully it was a fabulous success! I am so grateful for every one's help in the final preparations to clean the house, prepare the food, set the tables, prepare for the activities, etc.! I could not have done it alone! Thanks team! We had 23 at the party - regretfully missing T.W. and family. She had previously committed to a part in her ward Christmas party, and they moved the date to conflict with our date. We couldn't find another time to accommodate everyone, so we had to go ahead without the W family. It was a beautiful evening! Everyone brought part of the meal, including appetizers, salads, and dessert. I made homemade Swedish meatballs, spiral ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, mandarin orange salad, rolls, and yoka toka. It was... delicious and good company!
We did the annual white/gift exchange. This exchange is not the regular! We give each employee a sum prior to Thanksgiving with which to purchase two exchange gifts. They bring them, and after dinner we read a left/right story, open the packages we end up with, and then passing two sets of dice, if you roll doubles in a five minute allotted time, you must change gifts with someone. At the bell, whatever gift you have, you keep. This is a tradition that was part of DeBry office parties when we were first employed there, which we have continued. I am not sure we will continue it again next year, but it was nice this year! It is always interesting to see what others bring as their gift. They are told to purchase something they would personally like to receive. Most creative this year was a large picture of Pres. Obama, a jar of $50.00 in change, and a note which read... "Sometimes Change is good." Funny! Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not! We had two waffle irons in the exchange this year brought by two different people. We also did gifts for the kids in attendance. I purchase and wrap all those gifts. This year we had ten kids here. We found some fun gifts for both. It was a nice evening.
At the very end of the party, the kids asked if they could go outside and play hide and seek in the dark, to which we consented.... oops! It was not long (maybe 10 minutes) before we heard screaming from... S! She had fallen on a large landscaping rock in the backyard, and had blood streaming down her face. I thought at first it was simply a bloody nose, but it was not! She cut her face open just below her nose out into her cheek. At that point, there were only the C's left here. We apologized for the end of the night, and did a little putting away of food in preparation to take her to the hospital. It was wee hours in the morning before we returned with 10 stitches, in two layers on her face. She is such a beautiful girl, and just wants to keep up with the big kids! I love her so much! It is such a miracle that this didn't happen while ice skating in New York, or running in Washington D.C. It is such a miracle that we are home, that we were able to find a PA at the hospital who happens to be very good at sewing. These are NOT coincidences! I recognize they are miracles just for me!
So needless to say, today we celebrated together, hugging S lots, talking with our handsome J! L got to go on a roundup with S.L. this morning, one of her favorite things in all the world! J got up early and went biking on his own Green Valley loop that ends within 1/2 mile of our front yard with his friend C.G. who has been in Kuwait for the past 6 months! So fun to renew friendships!
Tonight J hosted a teen party in the basement, insisting he just needed a place to gather! We had more than 30 teens for the evening! So fun! I held S and watched Snow White while little J said over and over "I like this movie!" I do too little one! We like to sing "Hi-Ho" as we work. We love to serve others as Snow White did for the dwarfs! That is a favorite movie I shared with Farmor in a big screen theater when I was very young! I love the memories she created with me! Thank you Farmor!
So tonight I have many miracles to count! As a family we decided it was not necessary to get a Christmas tree this year. We will save the money, and rather we moved our beautiful Nativity set front and center in the living room. We have it arranged on a sofa table, and we have gifts below the table. I sat for a bit gazing at it, as I held S for a nap this afternoon. Why do we have the tradition of a tree? It becomes the center so dominantly! I am grateful for a beautiful family who knows something about what the center of this season should be! We still have the gifts, beautiful music, family traditional food, red and green decorations abundantly in our home, etc. But without a tree, I sat thinking about my Savior and his gift to me and my family. B suggested we leave it there all year it looks so beautifully! I hope this drastic change from our society will remind us of the real reason for the season, and help us count our blessings, thanking Him for his goodness and mercy! Laus Deo!
This week we have welcomed J home! He flew in on Thursday night to Vegas, and everyone wanted to spend the time in the car to pick him up! I am sooo grateful to have such a close family that we all love being together!
As a result of choosing of priorities, and our time away... we have not found time to get a Christmas Tree. For a few days this week, I justified it saying that we would do it when J got here. Then he came, and still that activity didn't work it's way to the top of the Best priority list. Last night we had the Office Christmas Party here, and gratefully it was a fabulous success! I am so grateful for every one's help in the final preparations to clean the house, prepare the food, set the tables, prepare for the activities, etc.! I could not have done it alone! Thanks team! We had 23 at the party - regretfully missing T.W. and family. She had previously committed to a part in her ward Christmas party, and they moved the date to conflict with our date. We couldn't find another time to accommodate everyone, so we had to go ahead without the W family. It was a beautiful evening! Everyone brought part of the meal, including appetizers, salads, and dessert. I made homemade Swedish meatballs, spiral ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, mandarin orange salad, rolls, and yoka toka. It was... delicious and good company!
We did the annual white/gift exchange. This exchange is not the regular! We give each employee a sum prior to Thanksgiving with which to purchase two exchange gifts. They bring them, and after dinner we read a left/right story, open the packages we end up with, and then passing two sets of dice, if you roll doubles in a five minute allotted time, you must change gifts with someone. At the bell, whatever gift you have, you keep. This is a tradition that was part of DeBry office parties when we were first employed there, which we have continued. I am not sure we will continue it again next year, but it was nice this year! It is always interesting to see what others bring as their gift. They are told to purchase something they would personally like to receive. Most creative this year was a large picture of Pres. Obama, a jar of $50.00 in change, and a note which read... "Sometimes Change is good." Funny! Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not! We had two waffle irons in the exchange this year brought by two different people. We also did gifts for the kids in attendance. I purchase and wrap all those gifts. This year we had ten kids here. We found some fun gifts for both. It was a nice evening.
At the very end of the party, the kids asked if they could go outside and play hide and seek in the dark, to which we consented.... oops! It was not long (maybe 10 minutes) before we heard screaming from... S! She had fallen on a large landscaping rock in the backyard, and had blood streaming down her face. I thought at first it was simply a bloody nose, but it was not! She cut her face open just below her nose out into her cheek. At that point, there were only the C's left here. We apologized for the end of the night, and did a little putting away of food in preparation to take her to the hospital. It was wee hours in the morning before we returned with 10 stitches, in two layers on her face. She is such a beautiful girl, and just wants to keep up with the big kids! I love her so much! It is such a miracle that this didn't happen while ice skating in New York, or running in Washington D.C. It is such a miracle that we are home, that we were able to find a PA at the hospital who happens to be very good at sewing. These are NOT coincidences! I recognize they are miracles just for me!
So needless to say, today we celebrated together, hugging S lots, talking with our handsome J! L got to go on a roundup with S.L. this morning, one of her favorite things in all the world! J got up early and went biking on his own Green Valley loop that ends within 1/2 mile of our front yard with his friend C.G. who has been in Kuwait for the past 6 months! So fun to renew friendships!
Tonight J hosted a teen party in the basement, insisting he just needed a place to gather! We had more than 30 teens for the evening! So fun! I held S and watched Snow White while little J said over and over "I like this movie!" I do too little one! We like to sing "Hi-Ho" as we work. We love to serve others as Snow White did for the dwarfs! That is a favorite movie I shared with Farmor in a big screen theater when I was very young! I love the memories she created with me! Thank you Farmor!
So tonight I have many miracles to count! As a family we decided it was not necessary to get a Christmas tree this year. We will save the money, and rather we moved our beautiful Nativity set front and center in the living room. We have it arranged on a sofa table, and we have gifts below the table. I sat for a bit gazing at it, as I held S for a nap this afternoon. Why do we have the tradition of a tree? It becomes the center so dominantly! I am grateful for a beautiful family who knows something about what the center of this season should be! We still have the gifts, beautiful music, family traditional food, red and green decorations abundantly in our home, etc. But without a tree, I sat thinking about my Savior and his gift to me and my family. B suggested we leave it there all year it looks so beautifully! I hope this drastic change from our society will remind us of the real reason for the season, and help us count our blessings, thanking Him for his goodness and mercy! Laus Deo!