It's not quite the "Day before the Night before Christmas," but tomorrow will be! I am definitely "busy, busy, busy" but is it "being good?" (quoting a favorite song from when we sang as sisters in Salt Lake City as a group!)
Great things this week, we decided as a family that we wanted to have the Primary kids come and help make a special gift for them. On Sunday I announced at the end of my singing time that the adults "weren't invited" but that we wanted the kids to all come to my house on Tuesday @ 4:30 for a party just for them! My own kids were excited, and we wanted to give them a board with this picture titled "Perfect Love" by Del Parson on it:
We decided rather than just make them, and give them to them, we could have them come over and share the time together. I believe that the kids aren't busy, but parents are this time of year.
Late Monday night we got a call from President A requesting the help of 5 people to help he and his family and the Lyle family serve dinner to some 150 people who serve and work at the D.I.. He needed help Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.. We had prepared some for the party on Tuesday that day, but expected to have Tuesday, and then needed to give it away in another way. I was grateful to take L,B,and B and I to go help there! C still had classes, L was supposed to have seminary, but we called when it was time for her to leave to ask if she could please be excused, and her seminary teacher agreed that serving at the D.I. was ligitimate, and she should stay. It was a good experience, and I loved watching my family interact with all those people!
We snuck out about 3, and hurried to gather the supplies and things we needed for the party with Primary at 4:30. On top of making their picture boards, we wanted to make candy trains, but I had not shopped for that yet, and was now scrambling to pull it together! Laus Deo! I was able to gather all we needed, and even found glue dots in my own craft boxes at home sufficient to have the kids put them together with those easily! We had over 20 kids come, and they were wired! Bouncing off walls, excited for friends and something to do! We put the candy trains together, played Grandma Orla's ring game, and then had them modge podge the pictures on their boards - that was a bit tricky as I had lots of little kids! I am so grateful for good helpers in my family especially L who is leaving too soon, C, S, and B who came home early even after serving all day at the D.I.! Thanks team! J.V. also came from the Primary Presidency, Thanks J! It took all of us to help all those little kids! Then about 5 we loaded them on our little trailer with just a tarp on it to carol. I wasn't sure how that would go, but I was thrilled! Even the oldest boys were participating :) Not sure I would call it singing, but they were loud and saying the right words! I was impressed that they knew the words to lots of songs I wouldn't have guessed! Several said they had never been caroling before! It was cold, and some had not read the invite I passed out that asked them to come warm! We visited the homes of teachers, presidency members, and the Bishop and the kids gave them the photo pictures that they had just made. Sadly the pictures were wrinkled on several of them, not sure why, but they were gifts from the kids, and that's what mattered! We struck out at several homes, and didn't find anyone home but left the gift on the porch. Anonymous gifts left with love!
Wednesday morning B&I went to our regular 5:30 temple session. It was only the second time I made it this month, but I was glad to get there with B! We will be out of town next week, sometimes that's how it goes. Then I had an 8:00 a.m. dentist appoint for the tooth ache I have had since freezing and chattering soooo badly (seriously I thought it was life threatening and lasted more than 2 hours!) while scrubbing the buckets to take to the indians. I survived the freezing, and have suffered with this toothache (on top of being 6 1/2 months pregnant-details!) for a few weeks now. As I suspected, it was a problem on my wisdom tooth, and rather than spend the hundreds of dollars to have a root canal, it was pulled. That put a bit of a hamper on my day yesterday, and I am trying to get back into the swing today! Gratefully I feel much better today, although I seem to be especially emotional. Pregnant, a minor irritation, and an excuse - I didn't need. I am grateful for this beautiful time of year and the abundance of blessings I enjoy! While so many around me have real reasons to mourn and be downhearted, I am sharing beautiful cards of hope! I'll take some pictures and post. Today I finished with the help of my great team, preparing all the letters for friends. We included this message from our family this year:
I am so grateful for so many who have shaped my life! I am grateful for friends from many, many wards, and for opportunities to reflect on memories together and lessons learned! Merry Christmas friends!
Great things this week, we decided as a family that we wanted to have the Primary kids come and help make a special gift for them. On Sunday I announced at the end of my singing time that the adults "weren't invited" but that we wanted the kids to all come to my house on Tuesday @ 4:30 for a party just for them! My own kids were excited, and we wanted to give them a board with this picture titled "Perfect Love" by Del Parson on it:
We decided rather than just make them, and give them to them, we could have them come over and share the time together. I believe that the kids aren't busy, but parents are this time of year.
Late Monday night we got a call from President A requesting the help of 5 people to help he and his family and the Lyle family serve dinner to some 150 people who serve and work at the D.I.. He needed help Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.. We had prepared some for the party on Tuesday that day, but expected to have Tuesday, and then needed to give it away in another way. I was grateful to take L,B,and B and I to go help there! C still had classes, L was supposed to have seminary, but we called when it was time for her to leave to ask if she could please be excused, and her seminary teacher agreed that serving at the D.I. was ligitimate, and she should stay. It was a good experience, and I loved watching my family interact with all those people!
We snuck out about 3, and hurried to gather the supplies and things we needed for the party with Primary at 4:30. On top of making their picture boards, we wanted to make candy trains, but I had not shopped for that yet, and was now scrambling to pull it together! Laus Deo! I was able to gather all we needed, and even found glue dots in my own craft boxes at home sufficient to have the kids put them together with those easily! We had over 20 kids come, and they were wired! Bouncing off walls, excited for friends and something to do! We put the candy trains together, played Grandma Orla's ring game, and then had them modge podge the pictures on their boards - that was a bit tricky as I had lots of little kids! I am so grateful for good helpers in my family especially L who is leaving too soon, C, S, and B who came home early even after serving all day at the D.I.! Thanks team! J.V. also came from the Primary Presidency, Thanks J! It took all of us to help all those little kids! Then about 5 we loaded them on our little trailer with just a tarp on it to carol. I wasn't sure how that would go, but I was thrilled! Even the oldest boys were participating :) Not sure I would call it singing, but they were loud and saying the right words! I was impressed that they knew the words to lots of songs I wouldn't have guessed! Several said they had never been caroling before! It was cold, and some had not read the invite I passed out that asked them to come warm! We visited the homes of teachers, presidency members, and the Bishop and the kids gave them the photo pictures that they had just made. Sadly the pictures were wrinkled on several of them, not sure why, but they were gifts from the kids, and that's what mattered! We struck out at several homes, and didn't find anyone home but left the gift on the porch. Anonymous gifts left with love!
Wednesday morning B&I went to our regular 5:30 temple session. It was only the second time I made it this month, but I was glad to get there with B! We will be out of town next week, sometimes that's how it goes. Then I had an 8:00 a.m. dentist appoint for the tooth ache I have had since freezing and chattering soooo badly (seriously I thought it was life threatening and lasted more than 2 hours!) while scrubbing the buckets to take to the indians. I survived the freezing, and have suffered with this toothache (on top of being 6 1/2 months pregnant-details!) for a few weeks now. As I suspected, it was a problem on my wisdom tooth, and rather than spend the hundreds of dollars to have a root canal, it was pulled. That put a bit of a hamper on my day yesterday, and I am trying to get back into the swing today! Gratefully I feel much better today, although I seem to be especially emotional. Pregnant, a minor irritation, and an excuse - I didn't need. I am grateful for this beautiful time of year and the abundance of blessings I enjoy! While so many around me have real reasons to mourn and be downhearted, I am sharing beautiful cards of hope! I'll take some pictures and post. Today I finished with the help of my great team, preparing all the letters for friends. We included this message from our family this year:
I am so grateful for so many who have shaped my life! I am grateful for friends from many, many wards, and for opportunities to reflect on memories together and lessons learned! Merry Christmas friends!