We had our YW Christmas party last night.  We met with the class presidency a few weeks ago and totally let them plan it.

They decided they wanted treats, games and white elephant gifts.  So that's what we did.  We had it at my house so it could be nice and cozy....and it was cozy!  We had 13 girls and us 4 leaders there so my family room was packed.

A bunch of the girls brought treats to share and the leaders did too, so we had plenty to munch on. 

We all had fun with the white elephant gift exchange.  We had told them to just bring something silly from home and boy we got some doozies.  Bonnie brought these leopard pants that she says were her mothers...

 This was a roll of toilet paper wrapped in duct tape

 Emily got a bag of marshmallows with a note on it...Snowman Poop

 Tori got a cake mix

Elizabeth got a cute little doll and a plastic lei.  She was real tickled with that.

 Chantell got a snowman clock.  No mercy, I stole it from her....it got stolen from me too.  oh well, easy  come,   easy go.

Decisions

 I was so glad Charity came.  Her husband was working so she brought her cute kids.  They were really good.  Her little boy is a crack up.  He's only 3 and he was walking around the house telling me he liked my decorations.  Charity says hes really into decorating this year.  He was so cute, when he  chose his gift, he got a box of tooth paste.  He looked kind of puzzled, but then was totally fine with it. I felt bad he didn't get something funner, so I stole it from him so he could pick another gift.  He chose the clock!  A future home decorator!  He was really well behaved the whole night.

 Destiny got the leopard pants stolen from her so she picked a new gift...A Ralphie doll!  So funny!  It said lots of funny things from the Christmas movie...a real collectors item!

 We ate yummy peppermint ice cream Stacey brought then played Apples to Apples.  That's a pretty fun game.  They all seemed to have a good time.  I've sure grown to love these girls.  Last week, I gave them a copy of this article I saw in the paper.  It was from the author Jasen Wright.  He gave an outline for doing 12 days of service. As soon as I read it I knew I wanted to share it with the girls.  Anyway, ever since then, the girls have been coming up to me and thanking me for giving them the invitation to do these 12 services.  They told me about some of the experiences they had had and it was pretty amazing to see how their hearts were touched.  One girl told me she felt closer to Christ and has had the best Christmas season ever because she stopped thinking about herself and tried to lift and help someone else.   Wow!  hearing those words and seeing the light in her eyes is about the best Christmas present I could ever get!

 Just had to throw this in because it makes me laugh!  Sam does not like Santa yet.

 We had our Relief Society Christmas party last week.  They had prepared a wonderful evening for us...Naomi doesn't do anything half way...she made these amazing centerpieces for all the tables...


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After a lovely dinner, we had the cutest program from Miss Margenes group!  Oh wow, when I saw her I couldn't believe it.  She looks just like she did 25 years ago when the girls were in her preforming group.

I stopped in to say hi to her after the program and it was fun to reminisce with her for a bit.  She is an amazing lady.

 

Isn't she the cutest?

 A few other things we've been working on...

 Saw this idea on pinterest and really liked it.  Ummmmm Kelley, would you please?  So he did.

Thanks for helping with the stenciling Candice!

 We made a few.

 Kate drove in last weekend with Ali.  So great to have her here for the weekend!  She really helped me with my shopping.  We met Candice for lunch and just spent a lovely day together.  (They are making cake balls here...very good!)

 Our cute YW showing off the scarves they made!  These scarves are all the rage this year.  Judy showed them to me a while back and told me they were super easy to make, so when we were planning our activities, we thought the girls would like to learn how to do it.  I went over to Judy's and had her show me how, then I taught Bonnie and Stacey.  Colleen G. knew how to make them too so she came over and helped teach the girls.  I hated to miss this one, but Kelley had his work party that night.

 They had the work party at Fat Cats and it was really fun.  We bowled and ate amazing pizza factory  salad, bread sticks and pizza.  I don't know what they put in those bread sticks, but they are so good!

Dan , Kelley and I and Nick and his wife were a team.  These guys are a hoot!  They are so competitive.  First they were watching the score, then they realized you could also see on the score board how fast you were throwing the ball, so that became their goal.  To see how hard they could throw the ball.  I swear once Kelley threw it so hard it flew half way down the lane before it hit the ground.  

Brenda wasn't able to come because she has just been called to be the new Relief Society President in their ward  and she had a meeting that night.  She will do such a good job.  Seriously one of the sweetest, most compassionate people I know.

I got a few cute pictures from bunko Christmas party last week.  It was at Kaye's  house and everything was so nice.  Her house was decorated to the hilt and she had made a lovely dinner for us.  After we ate and visited a while, we did our gift exchange game.  I brought this little stitchery picture.  (Thanks to Kelley for making my frames!  He always comes through even when he is so busy...he is a peach!)

What a fun night...love these ladies.

 We got to have the funnest day last Saturday.  Making candy with my sisters has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

We decided to meet at Leslie's house this time.  We haven't been up there for quite a long time...I think since Eric got home from his mission!  Wouldn't you know it...after all of these mild days, we woke up to a snow storm that morning.  The roads were a lot worse down here than up in Cache Valley though so I was grateful as I drove "out" of the storm. 

I picked up Teina and it was sure nice to have that time to chat again.  I miss our times together as we made the trek to take care of mum's place.

We got up to Smithfield and neither one of us could remember exactly where Leslie lived!  We drove around for a minute in the area we thought but couldn't find Wasatch.  So I called Leslie and she said we were only a street away, just had to make a few turns and we were there.  We really need to get together more often!

We got busy on our candies and just had a fun few hours catching up on each others lives.  Then Leslie made us a nice lunch. ( Actually Alan made this wonderful soup...he's a good cook!...funny story...He had made the soup the night before, thought he would just put it outside to keep it cold...  a stray cat got into it and ate it!  HA!  So he had to make another batch)

 Oh this picture shows a little bit of Leslie's newly remodeled kitchen.  It really looks nice.  I love her cupboards.

After we packed up all the candy we exchanged our presents.  Brenda gave me this fabulous vest I am wearing...love it!  Then we went downstairs and watched home movies.  After a little bit of figuring, we got this projector Larry let me borrow, going pretty good.  We couldn't figure how to make it rewind fast though, so I'll have to ask him about that.  We found some great movies of the grand kids and some of us kids when we were little too.  We want to get them put onto a CD and Larry said he would do that for us, but we need to go through all of them first to pick out the ones we want.  That's going to take some time.

 The day went by so quick...it always does when we are having fun together.  Sure do love my sisters and I'm so grateful for the great relationships we have.  Grateful that we all want to get together and stay involved in each other's lives.  I know we are lucky to have this...not all do.

We couldn't leave without driving by mum and daddy's place.  We  pulled up into the driveway a little way, then just sat and stared.  That place is really beautiful all covered in snow.  Made my heart ache  a bit.  Boyd hasn't changed anything on the outside of the house or yard so it all looks the same...even the mailbox with D. Braegger on top.  I guess he's been working on the inside, getting it ready for thier family to move in. 

I know they won't have the same feelings about that place as we do cause they weren't raised there, but I hope they will grow to love it there too.

 

Happy Birthday Mum! 

I know you are having a wonderful day celebrating with daddy and all your family and friends on the other side.   

 I'm kind of jealous that they get to have you and we don't.   Gosh I miss you! 

I miss your joyful loving spirit and the way you could always make me feel like things would work out the way they are supposed to.  You helped me put things in perspective and realize what's really important.  A visit with you would always leave me with a renewed and happy heart.  ( You had the same effect on everyone who knew you...I think that's why you always had people dropping by to visit) 

 I miss your calming influence in my life....When ever I was discouraged, stressed out, or worried, you would calm, cheer and encourage me.  Somehow, I felt like if you said I could do something...I surely could!  I miss being able to call you when good things happen too.  Sharing a happy moment with you always doubled the joy because I knew you were truly happy for us too.  You would always make us feel so special for any accomplishment...large or small. 

I miss just being able to talk to you...you had a great listening ear and and understanding heart.

I have a picture of you and I sitting on the couch together that I set where I can see it every day.  It makes me smile and reminds me of the lifetime of wonderful memories I have of you.  It reminds me of how very blessed I was to have been sent to the family of Del and Jean and to be raised in a happy, loving home.  It reminds me of  the great example you set for me and how I want to emulate those  qualities that made you the wonderful person you are....yup...when I grow up, I'd like to be just like you. That's a pretty tough, (impossible) assignment...  but I'm trying mum.

So even though I can't be with you to hug you and  tell you in person how much I love you and wish you the happiest birthday,  I hope that maybe, you would look down on me and just like when you were here, know what's in my heart.

Christmas times a coming, Christmas times a coming
Christmas times a coming, and I know I'm going home.

Snowflakes a falling, my old homes a calling
Tall pines a humming, Christmas times a coming.

Holly in the window, home is where the wind blows,
Can't walk, I'm running....Christmas times a coming.

Fire place is burning,  my old heart is yearning,
For the folks back home when Christmas times a coming.

Can't you hear the bells a ringing, my old hearts a singing,
When it's snowin, I'll be going back to my country home.

One of my favorite Christmas songs...love me some Emmylou Harris...
But this year when I hear it, my eyes fill up and I get a big lump in my throat.
I guess this is the first year I won't be going home.
Gosh now I'm bawling again, just thinking about it.
Last year at Christmas time, even though we had sold the place, we knew we would be going there many more times to sort things out and clean out the house.  It was still hard...didn't feel the same without mum and daddy there, but somehow, just knowing I could go to this little haven brought me a lot of peace.  It was a place I could feel close to them, even though they were gone.

Kate and I were driving around the other day and this song was playing.  I started boobing and tried to explain to her why.  She understood and we both laughed and cried a bit, talking about the many wonderful memories made in that home.  How grateful I am for those memories. 
With the changes of life, we will make new memories and traditions for Christmas...but in my heart I'll always have have a yearning for the folks back home when Christmas times a coming.

The time went by so quick when Camille's family was here.  We tried to squeeze a whole holiday season into one week, because we knew we wouldn't be able to be together again till after Christmas.

Monday night we went to PF Changs...(probably my all time favorite food)

I was feeling a little melancholy thinking about them leaving in the morning, but Sam cheered me up.  He is so full of joy...it  can't help but rub off on people.

Liv was so cute and really used the chop stix her whole dinner...(don't think she ate too much)

When we got home, it was still early so Kelley drug out the Christmas tree.  Olivia had been wanting to help decorate our tree and I was so happy to have her help!  It made it so much more fun!  I always do the "Jesus tree" in the living room and I think this was the first year she really looked at the ornaments and realized that was Jesus's face in there.  We talked a little about why I always use these ornaments and how they help me remember why we have Christmas after all.

 She got real thoughtful and then hung each ornament very reverently.

Another special memory I'll tuck into my heart so I can take it out and remember when I'm missing her so much this Christmas.

 A few other fun things... We swore we wouldn't, but ended up going out shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  It was actually a lot of fun!  We went early and just went to a couple stores but got some great deals !    Met up with Candice for lunch at Cafe Rio. 

 Monday, Camille was feeling pretty sick,  so I took Olivia over to Gardner Village to see the Elves. 

We had a fun time browsing around in the stores...especially the candy store! 

 

 We went into a store called "Just us girls" and it was right up Liv's ally.  All kinds of pretty little girl things.  She fell in love with this big porcelain fairy doll.  I'm going to go back and get it for her for Christmas.  The lady in there was so sweet with Olivia.  She asked her if she would like some fairy dust and then put some sparkles on her cheek in the shape of a star.  Liv was loving it, but when we left she said "It's not working"  I said what's not working?  and she said "It's the fairy dust...I'm supposed to be able to fly!"  Haaaaa  she makes me laugh! Wish we could do things like this all the time.   She is such a doll...just love her to pieces!