Christmas 2021

 Neal and I left for St. George the morning after our family Christmas party so I didn't get a chance to take pictures and record the special and well thought out gifts from our children.

Jeff and Annie gave me my very favorite Bath and Body products along with a box of quilting clips.  Yes, quilting clips.  Now when I'm binding a quilt I don't have to use pins and stick myself a dozen times, I can use the quilting clips.  I'm hoping Annie or I have a quilt that we want to put together soon so I can try them out.  

This was a gift from Lila Mae.  The Ideals books are something we grew up with.  Mother would get them every months.  I sure wish we would have saved them.  Now they just do them on special holidays like Easter or Christmas.  Also love the perfume and the tab choir Christmas recording.

I think this is what you would call the widow's mite.  It made me tear up that my little namesake missionary thought of me at Christmas and bought me this darling salt and pepper shaker.  She certainly doesn't have the money or the time to be out shopping for something for me.  LOVE it!

This gift was from Maren, Greg and family.  They are wood coasters.  I love them and because they are so gorgeous, I doubt I will let anyone put their glass on top of them.  What a great gift.  Maren does find very unique gifts.

I grew up on the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.  Susan gave me this and signed the card from Susan and Grandma Ross.  Touched me deeply.  Brought back such great memories of sitting on mothers lap while she read me these stories.

Susan also gave me a couple baby blankets that she had crocheted around.  I will put them neatly in my cedar chest for baby shower gifts.

Susan also gave me a Talbots gift card and a Beans & Brews.  She knows I love shopping at Talbots and she knows I love driving through B&B on a cold morning to get hot chocolate on my way to work.

And she gave me a set of dish towels.  She did all the embroidery work and it is beautiful.

Every Christmas and/or birthday Jeffery gives me an action movie.  He surprised me this year with this one.  I've never seen it and I'm anxious to watch it some time this next week.  I LOVE that he does that for me every year.  I'm always curious to see what he will come up with.

Mallory surprised me with this BYU Cougars blanket.  It is great to cuddle under on a cold evening.  We had a picture taken of the two of us with the blanket but it didn't turn out for some reason.  Anyway, I love the blanket and love that another granddaughter is going to BYU!  Go Mallory and go cougars!  

This was a gift to Jeannine from Jeannine.  I saw this while we were shopping in St. George and had to have it.  

Another special find.  I don't have any Christmas pillows so was delighted to find the two I did.

Neal surprised me with this bright yellow jacket, pink golf glove and a gift certificate for a hair cut from David.  I also gave Neal a new suit.  I'll take a picture of him when we get it from the tailors.

Mindy gave me this phone cover.  We had been to lunch together and I saw hers and like it so she bought me one.  Very thoughtful.  She and Robert also gave Neal and I the traditional Market Street gift certificate for $100.00.  She knows that we love to eat there and knows that it is the best gift ever.

Lyndsy gave Neal and I four bags of M&M's.  She knows her dad loves chocolate.  He will put these on this desk and nibble on them daily as he works on the computer.

It's a fun tradition for our family to get together one evening just before Christmas and have a traditional dinner and then gather in the front room to pass out the Christmas book and the presents.  For me, it brings a sweet Christmas spirit.  Through the season there are so many wonderful talks, each with beautiful Christmas messages.  

Christmas always brings some level of stress, but I always look forward to our children gathering at our home because it helps me feel calm, and my perspective of what Christmas is all about, changes.  It becomes more focused on the Savior and His beautiful life and humble beginnings.  Also, nothing beats the Tabernacle Choir singing the carols.

In one of Michelle D. Craig's talks she mentioned that we should invite someone to your kitchen table.  This year we invited Blanca.  A lady in our ward who would be alone on Christmas.  She came to our family gathering.  We loved having her with us.

Michelle Craig ends her talk by saying, "Don't let the music in you go unsung, the hug ungiven or the forgiveness unoffered."

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Emmi In Greece

 We've been getting lots of pictures and texts from Emmi the last couple days.  The carrier has come in to port at Chania.  She has had a couple days off the ship and then had to report back on for duty and will then have a couple more days off the carrier to do more touring of the part of the country.  

Emmi said that Chania is pretty cool.  They've been walking around all evening and checking stuff out.  She said it has been raining the entire time and probably won't let up, but that it is still really cool to see this part of the world.

To quote Emmi "Another blustery day!"

Emmi said the city is built on top of the ruins of the older cities.  All the old places in Europe are like that.  So you can just walk along and see ancient stuff and newer stuff built right beside it.

Emmi mention that food there is such a big deal.  There aren't many fast food places.  Anyway none where they are.  But food takes a long time and it's like an event.

Emmi said they have bowls behind the stone coffins.  

Below is a picture of a single shot of espresso.  She got a hot chocolate that she said might be the richest she's ever had.  Not sure if she means most expensive or rich in flavor.  

More pictures that she sent but with no explanation.  You will have to use your imagination.

She ended by telling us that she was back to the ship safely.  Took them an hour to get to the bus, leave, get to the carrier, badge in and sign in.  She mentioned that it can take longer if they have to use liberty boats instead of busses and if it's the last day or the late times.  

Shopping at Tuachan

 Today was a fun day of just running errands and then stopping at the Tuachan Gift Shop.  It is always fun to got to their after Christmas Sale.  They have very unique merchandise and we always manage to find some unique Christmas item that we have to buy.  This year was no exception.  The crazy thing is that both Judy and Ron and Neal and I had commented on the fact that we had really cleaned out our Christmas stuff this year and thrown or given lots of old stuff away and that we didn't need anymore.  However, we both found more Christmas items for next year.  

Neal and I saw this darling decoration and just couldn't resist.  At first the lady told us that the wood tree that the decorations hung on was not for sale.  Neal and I debated and then decided that maybe we could take pictures and measurements and maybe we could get Annie to make the tree for us.  The lady showed me a rod iron hanger but I didn't like it.  A few minutes later she came back and said she would sell us the wooden tree.  Not sure why she changed her mind, just glad she did.  The tree really adds to the darling Santa faces.  Neal bought a couple carvings and we also bought Mallory's birthday present.  but because Mallory keeps close tabs of my blog, I won't picture it yet :-)

Ron and Judy also found this Santa Moose that they fell in love with.  It was expensive but because it was the after Christmas sale they got it for half off.  A good deal, for sure.  They also bought a couple other things.  We had a good time shopping.

Family Christmas Party

 It was a small group again this year.  Maren's family came down with COVID.  Tucker's family spent their money for the holidays on Hawaii.  Lynda Ann was missing two.  Emmi on the aircraft carrier and Abby on her mission.  I think the only family that had everyone was Mindy's.  I fix ham and funeral potatoes along with veggies.  Lynda Ann brought the layered jello salad.  The table was set with the Christmas dishes and everything looked very festive.  We started at 6 p.m.  Had a delicious dinner and then gathered in the front room where Neal recited the Christmas story from Luke.  Then we passed out the Christmas stockings for the adults and for the grandchildren.  We also gave them their Christmas book and a CD to go with it.  Everyone went home except the Gertsons who stayed and played Telestrations.  They hung in there until about 10:30 and then headed home.  Mallory had worked a 48 hour shift with a 30 minute cat nap somewhere in the middle.  She was exhausted.  

The Christmas book for 2021

Every year Neal writes a Christmas message in the front of the Christmas Book that we give each family.

The Christmas plates that Maren has given us each years.

There are a few more pictures but I can't get them to load on my computer.  All in all it was a fun little party but we sure missed everyone who wasn't there!  Let's hope that 2022 is a much better year for getting together.  Hope all had a Merry Christmas.

Christmas in St. George

 This year was another odd year for Christmas.  We had our family party on Wednesday, the 22nd.  I will be blogging about that later.  But for now I'm concentrating on blogging about our trip to St. George.  We left Thursday morning about 8:30 and thankfully had clear nearly dry roads all the way down and just a little rain.  There was one area where we hit a lot of wind, but we did fine in my little Subaru.  We got to St. George about 1:30 and were happy to be here safe and sound.  The reason we came to St. George this year is because Maren's family came down with COVID and Lynda Ann was working through the holidays along with having her dad at her home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  

Thursday and Friday we played bridge.  The men golfed and Judy and I ran some errands.  Friday was Christmas Eve and Judy fixed an absolutely delicious Christmas Eve dinner.  Christmas morning we had a delicious breakfast and then opened presents.  Stanfields gave us tickets to see Hamilton!  That was the most exciting gift for sure.  They gave us one and we will pay them for the other one.  They were $185.00 per ticket and we are on the 5th row.  Should be an exciting event.  We go on New Years Day evening.  

They also gave us our yearly calendar that we love, love, love.  

Ron and Judy gave me this gorgeous Christmas Ornament.  It is so delicately done.  Every window small and large are cut into the ornament.  I was very excited.  Actually brought a tear.

Ron gave Neal a Utah puzzle.  It looks like it will be fun to put it together.  Neal was excited.  He loves Utah and he loves puzzles.

Just a cute picture of my friend, Judy.

Neal getting ready to open presents.  Judy tapping a message to one of her kids.

Still waiting for passing out the presents.

Selfie of the four of us.

Besties!!

This morning we went to Sacrament Meeting and listened to a beautiful Christmas message and then home.  The boys have been able to golf two days but the rest of the week isn't favorable for golfing.  Hard to golf in the rain and snow!  More posting to come.