Family Christmas Gathering

 We had all the family come for our Christmas Dinner the Sunday before Christmas.  Everyone came about 3:00.  We had the usual Honey Baked Ham, baked potatoes, salads, veggies, and desserts.  After dinner we opened presents and Neal gave each family their Christmas Book.  Mindy and her family left but Maren and Lynda's family stayed and we played games until late.  It was a very fun day and evening.

Fun random pictures of the evening.

So fun to have both Abby and Emmi home for the Holidays!

Poor Greg.  I always seem to have a project of some sort that needs to be done when he comes.  He had already been up and fixed the lighting in our walk in closet and then climbed up the ladder and replaced the lights in our front room chandelier.

As usual, Neal and I were spoiled with gifts from our children.  It was a great evening.  

A New Furnace and AC / Neal Sells His BMW

 Just prior to Christmas (like about 2 weeks prior) our furnace died.  We woke up on a Sunday morning to a very, very cold house.  Some time during the night the furnace gave up the ghost and refused to offer anymore warmth to us or the home.  After some calls were made and making a decision between one very aggressive salesman and one very pleasant salesman, we made the made the right decision and went with the John, the very nice and not pushy salesman.  We had to not only replace the furnace but also the air conditioning - all at the tune of $13,000+.  We both gulped and gave them the go ahead.  After being without heat in our home for over a week and a half, we were both ready to pay whatever amount we had to, to feel warm again!  Our house got down to 53 degrees.  We had a space heater in the master bedroom and one in Neal's office.  We would hustle from one room to the next, closing the doors quickly behind us to keep what little heat the space heaters were providing, locked in those two rooms.  This is the old furnace just before it was taken apart and hauled out.

And this is our new furnace all installed and keeping us toasty warm!

The best part of the story is that the furnace installers figured out why our basement was always so cold and they were able to put in air returns in the proper places.  Now the furnace is able to operate efficiently and heat all floors of our home evenly.  I didn't take a picture of the new air conditioner that works with the furnace to heat the home in the winter and cool in the summer.  

After all this new stuff was installed we had to figure out how we were going to pay for everything.  We had a couple options.  While we were working through the options (we had a couple weeks from the furnace people to get them paid), Neal had a friend of his come and take pictures of the BMW and get it on KSL.  Neal was asking $7900 for the BMW.  As soon as it was posted on KSL, he had hundreds of hits and many people interested in it.  One young man from Logan was the most persistent.  He drove down from Logan with his mother and his grandfather.  They took the car for a spin, checked it inside and out and the young man offered Neal $6,000.  Neal told him that he wouldn't let it go for that so the kid asked him if he would be willing to take $7,000 and Neal told him he would.  The kid had $6,000 in cash and went to his grandpa and got the other thousand and handed Neal $7,000 in cash.  Of course after the bill of sale and title were all taken care of, Neal made a trip to the bank with the cash.

In the mean time, we had borrowed the $13,000 from Granite Credit Union to pay for the furnace and air conditioner.  So after just three days we were able to go back to Granite and with the sale of the BMW and some of our savings, we were able to pay the loan off with only a $15.00 interest payment for the five days we had the loan.  

It was amazing to us how everything just fell into place so quickly and we were left debt free!!  Blessings, blessings, blessings.  Mostly we are blessed to have a heated home during these cold winter months.  We have so much to be thankful for living in America and having the wealth that we do.  

Maxfield Family Christmas Dinner

Sunday night, Neal and I went to the Maxfield Family Christmas Dinner hosted by Nita.  The dinner was delicious and the very festive.  This year, we didn't exchange presents, instead we donated money to Norman in Africa to help them buy rice and other needs for the families there.  Norm called while we were all gathered and thanked us for the donation and that they were able to give each family in the branch 50 pounds worth of rice.  They were also able to buy school supplies for the children.

 

Time for a New "Do"

 I had an appointment with David and went with the idea of getting a new "do".  Just wanted something different.  Sometimes one needs a change.  I saw a picture of a hair style that I thought would suit me.  I also want to get rid of my bangs so this is what Dave and I settled on.

And, by the way, all natural color!  David was finally able to cut off the last of the colored hair.  

New Furnace

 Our furnace just quit working a week and a half ago so Neal and I have been living in our bedroom and his office for the past almost two weeks.  Thank goodness for space heaters.  Our house has been in the 50's everywhere but those two rooms.  It has been just plain cold. Brrrrrrr

We had two companies bidding for our business.  The one guy, named Erik, was very pushy and overly aggressive.  The other guy, John, just presented what we needed and said it was up to us.  Neal and I spent most of the whole day talking to Erik and then the same evening with John.  The very next morning at 7:00 Erik was standing on our front porch ready to put in a new furnace.  Well, we had just barely rolled out of bed when the doorbell rang and we actually made him wait out on the front porch for about 20 minutes.  That kind of sealed the deal for John.  I don't like being pushed into a corner and feeling like I have to make an immediate decision.  Anyway, we gave Erik another couple hours and Neal finally had to tell him that we were going with the other company.  Erik was not a happy camper.  But he was just over the top trying to convince us to go with him.  So as I type this, we have workers in our basement and outside the house installing a new furnace and a new air conditioning at the high price of . . . . well let's just say it prevented Neal from going to the Rose Bowl to see Utah play and will slow our spending down considerably until we get it paid for.  Not good timing to have it come just before Christmas, but is there ever a good time?  Probably not.  Here is a picture of the old tired out furnace.

I'll be posting all the new equipment when it gets completely installed.  I think it will be gold plated!!

Annual Christmas Lunch

 Even though we don't have Lila Mae with us any more, it is important to Lynda Ann, her girls, me and Susan to continue to get together for lunch and shopping.  Well, in reality, we don't do that much shopping we mostly just want to connect as often as we can.  We get together for birthdays and Christmas.  Which between all our birthdays and the holidays we usually get together about once a month, which is good.  That connection is so important.  I felt like Lila Mae was with us at our Christmas lunch.  The love I felt looking at Annie, Mallory and Susan and feeling Lila Mae, was almost overwhelming.  It was a beautiful moment.  It is such a void to have Lila Mae gone.  

Loves my family!

Winter

 The weatherman keeps predicting storm after storm after storm.  We've had a couple days of snow and rain and last night and today we received a significant amount.  I had to take a picture of our bushes with the little red berries still on the branches.  It looked almost like a white Christmas tree with red ornaments.  It was very pretty.

Last Christmas Project

 Susan and I talked about making a quilt for her cousin, Lynn, who was such an incredible help to Lila Mae and the girls during the last couple months that Lila Mae was with us.  I have no idea how many trips he made to the house, how many blessings he gave, how many errands he ran, etc. etc.  But I do know that he was always there when there was a need of any kind and always, always willing to do whatever he could do to ease the pain of losing Lila Mae.  

I went to the store with Annie.  We picked out the material.  A friend of mine put the panels together and quilted it on her quilting machine and I bound the edges.  It is done and ready for Susan to give to Lynn as a thank you.  It doesn't come close to saying enough thanks but at least it lets him know that his help and kindness did not go unnoticed.  

Christmas Concert

 I was invited to Christmas with the Gentri's. Their concert was amazing and certainly would put anyone in the mood for Christmas and Christmas music.  Sally invited me to go along with her, her daughter, Brenda, Mindy (my walking partner) and a friend of Brenda's.  We had a good time and had a few minutes to wander to Macey's and see the candy Christmas ornaments in the windows.  They were amazing.  I took a couple pictures but it is nearly impossible to get a good picture through a window.  Too many reflections.  

The picture is Mindy, me, Sally, Brenda and Brenda's friend.  

One of the huge ornaments made completely out of candy.   Terrible picture, but you get the idea.  

Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving is always a holiday that I love.  It all stems from my childhood and mother making pies of all kinds, smelling the turkey cooking in the oven and having siblings and family arrive.  That day was always filled with happy times, laughs and such warm memories.  There is a line in Little Women that Joe makes where she wishes that things could never change.  If I could go back in time, that would be one of the days that I would pick to return to.  I just hope my children and grandchildren also will develop fond memories of Thanksgiving and all that we have to be thankful for.

This year we had Maren, Greg, Jaden, Taylor, Brock and Boston.  Jeff and Lynda Ann, Mallory and Andrew.  Lyndsy, Sunshine and Sunshine's friend, Jane.  We missed our California family and Derek along with Emmi, who is in Georgia, Abby, who is now living in California and Hayley, who went with her boyfriend to spend Thanksgiving with his family.  Our total was 15.  A very manageable group.  We were able to get everyone around one table with the card table added at the end.  

Table all set up with our new Thanksgiving dishes.  

Turkey in the oven.  First time I actually used the bottom oven.  So nice to have two ovens.  I was able to cook the extra dressing and the turkey in one oven while cooking the rolls in the top oven.  

Always have to have carrots.

Of course, the home made rolls.

And a prayer of thanks said and we are ready to dish up and eat!  Just in case you don't recognize everyone.  I'll start with Neal, go to his right and around the table:  Neal, Sunshine, Taylor, Brock, Boston, Lynda Ann, Jeff, Mallory, Andrew, Jaden, Maren, Greg, Lyndsy and Jane.

Post Op

 Lynda Ann had a follow up appointment with Dr. Cannon (I think that was his name) who is the throat specialist.  Everything seems to be healing as expected.  She is doing really good.  Still gets tired and needs to rest a lot but every day is good and so far she is free from the severe headaches.  That is a blessing!  Here is a picture of the hardware that put in her spine.

 What we are waiting on now if for her voice to come back and her ability to swallow liquids.  As we met with Dr. Cannon, he did a scope of her throat and vocal chords.  It was fascinating to see them on the screen and see how they work, or in Annie's case - don't work.  One of the vocal chords is still not working.  Dr. Cannon said it could take up to a year or longer and a slim possibility that it won't ever recover.  But, we aren't thinking that scenario.  In the mean time, they can inject some serum into her vocal chord that will make it swell up (kind of like a Botox injection).  That way the good vocal chord can touch the swollen one and vibrate and give Annie back her voice and the ability to swallow liquids.  She can have one every 9 months or until the vocal chord is healed.  So right now she is waiting for the call from the hospital to set that procedure in motion.  

Modern medicine - beyond amazing and we are so blessed to live in this day and age!

Stitching My Heart Out!

 I just finished another project, that happens to rate up in one of my favorites.  Mallory has put her dibs on it so when it is framed it will go to her.  As we were looking at the pictured pattern, Mallory noticed there was another one that is a Christmas one.  Apparently there are three in the series.  One is the gnomes in the garden, (which I did a year or two ago and Mallory has it) the second (the one I just finished) is the gnomes during Halloween, and the last is the gnomes at Christmas.  Little did I know I would e doing a series.  They are so fun.  I called the Craft Center to see if they had the Christmas one but they were sold out and said they would order it for me.  Probably won't get it for a week or two so I will be starting something else until that pattern comes in.  

This is the one I just finished.  The whole thing just tells a story from the clothes on the clothesline to the gnome painting the pumpkin.  Love this one!  When I get the Christmas one done I'll have to take a picture of all three of them and post them together.  They will be so fun to see and compare them.

My next project.  This is a huge one and will take me months and months to get this one done.  But, I love these type.  They are a challenge and fun to work up.  

Holiday Projects

This past week was a fairly quiet week.  I had a few projects that needed to be started and worked on but other than that, not much happening.  I did get a picture from Maren of Brock with his newly achieved drivers license.  It is incredible that he is towards the last of the grandchildren old enough to be driving.  I think this leaves Peyton, Boston and Desmond.  So much time has gone by.  Congrats to Brock.  Enjoy this new found freedom and use it wisely.  

 I've also been working on a Christmas neighborhood gift.  They are cloth coasters.  My friend, Sally and I are doing this one together.  We spent a couple hours cutting all the four inch squares.  Hundreds of them.  Then I brought them home and spent most of the weekend pressing, folding and putting them together.  I will take them back to Sally's today and she will sew all four sides and then give them back to me to turn them right side out, press them and put a ribbon around each set of four.  Some pictures to get an idea of the project.  The first picture shows what they can look like when finished.

Work in progress.

Hundreds of 4" squares ready to be assembled.

Happy holiday projects!!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Preparations

 Yup.  With the holidays so close, I end up decorating for both holidays at the same time.  This morning when I got up, it was dark outside with black clouds.  The rain started and then it turned to snow.  So with the first snow comes the Christmas Music.  How can there be Christmas without Bing Crosby - right Derek?  This CD always makes me think of Lynwood and Derek singing along with Bing.

And with it being the first of November out comes the Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations and putting up the Christmas Tree.  Of course, the little hedgehog has to be present on the tree in remembrance of Derek.

This is my most favorite new decoration that Neal and I bought last year.  So excited to put it up this year.

Tree is up and I did it all by myself.  Love having a smaller tree that I can handle and is easy to decorate.  Don't need 3 ladders!!!  jk  But for sure, one very tall ladder in the old days.

I will post some more pictures when I get the tree completely decorated and everything else out and in it's place.  I'm holding off putting all the ornaments on the tree until Neal gets home.  He loves decorating the tree.  

Halloween

 You all know this is not a holiday that I even like to acknowledge but I know that many of my kids and grandchildren love this holiday.  I was so happy to get pictures of the costumes from Maren and from Mindy and have to post them.  I have to admit they are fun and clever and I admire the fact that you all like to take in and make it a fun dress up day.  

Jaden, love the sweatshirt!!!  You're the MAN!!!

As always, Maren looks darling.  You are a gorgeous witch!!!  I will add here that I'm just a witch, but not gorgeous.

Some very cute pictures of Mindy and Robert.  In this picture they are Sweeny Todd and Mrs. Lovett.

Earlier in the day she was a witch.  Another gorgeous witch!!  

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween.  Neal and I were boring and just stayed home and handed out candy to about 10 little kids.  Not much activity in our neighborhood.  

Finished Project - New One Started

 I have to kind of laugh at myself when I think of all the counted cross stitch I do.  When I see all the stuff the Lila Mae accumulated over the years and see that none of her kids are really interested in them.  For example her dolls.  Hundreds of them that no one wants.  And nativities that she has collected over the years.  Again, hundreds of them and no one is interested in them.  But, then I think about how much pleasure they brought her during her life.  So, is it sad that no one is interested in them?  I think it isn't.  We do things in our lives that makes us smile and feel good.  Dolls and nativities were her thing and she loved them.  Counted cross stitch is my thing and I love each one that I do.  What will happen to them when my journey is through, matters not.  The fact that they brought me pleasure doing them and often filled in empty spaces in my day are what is important.  Some I have posted and immediately had an "I speak that one!", come to my phone.  So, I know that some will go to children and grandchildren that will be a reminder of me.  The others?  Gosh, it really doesn't matter, does it.  So I will continue to do them as long as they bring me pleasure.  So here is another finished project and the next one that I've started.  

My favorite thing about this one is the little bird.  He has so much personality.  Of course this one needs to be pressed and taken to the framing establishment.  I'll post a picture when it is completed.

This is my next project.  I've already got the second row done.  As you know when doing counted cross, you start in the center of the pattern and work out.  The center was the bottom of the lantern.  Just a little FYI :-)

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Lunch

 Mallory and Mindy and I met at Even Stevens for lunch the other day and had a fun time chatting about this and that and catching up on all the family comings and goings.  Mallory had a physical therapy appointment so it was a perfect time to get together.  Maren had to work and Lynda Ann is still recuperating from her surgery, thus the three of us met.  Lunch was good and the conversation delightful.  We got to talk a little about the kids and Mindy's job and her travels.  Updated on Mallory's plans for the winter semester at BYU.  She already has a full semester ahead of her.  Mallory and I drove to Provo for some errands and she also wanted to look at a couple apartments.  She was able to find an apartment on University Avenue.  Perfect location for walking to school (when the weather permits).  The only disappointment is that she won't be working at the law firm she worked at before her semester abroad.  So she is looking for another job in Provo that will accommodate her school schedule.  Job hunting and apartment hunting are certainly not high on her favorite things to do list - nor would they be on mine.  

It would be fun to get the girls and granddaughters together for a lunch.  Maybe when Annie is back on her feet again, I can plan that.  Maybe December or January.