Christmas Family Gathering

 We had everyone over on the Sunday before Christmas.  We had the usual dinner menu of honey baked ham, potatoes, veggies, salads, rolls and peppermint ice cream and brownies.  This year I didn't set the table completely.  It seems that even thought I get a count of how many people are coming, someone or a couple either don't show or someone who wasn't coming, shows up.  Either way, it makes it difficult to add or remove plates.  So this year the table was decorated but the plates, silverware, glasses and napkins were on the counter to be picked up as they went through the line and then they could go to the table and sit where they wanted.  It worked out perfect.  Lynda Ann and Maren brought some fun family games and it was such fun playing them.  

One of the games was lining up cups along the table and putting a cottontail atop each cup.  With a straw in hand you had to go down the row and blow each cotton ball off the cup and then go back and stack all the cups to win.  It was so much fun!

Jeff figuring out the order of participation.

Andrew and Alex in the throws of competition.

Andrew wins!!

Another game we played was a marble game that had to be worked through a puzzle maze and then passed to the next person in line.  Jeff and Annie's friend JC made the games.  So much fun!!

We also played a game of sucking up an M&M from the table with a straw and dropping it in the cup.  You had so many minutes and when the time was up the person with the most M&M's in their cup won.  I think Abby won this game.

Other random pictures:

Maybe

 Maybe is the name of the Christmas book we gave the kids this year.  It is a beautifully illustrated book with a beautiful message of hope.  It is a story about the endless potential in all of us.  

Neal always writes a message in the front of the book we give the families each year.  

Saturday Gathering at Gertsons

 Neal and I were invited out to the Gertsons for dinner and games.  Annie had made every kind of treat that her family likes and put together a delicious dinner of marinated chicken with all the trimmings.  

Here are some fun pictures of the evening:

Lynda Ann surprised me with this book.  She had one for me and one for each one of her kids.  She entitled in Sunday Thoughts.  She went through my blogs from 2010 up to now and printed off all Sunday Thoughts along with all the spiritual experiences I may have written about and quotes from different church leaders.  I can't imagine how many hours this took, but her thought was that it would be a treasure to her children of my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful and thoughtful surprise.  Thank you Annie.  

Wicked

 Lynda Ann had arranged for her family to go to the movie Wicked and invited Neal and I to go along with them.  We took up the whole row and had the most comfortable seats.  Reclining and heated!  The theater was especially cold that night so the heated seats were wonderful.  Of course Neal and I had popcorn.  Can't fully enjoy a movie without popcorn!

Second and third time for most of us and I think Emmi said it was her 11th time!  I could easily sit through it again and again.  Amazing!!!

Tabernacle. Choir Christmas Concert

 We got a call from Nanette and Vern telling us that they had two extra tickets to the concert and wanted to know if we wanted to go with them.  Of course we jumped at that invitation.  Getting to one of the choirs concerts is nearly impossible.  They picked us up and off we went for a very spiritual and beautiful evening.

Nice when you can get some nice person to take a picture.  

Emmi Arrives From Hawaii

I was so excited to be able to pick Emmi up at the airport as she arrived from Hawaii.  Lynda Ann and Neal were both at David's getting their hair done and Mallory was coming up from Provo.  I picked Emmi up at 8:30 and we drove to David's where we waited for Neal and Lynda to finish up.  We then drove to The Original Pancake House and there we met Mallory.  We had a delicious breakfast and had such a great time visiting with Emmi.  After breakfast, Emmi, Mallory and Pa drove over to Uintah Golf so that Emmi could buy some new golf clubs.  While they were there, Neal got word that the Maxfield Candy building was on fire.  They think it was started by homeless camping out in the abandoned building.  Don't have any pictures of the fire but I do have a fun picture of the five of us at the pancake house.  

 

Sometimes a pay back!

 It isn't often that I get to do something for Lynda Ann to pay back all of the hours she puts in to my often "I need your help" projects.  This year she wanted to make Abby an advent calendar for Christmas.  She got the kit around the 13 of December and our goal was to try and get the tree done and maybe a couple of the ornaments.  She gave me the tree to do the embroidery work on while she kept the star and the base.  Annie also had a couple other projects she was trying to get done before Christmas.  I finished the embroidery work on the tree and she finished the start and the base.  At that point, I told her to give me the kit and let me see what I could get done and she could work on her other projects.  I didn't keep total track of the hours but I pretty much worked from dawn to dusk for two days determined to get this project completed.  A week before Christmas I had everything ornament finished.  All that was left was for Annie to attach the ribbon to each ornament for hanging.  Lynda Ann was able to take the ornaments to work and was able to finish them.  How exciting to have accomplished that project and in record time.  The two of us are determined and often amazing!

This is a picture of me and Sprout meeting Annie at Walmart to hand off the project for her to take to work.

Pictures are in no particular order.  These are the two stockings.  All the ornaments are about 2" high.  Very tiny.

Notice the sequins all around the tree.  Annie did those one night at work.  

Another stocking

Christmas ornament.  Each ornament had to be stuffed and stiched together after all the decorations were put on the front.

The sleigh was one of the hardest ones to do and took a lot of time.  There were two of them.

You can see there were at least two of everything and sometimes four!

Partially done.  

The reindeer had a life all their own.  I think I would say they were the hardest to stuff and sew together.

6 stars

Finally finished!  I was so happy to have it completed and to know that Abby would be getting a completed and home made gift from her mom.

By the way.  Annie made each child a home made gift for Christmas.  She was very creative!

I would say it was a Merry Christmas at the Gertson home.