Christmas

This was our first Christmas with Max on a mission — which made me sad a few times, I won't lie — but we still were able to include him in our celebrations by talking to him on a video chat both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And it was wonderful hearing how he spent the holiday and testified of Jesus Christ to others. He was fed well by the members in the ward and had a nice time with the other elders. 

Here's a photo he took recently of a sunset in El Paso. He also resubmitted his visa application for Bolivia this week as requested, like many other missionaries, so hopefully they will be able to get to that country soon.

On Friday, Dec. 22, the weather was beautiful. We went downtown to see the Grand America and Macy's windows, the limited lights on Temple Square, and came home by way of Michigan Avenue. A couple weeks ago we did Christmas Street and the Nativity story in the neighborhood near us.

Millie got glasses right before Christmas, after she failed the eye test at her (late) well-child checkup. We took the prescription and ordered frames online for cheaper and she was ecstatic when they came.

Sunday going to Church on Christmas Eve was wonderful. How fitting to sing the songs and hear messages of Christ's birth!

Christmas morning the kids stayed in their rooms as requested until 7 a.m. We were done opening presents by 8 a.m. and had some happy kids! Here's a sampling of some of the morning.

Ben gave JB and me a movie-watching kit and we can't wait to use it.

On Christmas Eve, we had a nice steak dinner with the Richards and the kids did a bell concert with bells matching the screen. For years, a chapel on Capitol Hill has had a bells concert on Christmas Eve, but not this year.

The six Richards kids got their parents large canvas prints of the photos from Bear Lake. 

On Christmas day we had homemade pizzas for lunch with sourdough dough made by the very talented Suzanne and JB.

We also went to see The Boys in the Boat in the theater. I really liked it! I loved the book. We have been watching Christmas movies together all of December and college football bowl games and the Utah Jazz and watching Ben play basketball and playing with toys. I've had some days off work and we've gone to the park (best winter so far with mild temperatures and no snow!). Merry Christmas!

Andrew is 13

 Our Christmas time baby is now a teenager!

Andrew requested a mint ice cream cake for his birthday.

We opened presents in the morning before he had to catch the bus at 7:30 a.m.

As soon as he got home he worked on his new Lego set for hours.

He requested Tony Burgers for dinner. 

Andrew is finding out that middle school is a lot different than elementary school, and working through finding the right tools to keep on top of his homework and classwork. Here's a picture from school one day when parents were invited to talk about planning for high school, college and careers.

While watching one of Ben's basketball games, James sat on Andrew's lap. Sometimes they are the absolute best of friends. Other times.... not.

Andrew loves his younger cousins and loves any baby he sees at church. Here he is with Lou.

And with Jack in Idaho for Harvey's baptism.

He went with JB to a Utah game on Nov. 4.

On Dec. 12 was his orchestra concert. (Ben had basketball practice)

He is clever, creative, funny, goofy, kind, smart and curious. We are grateful for Andrew!

Ben is 16

Ben is now sweet 16! He requested a red velvet cake for his birthday, and we sang to him at one part of the day and then ate the cake at another part of the day between school, work, basketball practice and a young men's activity.

JB took him out to lunch during the week for a treat.

And he got his driver license this week! Hooray for independence (but boo for the added monthly insurance cost).

 

Here's his official basketball photo. What a baller! He plays for the sophomore team and JV team.

JB was working at the scorers table and at halftime had a quick talk with Ben recently.

His 6'3 height is super convenient for trimming the tree or getting things down from the top cupboards. 

He teases Millie mercilessly (he'll come stalking down the hallway saying, "Rugus! Where are you? I want to eat you" and she runs and laughs). He babysits sometimes for families in our ward and those kids love him. One mom told me the kids told her, "Just call Ben!" when she was trying to figure something out. 

He is at a school dance tonight with a group and he wanted to make sure he would help his date feel comfortable and have a good time. He checks on how his friends are doing and he takes his priesthood responsibilities seriously at church, making sure to show up early and stay late. 

He is on top of all his assignments at school without any prompting from us. He's just so smart with math, too. 

I love watching him talk on the phone to Max each week. They talk about food and sports and he's learning a lot from Max's example as a missionary.

Happy birthday to our Benjamino Bennihana Bennyboy Ben Ben bo Ben.

"I've got plenty to be thankful for"

That song line comes from Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn. This is a month of pondering on blessings and gratitude.

We had a beautiful Primary program this month -- it really is my favorite Sunday. James and Millie practiced in the microphone at Church and practiced at home and I was proud of how they spoke clearly and slowly. I also loved their messages of Jesus Christ.

I helped one night with the Activity Days activity for the boys (ages 8-11). James and the other boys took flowers to several older women in our neighborhood. They were very brave as they knocked on doors and looked the women in the eyes and explained how they wanted to give them flowers because they were thinking of them.

We had two great meals with the Richards side of the family for Thanksgiving week. Turkey and mashed potatoes, etc, on Sunday (DELICIOUS), and smoked brisket and mac n cheese, etc, on Thursday (ALSO DELICIOUS). Max got to call on Thanksgiving day and talk to cousins and grandparents who were all around.

The kids table on Sunday:

Playing with Lou on Thursday:

Sewing a new Christmas hanging together:

Pretty soon I will have to stand on the front row as the short one!

Facetiming with Max. He and the other missionaries wore JustServe shirts as they helped clean up after the El Paso parade.

We raked up a lot of leaves this month.

The day after Thanksgiving it snowed and these kids scraped up every bit of snow from the front yard and the backyard to make a snowman that is still standing in the backyard even though we are back to grass.

This was for a sad occasion but I was able to see one of my five freshman year roommates this week. She came to Utah for her mother-in-law's funeral. We lived in the dorms together 1997-1998 and they had such a profound influence on my life for good!

At this time of year, I'm trying to remember from where all good things flow: I'm not only grateful for my blessings, I'm grateful to God for my blessings. I recognize His hand in my life. I'm also grateful to others for their influence, love, kindness, and gifts of time and service.

20 years together

 November 14 marked our 20th anniversary. Two decades together! 

I was reading Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery out loud to the kids the week before and love this scene with Anne and Gilbert, on their 16th wedding anniversary:

“You do love me, Gilbert? You haven’t said you love me for so long.” 

“My dear dear love! I didn’t think you needed words to know that. I couldn’t live without you. Always you give me strength. There’s a verse somewhere in the Bible that is meant for you… ‘She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.’”

(I looked it up. It's Proverbs 31:12).

Twenty years ago, we entered the House of the Lord and made a covenant with God and with each other. I know that as we stay faithful to that covenant, we are sealed together for eternity.

To celebrate our anniversary, we did some proxy sealings in the Jordan River temple.

And we went to lunch together while the children were in school. JB was right, that spot did have good lighting! 

Running errands is also a fun thing to do together, and watching sports and movies, and taking walks where we hammer out all the world's difficulties. He makes me laugh every day.

My favorite thing I wrote was on our tenth anniversary:

"...seconds/years fly by of laughter, tears, joy, contentment and normalcy, and the next thing you know, it's evening, you are sitting on the couch ... and you look over and see him. And your heart swells with the goodness of it all."