December Delights

Our month of December included our annual Christmas gathering in our home for our neighbors, which reaches out to those on our street, and others in the general area. We were happy there was about 26 in all. It’s always a treat to have them in our home and it’s a great opportunity for recent move-ins to get acquainted.

We enjoyed listening to the Christmas concerts for Bryson, Julia, and Sydney. We especially loved attending Sydney’s concert at the Grotto. Julia performed in a vocal recital and did extremely well. She's the youngest, with all the others in being high school. Crismon’s involvement in the Chamber provides fun gatherings during the holidays, too. 

Especially rewarding was reaching out to less actives, inviting them to “Invitation Sunday” and having them actually come was so wonderful. I was asked to speak on that Christmas Sacrament meeting, so Crismon used that opportunity to say, “You’ll want to come support Vivienne as she is speaking on Sunday.” One family in particular that we have been ministering to, hasn’t been to church in 40 years or so. We have become good friends, and we were so happy they came. As she left the meeting she said, “I know I told you I was coming to hear Vivienne, but really, I was doing it for me.” This was a huge step for them. We hope they will remember the feeling they had that day and want to come again. Another couple came for the first time in over 25 years. Miracles happen! 

I enjoyed having Asher interview me for his World War II project at school. He was asking me about my Dad's involvement in building the Atomic Bomb at Oak Ridge Tennessee. It was so interesting for me to read my Dad's journal about that time and give Asher some good information to put his project together.

Bryson, Isaac, and Paxton were in their ward Nativity program. They are such good boys. How we love them! Our good friends, Larry & Marge Heppler had a special FHE in their home on Dec. 16th. It was a fun time to gather with other empty-nesters in our ward. They asked us to bring an appetizer to share and a talent to perform. We didn't know what to do, but I decided to share the "Living Christ." I had memorized it several years earlier, so I refreshed it for that evening, Since, I've been trying to say it each day to always keep it constant in my memory. It's been a sweet blessing in my life to learn and memorize the entire document. How I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

Christmas was delightful having Julia, Austin, and 18-month-old Dallin here. We gathered (Vivi’s family, too) Christmas Eve at the Vance’s home for dinner, the nativity, and also the BYU game. Then Christmas Day was full of excitement. The Vance’s came for dinner and games, and the sister missionaries were here some of that time, too.

Crismon turned 71 on Dec. 30th. The children called or FaceTime with him. We visited our friends, Lyle & Renae Trammell. Then ate a late lunch and went to see the movie, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," about Fred Rogers. What a great man who lived Christlike teachings. I saw a Facebook post that day from my friend, Sharon Mueller. She said she had extra homemade apple pie and wanted to share it with someone. What a blessing to receive that delicious pie for Crismon's birthday as it was difficult for me to make anything special. Such a sweet tender mercy to have her do that for us, especially since I rarely look at Facebook, but I just happened to see this post. I'm grateful for such a wonderful husband who brings me joy everyday.

We ended the year, Dec. 31st attending the temple with our friend, Leslie Jenkins. It’s great to see how she loves being in the temple. Since she received her Endowment the first of October, she has gone weekly, only missing one or two times since then. That evening we celebrated the New Year with fun games with Vivi and her children. It has been a blessing to have them in our home.

Christmas Day Fun

Christmas morning was full of excitement. It was about 8 before the children asked to see what Santa brought. We loved having children in our home for this special day. Everyone received so many nice gifts. It took most of the morning to go around and have each person open a gift. All of our family were generous to us and to Vivi and the children. Dallin was mostly interested in eating his tangerine as he had slept late and wasn't really sure what was going on except he couldn't walk around the room very well with all the gifts and wrapping everywhere. Soon he caught on to the excitement and started paying attention to his presents.

Meredith gave Vivi a beautiful canvas picture of her family that now hangs at the bottom of the stairs. It's so nice! Then Seth & Tiffany sent a letter to Vivi with the gift of flying her to Maryland, or New York later this year. It was so generous of them. Alice-Anne's family gave to Vivi and the kids this year and they showered them with some very nice gifts. We gave Clark, Daisy & Kaeley, and Vivi Echo Dots for their rooms so they could listen to music, books and also so we can intercom them as well. Daisy was over the moon to get a Fitbit! And Clark was so excited about his writing pad.

The Vance's came in the afternoon for games. Ondalynn brought a delicious soup and we added the other sides of the dinner. The sister missionaries joined us for dinner and then a message. More games in the evening. We loved talking to most of the children through FaceTime today. The Vance's also came the next afternoon for more games and Vivi bought pizza for everyone. Sydney and Julia gave the women manicures with their nail salon gifts.

It was sweet to see how Dallin would interact with the children, especially when he laid his head down on Bryson's arm. Isaac was so excited about the Calvin Hobbs book we gave him. 

Everyone had such a great day. The best part of Christmas for me this year was feeling closer to my Savior Jesus Christ more than ever before. Studying and teaching about Him this year in the Adult SS class has been a great blessing to me. I love Him. I honor Him. I praise his name. I'm grateful I could speak on the special Christmas Sunday about my feelings of Him, his mother Mary, and my desire to come unto Him more than ever before, and submit to His every will.

The Doutre's arrive - Christmas Eve

Julia, Austin and Dallin arrived Monday afternoon, Dec. 23rd. Our house comes alive when that cute Dallin is here. Daisy, Kaeley, and Clark immediately swarm to him and he loves their attention.

The Vance's invited us for Christmas Eve. Dallin was fascinated by the train that was under their tree. Christmas is magical with children. We enjoyed a lovely dinner of Orange Chicken, the children acting out the nativity with nice costumes borrowed from the ward. There was a BYU-Hawaii bowl game that night, too, so the evening finished with cheering and then disappointment when they last right at the last.

Family Fun in November

 

Seth flew to Portland earlier in the month of November for meetings in Eugene. It was delightful to see him, although just for a short time. They are loving their experience in Oxford. The boys really enjoy their schools and they all feel challenged. In this picture, they attended a beautiful choir and candlelight advent service, at Magdalen College, CS Lewis’s college.

We took advantage of Crismon's Veteran status and went out to dinner at the Olive Garden for a free entree for him. We're grateful for so many who have sacrificed their lives so we can enjoy freedom today. Thankfully, Crismon was able to serve his military duty at West Point, not as a cadet, but the editor of the military newspaper there.

Emily & Bronson purchased a home in Madison and moved in the last of October. They immediately jumped in and renovated the guest bathroom, finishing just barely in time to welcome Lynette, Ian, and their two girls for Thanksgiving. They had a great time together, bringing back memories when Emily and Lynette were little and had lots of fun during the holidays.

We attended Julia's play, "North Woods Nonsense." She had one of the leads and she was hilarious! Ondalynn wanted her family room and kitchen painted for her birthday. She and Gary put in many hours painting over the brown wall color to a bright, beautiful white. The changes look so nice.

Cathy Hansen had been in New York and happened to see Crismon and Danielle at church. She invited them to dinner at her brother's apartment where she was staying. Crismon had just made some homemade bread the day before. He brought one and asked us if she would hand deliver it to us. What a fun surprise! It was so good! I'm so proud of Crismon and Dallin in becoming so good at making bread. I'm glad they learned it. Sadly, though, I didn't teach them when they were young, but they have developed the skill on their own.

Seth was generous to give Julia an airline ticket to fly to Portland on Sunday before Thanksgiving. This was great! We were able to love on that cute Dallin for several more days before his Dad arrived. He is at such a cute age, and he let us hug and kiss him all we wanted. It was delightful! Julia was able to go to West Gresham Elementary School and see her 3rd grade teacher, Miss Creighton, who is Kaeley's 2nd grade teacher now.  

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Julia, Austin and baby Dallin, along with Ondalynn & Gary’s family, They were planning to go to Utah, but the weather didn’t look good going through the Blues and a bad snow storm in Utah during the holidays. We were happy they could be with us. Vivi was with us, and her children came later in the day after being with their Dad. Our friend, Leslie Jenkins, joined us too. Daisy wrote a cute Pilgrim’s play for the cousins to perform. We were happy that Crismon & Danielle could take a bus from New York to be with the Williams family in Maryland, and Dallin & Janelle’s family came up from Virginia, so they had a fun mini-reunion together. 

We missed our Johns family at Thanksgiving, but we’re glad they have family close by to enjoy cousin time together. In this picture, 3-year-old Claire announced, “I want to help make Christmas.”

We love being in the temple weekly, attending grandchildren’s performances, and connecting with our family across the country, and across the pond, thanks to technology. We are richly blessed.