Crazy Christmas

We sent this "twofie" (get it? - selfie x 2) out to our friends and family on Christmas morning wishing them a Merry Christmas - Roger even smiled.......it's a Christmas MIRACLE !!!

We stopped over to Zac and CJ's to check out what Santa Brought.
Here is Tagg with his Christmas Card he PAINTED ! What?!?! and some mints of that guy who paints things.......... he says the kids call him "that guy's name" because he is such a great artist. 

Treyson got a new guitar - I think that makes 6-7 now. 
See Grandma Shirlee's great RAG QUILTS in the background?  She sure did a great job on them. 

Thatch got a hover board, and I even tried it out.  I had Treyson on one side, Tagg on the other, and Zac hovering in the background with a worried look on his face, thinking I was going DOWN !!!!!

CJ had a breakfast casserole in the over that came out just as we were leaving, so we stayed and had a bite to eat - delicious !! 

Cam - sleepyhead on Christmas Day
That's about all the pics we got from the Arizona Gang....... :(

Lunch at our house, with the family.  Notice my new Christmas tablecloth (at the end/black and red) - I got a LONNNNNNNNG piece of fleece on Christmas Eve at Joann's.  Yes, Roger took me there, just for something to cover my table - he's AWESOME like that :) 

We had SLUSH - we they all love, and a ribbon salad (see behind Landon's arm), and Ham, and funeral potatoes (note to self - make MORE next time !!!), and a dill pickle cheese ball, which was TOO PICKLEY for my tastes, and little smokies in bbq sauce, and a BOMB (Chicken Cordon Bleu), which everyone LOVED !!!

Me and my sweetie :)

Then I sent her around with my phone/camera to take everyone's pictures........

Love my new apron - from my fellow co-workers. 

You may not be able to view this video, and I'm too lazy to change it out to a picture, but this me and Bright, TYE-DYING a shirt that she got.  We almost had a disaster, as she tried to do it on her own.............  Thank goodness her dad saved the day :)   I haven't seen how it turned out yet, I hope okay !! 

We broke out the chocolate fountain, and of course the kids loved it !! 

Next day we went down to Landon and Kacey's to check out what Santa brought.
A NEW INFLATABLE HOT TUB !!!
The kids were loving it :)

Bright did my nails :)

Oh man - she is crazy on all SORTS of levels !!

Pays is crazy as usual - sure love him !
He and Bright each got a new IPOD, and I've been having a great time texting back and forth with them.  

A little odds and ends before Christmas is upon us

Manda, and Jessica and Therese have been baking away in preparation for Christmas ! 

See caption below...........

No seriously - it's gray and I'm loving it. 

Landon is still coaching at West Haven Crossfit.  Apparently they have some fund raiser going on, and he and the other coaches may have to do 100+ burpees before it's done (YIKES!!!)

Tagg had a Christmas Concert
He's in the percussion section 

Brightyn SEWED this cute pink elephant ALL BY HERSELF in her sewing class !   Way to go Bright !!

I'm getting pretty fancy in my baking.  These are Pioneer Woman's Red Velvet Cookies. 

Tagg came up with this (I think it was a school assignment)  It's going on the Yard Master's Facebook Page FOR SURE !!!

Tagg has started recreational basketball - he likes it and has fun. 

Treyson and friend messing around down at the Property

Tagg and Thatcher messing around in the snow at home

Someone ALOT warmer than we are in AZ.........
Come on Cam - be brave......come on up here !!!!

Thatch started little league wrestling.
There was a tournament at Fremont High, and we tried to sneak in..........but short of LYING (which we wouldn't do), we weren't let in :(

Belated Burn

Last Saturday it was FINALLY a good burn day. 

It burned pretty good - but there was alot of GREEN (from the windstorm) - and we were worried it wouldn't burn down like we wanted it to. 

It was cold but sunny

Tagg got down on the ice on the creek and made some tracks

Dad and Mom

It did eventually burn down, over the course of 3 days, and surprisingly little is left

What a goof :)

 

It's Wrestling time again !

 

If you can't see this video (above) - Click here

Treyson is enjoying wrestling.  As a Freshman, with not a whole lot of experience, he has a lot to learn, but if he keeps with it, he will be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years.

Unfortunately, because of the dang COVID, only his parents (or two people) can go to watch him in person.  I'm sure glad CJ took video of his matches.  

Sunday Ponderings

Last Sunday I bore my testimony.  I don't do that very often.  I was definitely prompted to do so, and I acted upon it !  I HEARD HIM. 

Basically I felt to speak about how when I pray, it seems I'm always saying I'm sorry for this, over and over, and I get so down on myself, because I imagine that God thinks, "Here she comes again.......  telling me she is sorry for making the same mistakes over and over, when will she ever get with the program, she is so disappointing."  I am impatient, and hard on myself, and I feel that God must feel the same way. 

I am coming to know and understand that God loves me NO MATTER WHAT, and EVERY TIME I come to Him, he is thinking, "Here she comes again !  I'm so happy she's talking to me, I know life is hard, but she keeps trying, and that is what matters !  I sure love her".  

I'm not always successful in thinking this way, but I'm sure trying, and I'll never give up !!

 

Little odds and ends - trying to play catch up.

Left over picture from Thanksgiving I think.  Here is Cam with her Arizona family.  All (or many) of the cousins on her dad's side.  Love that cute girl front and center :)

Christmas Gifts for the ward from the Relief Society (TP and hand sanitizer)
As 2020 comes to a close, we may wish to FLUSH all trials of these past few months away.
Hopefully we can remember the lessons we have learned, and most importantly,
that we can rely on the Lord's protection as we strive to HEAR HIM daily. 

We had a visitor at our place

I love to capture memes from the internet and share them. 

Thatcher got braces !!

So many people participated in the Prophets call to flood social media with thankfulness #givethanks, and now we are Lighting the World for the month of December.  Loved to see this post !!!

Roger would say this is TOTALLY TRUE

Special post by CJ that took Morgan Moms Facebook by storm !! 

Love my beautiful Poinsettia that we got through Brightyn's fundraiser for tumbling.  It was used extensively in our Ward's Christmas Devotional which was filmed last Sunday, and will be broadcast on the ward's YOUTUBE channel NEXT Sunday, the 20th. 

I bought The Forgotten Carols, and have been passing it around to anyone who would like to see it.  It is wonderful :) 

Love my little CHRISTmas tree.  Krista Adams built me the box to put it on.  So happy !

Our Relief Society Presidency - Me, Vicki, Jody, & Sara
This is what is looks like in the year 2020

We have sure seen alot of changes in the 3 years we have served.

Councils in Relief Society (once a month, in a circle)
Ministering instead of Visiting Teaching
2 hour block change - Relief Society only 2 times a month
COVID - No Church (March-July)
Social Distancing - get together at the Property
COVID - Sacrament only (July-Oct)
COVID - Zoom RS meetings 2 times a month
What is next !?!?!?

We were able to get together last Sunday (Roger, Gwen, Mark, Carrie, Erika, Aaron and Tiana) with mom and dad and present them with our Christmas present.  It turned out so well. 

Bright finally got her tooth out with a little help from her dad !
She is a BRAVE GIRL !!

After putting it off for weeks (of warm weather), we braved the 19 degree temperature yesterday and got the Christmas decorations up to the cemetery. 

 

Last but not least - Manda texted me this picture.
Apparently the story I told the kids years ago, about Stephen King's story of THE MIST is still freaking her out (haha) - Love you Manda !!!