Christmas 2015

We enjoyed a very Merry Christmas

This was not a tradition for our family, however,

both of our daughter in laws love to do this,

so I can dress up once a year.

Peter was the donkey....of course.

It is a tradition to have total khaos on Christmas morning.

Christmas breakfast is a tradition.

I love watching everyone consuming it all.

The greatest part of Christmas when you have a missionary out

is, without a doubt, that phone call on Christmas.

Times have changed since I went down to the phone company in Rivera, Uruaguay

and waited for my call to be placed.

Now, they facetime.

He has gained 30 pounds.

Just look at his chubby checks.

After some dinner,

we took some time outside.

It was heck-a-cold.

but sometimes,

you just need some fresh air.

The snow was a little dry for a snowman,

so they made a ??????

 

Merry Christmas

Christmas Letter 2015

 I wanted to share our Christmas letter.

It has been a good year 

and we look forward to another.

God Bless you All.

Merry Christmas!

Traditions

My daughter always tells me we have no Christmas traditions.

I beg to disagree.

There is this puzzle.

My kids loved to do it, and now,

we are teaching someone new how to do it.

As for the Christmas cut out cookies?

Well, we keep doing it.

I think it is a mess, 

but the kids like to sit around and cut out cookies

and then decorate them.

And a Christmas tradition that I have always enjoyed 

is taking a picture by the Christmas Tree before of after church.

This one will make me smile for many years.

Someone wanted to eat, not take a picture.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Party

I have great news.

The snow melted.

With Wes and Callie working at the same school,

they went to the same Christmas party.

I stayed home to sew

or

something.

Blessings

I always say that snow is only pretty in the movies.

But the other night, when I was driving home from work at 5pm, 

and it was 8 degrees outside.  
I saw these trees in the City Park.

In the dusk,

with the blue sky behind them,

they were pretty.

Yesterday, we went to Salt Lake.

1st: the weather was wonderful.

2nd: we went on walk, and found the house

that Wes's grandparents used to live in.

Happy memories.

Callie and Spencer were with us part of the day.

They are cute.

Speaking of cute, 

this guy spent an hour or so with us.

He had a great time.

As did we.

And this necklace was a big hit all day,

but no one liked it as much as he did.

We even ran into some friends from California.

It was a great day and I came home feeling blessed from head to toe.

White Thanksgiving

We had a white Thanksgiving.

I'm not sure we wanted one.

At any rate, I had put this bird feeder up earlier in the week.

I knew the squirrels would go crazy for it 

and that it would be totally entertaining,

and it was.

The squirrels put on a show for us.

I can't tell a lie.

I like it when they fall off it.

Here is our Thanksgiving snowman.

Then yesterday, we got some fog.

When it's cold -- under 15 degrees -- you get something

I call fog flurries.

It looks like it is snowing, but it never ends up on the ground.

You just feel like you are living in a snow globe. 

November

We had such a warm October that the leaves on the trees turned late.

In the last week we have had wind, and cold morning temperatures.

You know, like 19 degrees.

So yesterday, around noon we went out to clean up leaves.

They were beautiful,

But, dang! it was was cold.

I had to go get gloves.

And there was frost on the lawn still.

I do believe that it is the last time we will have to deal with them.

I have the turkey in the fridge.

Thanksgiving is on the way.

Enjoy.

In honor of Veteran's Day

I am going to post a couple of pictures.

I love to read World War II books.

I have read books from every point of view,

German, American, British, Jew, Spies, women, soldiers.

I love them all.

It was time when people sacrificed, worked hard,

and developed inner strength.  

My moms Uncle Joe went to Europe.

Here he is with his friends.

I know that he was called Idaho Joe, and his friend was called Little Joe.

They both made it back home.

Idaho Joe came home with a war bride. 

(I have read a book about war brides also)

Then, not long after, came the Korean War.

Here are my two favorite veterans from that war.

My father in law,

Howard Hall

and my dad,

Alfred Empey.

I remember looking at my 4 boys after 9-11 

and wondering if they would join the military.

So far, it hasn't happened.

Happy Veterans Day

New Grand Baby

I have a new grand daughter.

She was born in Calgary Canada.

Her name is Norah McAllister Hall

She is named after Elenor McAllister Hall.

A sweet women, who my children thought the world of.

Welcome to the World Norah.

I stand corrected,
But my story is better.

Pumpkin Carving

I really thought there would be no pumpkin carving this year,

but Spencer came for the weekend, and he wanted to carve.

I love the smell of pumpkin guts,

Such cute pumpkins

Don't you just love fall?

And then there'e the pretty summer flowers with the turning of the leaves.

It has been a warm October.

More Recent Pictures

We left Jerome Idaho this weekend and we entered civilization.

We went to Utah.

I always feel like I am in a different planet when we get there.

Please, do not misunderstand,

I don't feel like it is a better place,

just a different place.

We started at the Cheesecake Factory.

I had a gift card and I love that place.

Pumpkin pecan cheesecake,

That's all I'm saying.

I don't know why I forgot this,

But we got to go to the church Halloween party with the boys.

It was the best Halloween party I have ever been to.

That may have more to do with the company than the party.

The next day, while some people were at the football game,

I went to lunch with these two.

Thanks Keith and Courtney for the gift card.

We used most of it in California, 

but finished it up here.

God Bless the In and Out Burger.

Later that day,

to my complete surprise,

We all went to the pumpkin farm.

Holy Moly, it was was awesome.

We rode on the wagon.

Picked out a couple of pumpkins.

Some people went right to the top of the hay stack.

Played on the slides.

Checked out some animals.

And this little guy woke up to check out some pumpkins.

It was everything I remembered.

Thanks Todd and Katelyn for letting us spend the weekend with you.

I know how busy you are.  

I truly enjoyed it.

Bishops Pumpkin Farm

 I found this picture while digging up some craft stuff the other day.

Yes, it may mean it has been this long since I had been into the craft stuff.

We were on a visit to Bishops Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland California.

Then my son posted a picture of his kids at a pumpkin farm

 and it reminded me of these.

We loved to visit this pumpkin farm. 

It holds sweet memories.

There is something about being on a farm that makes me feel at home.

So get out there, 

visit a farm, 

and enjoy the smell of hay,

and being with family.