Thanks for the memories

It has been a great couple of weeks! We have had a great time with good company, and with the Comeaus on the phone. Here are a few scenes to remember it by. As I reviewed all the pictures we have, I noticed a pattern - they are pretty heavy on TVH. Oh well, can you blame us? Enjoy. It began with a number of trips to the airport.

Four guys.

One happy grandma.

And happy sisters with their Swiss hats.

At the temple.

Cold M.

Happy little guy.

Andy and Saramarie.



Happy times.

Mom's New Car

As you may have heard, the Chevy went to Idaho with Peter today. He took David Hall, with whom he will room, and Debra Terry. They had an uneventful trip and arrived safely earlier this evening. With the departure of the Chevy, we needed to replace it. We were fortunate enough to acquire a 2005 Hyundai Sonota.The interior.

And a sun roof.

We are very grateful to have been able to obtain this car at an unreasonably low price.

New Year's Clean Up

On New Year's Day we celebrated by beginning our year of cleaning up and putting in order. And we began with the shed. We took everything out and threw away the junk, then stacked what we kept back in so we can get to it as we need it. And this is just the first step. As we go through the year we'll keep you posted on other projects to clean up and order our lives.

And here is a New Year's Day surprise - the bulbs that we planted just a few weeks ago are coming up already. If you look closely you can see the row of plants poking up through the soil.

Christmas Throughout The Year

At the end of one of my most favorite books, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, we read of the main character, Ebeneezer Scrooge, that, ". . . it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that truly be said of us, and all of us!" With the passing of Christmastime 2008, I would like to share an idea for keeping Christmas throughout the year. It comes from this article by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, published in the Ensign over 30 years ago.

We hope you enjoy this thought-provoking article, and that it helps you keep Christmas, each year in December, and all through the year.

Christmastime

Christmas Eve we started off with a special turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Including Italian Sodas and Berrie pie. Then we had a special Family Home Evening where we all shared scriptures of Christ that we feel particularly fond of, whether they were prophecies, or the fulfillment of prophecies. After this time of sharing we reviewed again the story in Luke of the Savior's birth and it came alive with special meaning.

Christmas Day we started a lot earlier than I remember starting in the past - but it was a good thing as we had another special meal, complete with freshly squeezed OJ, hot cocoa, cinnamon rolls, and omelets. Then came the line-up and the main event. There were special gifts from Peter, just returned from Switzerland, as well as books and more techno-gifts.

Ty with techno gift:Both Christmas Day and the day after were excellent, weather wise, and we had lots of outdoor fun at the park, and playing horseshoes and basketball. On the 26th we had the kite experience that is the subject of a previous post.

Then on Saturday we all went to the temple, a perfect way to round out the week.

Finally, today Peter reported his mission to the high council at 7:30 a.m., then spoke in Sacrament Meeting at 9:00 a.m. Both were superb. In the earlier meeting he told of some previously undisclosed incidents in Bern in which he learned that persecution is still alive for missionaries, as well as talking about some choice learning experiences while serving in 4 countries at once (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, & Lichtenstein). In the latter meeting he did a masterful job of preaching on the change that comes as we come unto Christ, using the change experienced by Alma the Younger as an outline, and experiences from his mission to illustrate. His consistent message on both meetings was that the work is going forward in Switzerland, and in all of Europe, and that he had a successful mission, replete with teaching experience, watching individuals change as they come unto Christ. Peter does great in the preaching department.