Sunday Dinner and Christmas Celebrations

 Joel and Annabelle last Sunday, Dec. 6th - Joel got the suit looking forward to turning 12 on Dec. 15th and being ordained a Deacon - yay Joel.  The suit pants are being hemmed!  We are going to miss the Moretnsen's coming to Sunday Dinner every week.

 Tuesday, Dec. 8th was our home ward Christmas Party - looks like a lot of yours, right?  We enjoyed a lovely dinner and visiting with neighbors and friends - and then left early to attend the Institute Choir Christmas Program.

 More ward party.

Dad looking good in his warm sweater.

 This is the program from the Institute Choirside - it was wonderful.

 Inside the program - we knew several of the singers and enjoyed them sharing their talents. The bottom picture I wanted you to see our LDS Institute Building on campus - we will be teaching here Wednesday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 in winter term - The Eternal Family!

Santa Claus in Old Town

Saturday we read in the paper about a Christmas Festival at one of the antique stores in Old Town, Pocatello.  We like to have even a small 'outing' on Saturdays so we decided to check it out.  Here we are with Santa at the store!  They had yummy cookies and hot apple juice also!

They began in the first floor of an old hotel.  They have expanded into the basement and upstairs.  It is pretty neat, they took down all the plaster and strips of wood and just have the frames of the rooms upstairs. Each vendor has a 'room' for their wares - I did purchase a boxed book - Tom Sawyer - illustrated by Norman Rockwell - for 6 dollars - the sign said "make an offer" - so I offered 5 dollars and the young man asked if I would pay 6 - since I had it, I did.  At home I checked on Amazon online and the same book is selling for $60.00!! no I'm not going to sell it.  Fun outing!

Liberty's Baptism

Elder Denton, Liberty and Elder Sitivi - our eleven year old neighbor who has been investigating the church for over a year...baptized the day after Thanksgiving - she asked me to say the closing prayer.

 Sabrina, and Sheriden with Libby - they were in my Primary class and have down a great job of fellowshiping Liberty.  They are in 7th grade and Libby in 6th grade and the first week of middle school I asked her how it was going - she said she couldn't get her locker open, but Sabrina comes down to help her!

 Isn't she pretty?  We are happy to be close and support her.

 This is blurry - but this is her friend Shelleen from her old neighborhood.  Shelleen was staying over at Libby's house this summer.  Both girls came over to our house to borrow an egg - - they were making cookies at Libby's house.  Libby asked us then if she could go to church with us - OF COURSE.  It was a little tricky at first.  Our meeting at the YSA ward begins at 11:30 - so Sacrament was over at 12:40.  Then we would hurry across town to walk over to pick up Liberty and go to our home ward at 1:00 pm.  Then we would go back to the YSA wards RS and Priesthood meeting.   We did that for a couple of months.  When we were out of town, I asked Sheridan and Sabrina to do it - Libby lives right next door to the chapel across the street from our house. After a while she goes by herself and we stay at our YSA ward.

Happy smiles all around - love the picture of the Good Shepherd in the background.  Elder Sitivi is from Samao and is a little hard to understand sometimes.   Liberty will be confirmed on Sunday - we will be there.  What a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend!!

Continue being Thankful!

Here we are being very thankful for all our blessings - I love giving thanks, being with family and eating good food!!

 Briella found this 'baby' in the nursery room, and she carried it around most of the day.

 Polly and Jason - two oldest grandchildren of Gramps and Granny - catching up on each other's lives!

 My sisters and I married awesome men!  Ken, Harold and John helped so much ... not just setting up but taking down and putting away, doing dishes and sweeping and mopping floors... love em!

 Briella had a great time at the dessert bar!

Wild turkeys!  We drove a washer and dryer to Hyrum for Kate and Ben - driving through Millville toward the freeway - there was a whole flock of wild turkey - probably 25 plus!  Fun to see the day after Thanksgiving!

Still being Thankful!

 What a wonderful spread!

 Heather and Chris helping their children to all the yummy food.

The other end of the line!

 Briella enjoying olives on her fingers.

 Aunt Becky made these table clothes for each of her siblings - fun to read the 'family' quotes while we ate Thanksgiving Dinner with extended family!

Thanksgiving 2015

 Aunt Sue's assignment was to bring fruit to the Family Thanksgiving dinner - she made this cute fruit turkey!  She told us - why do easy?  Actually then she confessed that she had the fruit all cut up and in tupperware in her fridge - and drove over to Utah with out it!  yep - she is related to me! Don't you love her sweatshirt?  Gaea is attending there and Sue and John when up for their "Family" weekend.

 Here is the set up for our celebration - the small table has a coloring tablecloth for the little ones ...

 ...or the bigger ones!  Missy and Britt and Gwen - notice the men in the background playing basketball.

 After a few tries - here is the whole group - we missed a lot of you!

Becky telling us about the song: "Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Doxology...we are very thankful for all our blessings.

Pizza Pie Birthday Dinner

 Annabelle choose Pizza Pie Cafe for her birthday dinner.  They had a sign outside that said:  "Happy" has five letters, so does "pizza" - coincidence - we think not!

 She opened her gifts from us - a kitten puzzle, The Princess and the Pea book and tickets to the Princess Tea Party - Dec. 4th, plus glitter glue and markers!

Pizza Pie brought Anna this Monster Birthday Pie - pretty yummy!  When we got there the table next to had 6 - 8 ISU football players ... they were eating and eating the whole time we were there - still at it when we left!