IS IT DECEMBER ALREADY?

Started putting up the Christmas decorations Sunday.  We worked every day and finally finished today, a week later.  It certainly is harder when you’re older.  We were exhausted at the end of every day.  It’s fun to see all the merriment now but it was hard.

stool where I set the laundry basket  9in of snow

Dad's Big Red

view from front yard

Dad's Christmas balls with snow caps

from front porch

notice the path
dad made to my clothes line

view of house in dark

tree lights in the dark

Tuesday it snowed all day.  We measured 9 inches.  Everything is so beautiful when it snows.  Dad did a great job on the outside and his Christmas village inside.

Thursday we went to Orem High School to watch Ava perform at half time for one of the big tournaments.  She did a really outstanding job.  

middle front

                                          Ava is top right

We love watching what Bethany has choreographed.  There were three different groups dancing to the same music doing different things.  It was fun.  I love that they dress them modestly.

Friday was our ward Christmas dinner.  Both Scott and Bethany had to work that night so we took the kids to the dinner.  Everywhere  Ava went she would ask the person by her, ”Do you remember me?”  They would say yes and say her name.  Then she would say, “I’m 5 now.”  It was so cute.  When we got home they watched the train go around the tree forever.  They didn’t even touch it.  Grandad aged a couple of years trying to get Nixon to "sit on his bum" and eat.  He likes turkey, but potatoes and gravy, not so much.

reading Frozen

Today I went to Ashley’s shower.  Dad was going to drive but we decided it wasn’t going to snow until after the shower.  I snowed the entire way to Draper.  The shower was at Tina and Steve’s.  They live in a beautiful home on the hill.  It was snowing so hard I slid clear to the other side of the road.  I was in 4 wheel and so glad no one was coming because they would not have been able to stop either.  The shower was so wonderful.  It was mainly the two families and some dear friends of Ashley’s. Ashley got so many great gifts. 

 It was fun to watch her open them.  Shanelle helped plan it and took a great deal of the food.  

Two beautiful Bayles ladies

We rode together; Bethany came a short time later.  She couldn’t stay the whole time.  As it turned out we could have ridden together because we left at the same time Bethany did because it snowed the whole time we were there and we wanted to get home before it got worse.  The roads were terrible.

That evening Dad and I went to Mariah Hill’s reception.  It was very nice.  It was fun to see the Hill family, especially Summer and Winston.  Summer is an emergency doctor in Michigan and Winston is a career military man in Oklahoma.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to strive to be a better person.  We need to recommit to the covenants we have made with our Father in Heaven.  Because of the birth and atonement, of His Son and our Redeemer, we can live as families with our Father forever.  That is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive.  We must share it with everyone.  I love how hard Granddad studies the scriptures daily. Grammy would never say so, but her studies of the scriptures is remarkable.  I think it is a good habit from our mission.