'Twas the night after Thanksgiving and all through the hogan
Peace was restored 'cause the grandkids had all gone.
We thought our vacation had finally begun,
When we noticed the decor yet to be hung. Dang it.
Actually, we got must of the decorations set up, which was nice. Once the tree is up, it feels like Christmas. We finished decorating on the 2nd and 3rd of December (mostly Grandad).
We are loving our new lights - especially knowing that we never have to take them down or hang them up again! Best Christmas present ever!
Grandad got the lights all hooked up in the Christmas Village Baylie had set up. (It's really become more of a metropolis than a village at this point.)
Our very favorite decor is this placemat Kristin made for us decades ago. She is such an amazing seamstress.0
We had a lot of snow the end of November, but it didn't stick around. Fortunately, there is still some on the mountains. The ski resorts are suffering though.
We were able to see Clara in action on the grid iron. The girl's got game.
Perhaps she could have helped the Cougars since they lost the Big 12 Conference Championship to Texas Tech on the 6th.
Cameron came to dinner on the 7th (and the 14th, and the 28th, but not the 21st). It's fun having him close by.
On the 12th I found out that due to my fall in the temple, my arthritis has flared up in my hands and wrists. It's painful, but I'm used to it. I'm tough. We made our Christmas cards on the 13th. We have a personal designer that creates these masterpieces for us.
We went to the temple a whole bunch of times so anytime we skip a date, just assume that's where we were. Also, throw in some iHop visits as well.
Riley's sweet wife Bailey had her birthday on the 19th. We love her and are so glad she's part of our family.
On December 16, Erik and Shanelle invited us to join them for dinner at a Thai restaurant and then to see A Christmas Carol at the DoTerra campus. Both were marvelous. What a wonderful evening with family.
Saturday, December 20, we took Scott to the Seamons' so he cold work on Ava's jeep. Max has all the toys tools. It was a group effort and took seven hours!
Scott (also under car), Grandad, Max
Tiff gave us a great idea for neighbor gifts so we delivered them soft soaps with inspirational messages.
Over the past month or so, we have been invaded by mice. They dig up the yard and leave holes everywhere. Mom is convinced it's an invasion that will end up in the destruction of life as we know it. Tyson Marble told us we can put out dishes of Coke, the mice will drink it and then explode. Lovely. Cinderella would be so disappointed in us.
We went to Scott's for dinner on the 24th. It was wonderful spending time with them. So wonderful we forgot to take any pictures.
We weren't able to make our usual Christmas morning rounds because Grandad was sick. Erik and Scott were able to come give him a blessing. We were grateful to see all the family Christmas pictures. even though we didn't get the in person visits.
Kristin, Tiff, and Erik's families had a Disney theme.
Baylie, Jalen, Kristin, and David
Clara, Cameron, and Clara - Tiffani, Cameron, Clara, Dave, and Lauryn
Shepherd's dinner with Ashley's family Will, Tyler, Ashley, Rosie, Bea, and Simon - Di and Clark
Clark, Hailey, and Di - Jayden and Molly - Bailey, pup & Riley
Hailey & puppies - I had to throw this one in because it's so cute.
Rowan, Scott, Nixon, Ava, and Beth
Dad gave me this sweetest ornament. It made me cry. (Shocker.)
I started feeling sick on the 26th. Both of us ended up sleeping a lot.
December 27th was the Pop-Tarts Bowl. What a nail-biter!! For two people with a-fib, this was not a recommended activity. Fortunately, the Cougars pulled off the last-second win. (Do any other teams take as many games down to the wire?)
Rowan's birthday was the 28th. She's such a bundle of energy and joy. She's the perfect caboose for our grandchildren.
Dec. 29 was Shanelle's birthday. She is such a great boy mom. She has raised men that are stalwart and strong. She is a devoted wife and mother. She also comes up with the funnest family games.
Dad went welding on Monday and is working on some butterflies. They're so cute.
Unpainted butterfly - or moth
Cameron has been with us for a few days. He thought he had to work so he left Vegas early only to find out he didn't have to work. Such a bummer. His roommates are still gone, so he's been hanging out with us. We're glad he has our home to come to.
Tiffani helped us with Christmas this year. After the holiday, she called Grandad to see if he had seen the case of grape soda she had sent. (I love grape soda and it's really hard to find. We even order it online!) I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. Miraculously, he found it in my closet. I'm blaming dementia...
Which brings us to New Year's Eve. We had planned to live it up in Vegas, but then remembered we might run into our grandchildren and they don't know about that side of us. So instead, we plan to fall asleep watching bowl games.
The year 2025 has been a good one for our family. We are grateful for our health and our blessings. We are grateful to be living in our own home, being able to go to the temple, and still go on some adventures. We look forward to 2026.
Missionary Updates
Lily
Lily is second from the right.
"Merry Christmas all you beautiful people! Ugh isn't Christmas just the best? I LOVE being a missionary during the Christmas season! People are so much happier, even more willing to talk about Jesus Christ, the music gets better, and there are twinkling lights everywhere you go! Whats not to love?? Plus, down here in the south we're ranging in the 60-70⁰ range, so there really isn't much to complain about. Too bad I've become an even bigger baby to the cold, so I still wear a sweater basically every day.
I cannot say enough how miracles are all around us! And what an amazing time to think about and recognize all the miracles around us! Everything reguarding Jesus Christ is a miracle. Plain and simple. Because of the Christmas season, I have been especially focusing on the miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ. Just to list a few: how Mary got pregnant, Joseph not leaving Mary, them traveling safely to Bethlehem, Mary giving birth in a barn and everything going smoothly, the shepards finding the humble, little family, and SO MANY MORE!
We know from The Book of Mormon in Moroni 7:27, "have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?" Just because Jesus Christ isn't on the Earth physically anymore, doesn't mean there aren't miracles happening. Look for the miracles! They're EVERYWHERE!!"
Jonny
Jonny is second from left.
"GUYS IT IS SO CHRISTMAS!!!! WE DECORATED THE WHOLE APARTMENT WITH JESUS STUFF AND NOW OUR APARTMENT IS SO GOATED!!! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
Guys the spiritual thought is just focus on Jesus this Christmas! Whenever you think Christmas think only Jesus."
We missed mentioning Hailey's birthday at the end of October - the 27th. Not sure how that happened since she is unforgettable. They celebrated her birthday with a murder mystery dinner.
We started the month of November with a garden clean out on the 1st. Dianne brought us some yummy soup for dinner and we started our monthly fast. Typical life in the fast lane.
Cliff Bush passed away on Monday the 3rd. He was such a good friend and fishing buddy to George. He has been unhealthy for quite a while.
Judy Sandstrom brought us more soup. She's always doing stuff for us.
I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday because I haven't been feeling well. The doctor gave me a good report. I don't need surgery on my hip!
Wednesday the 5th was the Orem Temple with the Seamons and then we went to their house so Grandad could make a horseshoe turkey. It's so cute! He brings it in at night so no one will steal it.
That day we also noticed that we had some unwelcome guests - racoons! They've been digging holes and leaving poop in the backyard. The city won't trap them and we're not supposed to trap them, so we're on our own in trying to encourage them to find alternate lodging.
Thursday we were back at the temple - this time in Payson. Hopefully all this temple going erases the multitude of sins for our first 80 years of life. George worked his Orem Temple shift on Friday and then did some horseshoe prep work for his next craft project. (He has more erasing to do than me...)
BYU lost their first football game on Saturday, the 8th. It was a sad, sad, day. We will not speak more of it.
Sunday the 9th was the Primary program. It's always such a great meeting. That night we celebrated Grandad's 81st birthday at Clark & Di's. All the in-town kids were there and it was wonderful to all be together.
The 10th was Cliff Bush's funeral. It was a beautiful tribute to a good man (and a good wife).
November 11th was a national holiday - Grandad's birthday! He's an ornery old coot, but we love him and his horseshoes. He spent time raking leaves and working on a turkey for Dianne.
Wednesday the 12th was Thanksgiving grocery shopping. Grandad bought a turkey to smoke. We are excited to have a big group this year.
Thursday the 13th we were back at the Payson temple.
Friday the 14th George made a snowman. (Is there such a thing as a horseshoe addiction? Do we need an intervention?)
Frosty
Friday the 14th, Tiffani's family came up for the BYU/TCU game. She helped Grandad empty out the pantry and the fruit room so Scott could paint the pantry. We found food storage items from around the time Kristin (who is 57) was born. It was tough, but we threw some things away. Hope we don't regret that choice. Who knows if we'll need those things?!
Scott at work
Saturday the 15th was Riley's birthday. He is such a fine young man. He is loving his job as a special education teacher and he loves his wife, Bailey.
The BYU game that night was much better as the Cougars bounced back and beat TCU.
On Thursday the 20th, we went to the Payson temple with the Seamons. We did a session and sealings. Sadly, Ruth fell later that day and broke her hip.
Dad worked his Friday shift and we went back to the Seamons for Grandad and Max's play date.
That day the Church announced that young women can now serve missions at 18. What a good surprise! We have several granddaughters that this impacts. We'll wait and see what they decide to do.
Saturday the 22nd we put the pantry back together (just in time for Thanksgiving guests to come and mess everything up.) We also bought new Christmas lights. They are lights that can stay up year round and we can change the colors. We had purchased them earlier and then saw a Black Friday sale where we got them for half the price! Always love a good bargain!
It was Rosie's birthday. What a spunky addition to our family she is. She is always up for an adventure and is so much fun.
Sunday night light came back into our life as Kristin arrived from South Carolina with her family. Despite flying over the Thanksgiving holiday, they made it after only being bumped once.
Monday we went to BYU so Baylie and David could tour the School of Music while Grandad, Jalen, and Kristin went to the BYU Bookstore. I chose to wait in the truck. Afterwards, we made a quick trip to the Creamery for ice cream and cheese curds. So yummy! (Yes, we ate ice cream in the freezing cold!) We also did some Walmart shopping to get ready for the big dinner.
Grammy, Grandad, Jalen
Tuesday the 25th we woke up early to do baptisms at the Orem temple with Kristin's family. It's always a wonderful experience to be in the temple with family.
Grandad, me, Baylie, Jalen, Kristin, David
It was an especially beautiful day because Elder Camden John Bayles FINALLY came home from Poland. His mission seemed to take forever and we were so eager to have him home. We had a small crew ready to greet him.
He and his traveling companion were the very last people to clear customs and immigration. Apparently they had concerns that they might be spying for Russia. (Seriously! How long have these people been working at the SLC Airport?!) It is a very special experiencing watching these missionaries greet their families after having been away - elders, sisters, and senior couples. Such a beautiful thing.
We stopped at Chubby's Cafe in Pleasant Grove on the way home where Camden used to work. Them's some good burgers!
On top of all that adventure, it was also Ava's birthday. She is a talented dancer and a bright light. She celebrated at Disneyland with her family.
Bethany, Scott, Nixon, Rowan, Ava
Tiff's family finally made it in that night. They had to wait until after Clara's flag football practice. Turns out the girl's a protege! We should have known she had football in her blood!
Wednesday we decided to spend the children's inheritance at Costco. Later that day, Erik's family came over for some backyard football and to hang the new Christmas lights. Family moments like these make life worth living. We love seeing the cousins play together.
Lauryn, Camden, Clara, Jalen, Baylie Asher
Dave was the coach/coordinator.
And some highlight reels:
Erik and David hung up the lights with Shanelle's assistance. We are so excited about these lights as Grandad can't hang them anymore and we don't like to have to ask for help every year. Now we can have them up all year and change up the colors for different occasions.
Thanksgiving morning - the 27th - started with the Turkey Bowl - aptly named for this group of turkeys.
More highlights:
Clara was open!
We had Thanksgiving dinner at a church so we could fit all of us. We had lots of family and friends. It brought back memories of Thanksgivings past. It was such a wonderful time.
When we weren't playing, we watched BYU beat Miami in basketball.
Everyone stayed for hours and hours. We are so thankful for this family time.
On Friday morning, November 28, Tiff and Dave took the kids to Park City to do some window shopping. The kids got a little bit of sticker shock over Park City prices. But they loved the Christmassy feel of the town.
That night a bunch of the family piled into Grandad's trailer and went to the Spanish Fork Holiday Lights. It was so much fun and the lights were beautiful. Afterwards we went to Erik and Shanelle's to drink hot chocolate and watch BYU basketball.
Saturday, November 29th, Grandad, Tiff's family, Erik, Shanelle and Camden went to the BYU vs. UCF game. Kristin's family, Asher and I watched the game from the comfort of home. The kids helped decorate the basement.
Tiff, Dave, Grandad, Clara, Lauryn
Cameron and Erik
Clara, Lauryn, Cameron
Nachos! (in an awesome collectable bowl)
We finished the month with Camden's homecoming meeting on the 30th. He didn't have a lot of time, but what he said was powerful. The bishop had everyone sing "Called to Serve" in their mission language. What a wonderful idea! After the meeting, a large group of people went to Erik and Shanelle's for a Polish feast. They had rented an enormous, fancy tent for the occasion. It was toasty warm and just perfect. It was a beautiful day.
Erik, Camden, and Shanelle in a beautiful dress from Poland
Top left: me, Grandad, Clark, Tiffani, Lauryn, and Clara Top right: friend, Asher, Kolton, Dave, Cameron, and Nick Bottom left: Jessa and Parker with some of the Summerils (good friends of Erik's family) Bottom right: Clark's family - Bailey, Riley, Hailey, Camden, Jayden, Molly, and Dianne
During the dinner, a group of returned missionaries from Poland watched another homecoming.
Missionary Updates:
Camden's final message: I happened to wake up the day after transfer news and happened to be in Alma 29. The morning where all of my soul just did not want to leave my city nor this country. And it read these words.
O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me."
And I just started to weep. My desires are not what is important. Our desires aren't what is essential. HE is. His will is highest and He knows what is best. Why should we desire to do more than to that which we are called. We ought to be content with our lot and serve in fullest capacity where we are.
This is no moving up or down in calling only moving forward. God is no respectful of persons. He doesn't care in what position you are serving as long as you are doing His will. Because His will and His plan are what bring us the greatest joy.
And that is what I have learned most on my mission. It doesn't matter if I was finding people or baptizing or anything. It mattered that I was learning His voice and doing what He asked. He didn't want me to baptize He wanted me to baptize in His way. He didn't want me to find He wanted me to find with Him. He didn't want me to just teach He wanted me to teach His words about Him and His son. Not out of selfish desire or need for praise, but because that is the ONLY way we can be saved. And he loves us and wants us back.
My mission was not to just get numbers. It was to learn His voice, follow His ways, walk in His footsteps, be His servant, and love His children. I love Poland. I love these people. I love you all. And God loves you. He knows you and is guiding you. So LISTEN! He just wants you safe. Heed His promptings and all will be well.
Lily: GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS! Often times, it's not when or how we want, but He answers them! I've recently had to check myself on how often I complain about my situation and things. I am literally living the life I was praying for a month ago. I was praying my little heart out for change, and I got it in more ways than I expected haha. So why am I complaining? God literally gave me what I asked for.
A wise quote I once said to my last trainee was, "Focus on how far you've come, not how far you have to go."
God is always helping us change, grow, and progress! We need to be grateful for how far we've come!
Jonny: My mission has opened my eyes about how truly simple the gospel is! All the things we do to worry about things that aren't the basic principles truly don't matter in the grand scheme of things. When we boil down the gospel to what its all about, to me it's that God loves us eternally. That's it. Everything else can be related to the fact that God loves us. In Enos, Enos is praying and asks for forgiveness and after he receives an answer that he is forgiven he says that he knew it was true because God cannot lie. He can't lie to us, He won't, He wouldn't, and He literally can't lie to us. So whatever He tells us just remember its out of love and He is not lying to us.
