Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Carol Ray, her husband Roger Decker, and Carol's boys with their wives and children.

James and I had a nice visit with Molly this morning before anyone else was up.  When everyone else was up they opened their Christmas presents. 

A birds eye view of the Christmas tree and fireplace.  When Molly opened her singing Elsa doll she said: "Oh, another one of these."  Nice.  She did like the big Frozen coloring book and Frozen blanket I got her.  

I gave James $50, General Grievous Lego set, and a polar bear blanket.  Anna got an adult coloring book like mine, markers, colored pencils,  a bracelet, and a Batman blanket.  Emmy got a complete set of Harry Potter books, which she seemed very excited about, a blanket, yoyo, game and a bracelet.  Molly also got a bracelet.  I gave Amanda a blanket so she would have something to open.  Jared got the Ninja blender I got for Dawn until I found out she already had one.

Alex, Michael, Daniel, and Connor arrived this morning.  They came in Daniel's SUV.  Daniel's grandparents have a place up here so he has been to Vernon before.

Sheri, Ian, Ben, Max, Evan, and Joshua arrived later this afternoon.  I am very grateful to Sheri for bringing Josh.  Paul and Stacy are both sick and it wouldn't have been very fun for him at home.  

Sheri opened the food processor I got her.  She was excited to try it out making salsa but Ian accidentally broke off one of the buttons so we couldn't get it to work.  I told her I would take it back and get her another one.

Jared took his kids to the movies and then out for pizza.  Alex and friends went out and played in the snow.  The rest of us just hung out here at home.  This evening Sheri and I watched a movie.

Molly with the doll that "cowboy"

grandpa gave her.  Cowboy grandpa is

Tricia's grandpa.

  

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

The Wilhelm family

John and baby George, Sandra, Trenda, Talon, Alice

Johnny, Ruthie, Curtis, Zemira, and Andy

We love the Wilhelm's!

It's snowing!  It snowed off and on most of the day, but we only accumulated a couple of inches.  

This morning James and I read Revelations 20 and Moroni 5-7.  I also read Jeffrey R. Holland's talk, "Behold Thy Mother", and "it's Never Too Early and It's Never Too Late", by Elder Bradley D. Foster.

James worked on taxes, hooked the upstairs TV up (no small miracle!) and hung the Gilbert temple picture that Jared gave us for Christmas.  He also went to Stanford store and got bread, milk, and eggs.  I went with him and read from Wuthering Heights.  At this point we just want to finish this book so we can go on to something else.

Alex, Michael, and their friends Daniel and Connor were going to come up late tonight but because it has been snowing we didn't know how clear the roads would be so we convinced them to wait and come in the morning.

 Not much snow, but the trees are frosty

Jared and his kids got here at midnight.  I was already in bed but James went out to say hello.

 James, Molly, Anna, Emmy, and Amanda

Monday, December 28, 2015

The Hunsakers:
Holly, Kilee, LeeAnn, Stephanie, Tyler, and Sean.
Tyler leaves on his mission in a couple of weeks.

James saw lots of wildlife today.  He saw a coyote, a tree squirrel, cottontails, two bluejays, two bald eagles, and 27 elk all in our yard.  On our way to town we saw 6 deer less than a 1/2 mile from our house.

Some of our elk

 On our trip to town we went to the bank, Grumpy Jake's for lunch, Walmart, and Sonic for a drink.  I read to James from Wuthering Heights.  Neither one of us is enjoying this book very much.

I bought Sheri a food processor at Walmart to help cheer her up.  She makes homemade salsa and I know it will come in handy. 

We watched two Hayley Duff Christmas movies this evening.

James gave all the kids a letter on Christmas day.  Sheri and Ian read it to their kids tonight for F.H.E.  Sheri said it was really neat.

 

  

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Jared's Facebook post

 Almost a foot of snow in El Paso

Since they have no snow plows most of the roads are closed and so church was cancelled.  Tricia and the kids are stuck in Albequerque.

I love seeing the mountains in the background.

I was up early this morning to prepare for my Primary lesson and prepare the stockings for my kids for Christmas since I wasn't here last week.  

The Star says Immanuel.  The ornament has a picture of Christ

in it and says, "Come Unto Christ."  I also had a packet of hot chocolate in the mug.  The scriptures are the mini-editions of all the standard works.

This is our last lesson on the New Testament.  Next week we start the Book of Mormon.  All of the girls in my class will be moving on to Sister Hall's class, except Kacey.  The boys, Zemira and Braylin will stay in my class and I will also have Curtis Wilhelm.

 Elmer passed away this week

The family wants everyone to know that

Elmer's Tacos is not closing!

James went home teaching this afternoon and we also had tithing settlement.  We really do love and appreciate Bishop Miller!

I have a new visiting teaching companion, Corrina Westbrook.  I will still visit the sisters I have been visiting along with Claire Mercado who is inactive.  The good news is she is Amy Reynolds daughter and I love Amy!

When Harold and Vickie were here the other night working on the satellite they brought our Christmas gift.

Homemade gifts are the best!

Saturday, December 26, 2015

The Case family and some Lambson's too!

We had steak and gravy with Cathi and Terry this morning, courtesy of James.  (Thanks to Terry for providing the elk.)

  

We washed the sheets and bedspread on the bed where we sleep before loading up the car and leaving for home.  It is suppose to snow.  Jared meets Camie for breakfast and then leaves for home too. The forecast says that it is supposed to snow in El Paso too.

We stopped at the Burger House and got toastados and chicken tacos.  They were ok, but not the best we've ever had.  

We had snow in Vernon, but Jared had more in El Paso.  He said it was snowing so badly that he had to go 15 mph on the freeway.  El Paso drivers aren't use to driving in the snow.

We unloaded the car and watched:

 

 

Friday, December 25, 2015

Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning at Sheri's, breakfast and unwrapping gifts.  Sheri and James cooked the breakfast. I put in some cinnamon rolls and biscuits.  James made steak and gravy and Sheri made eggs and bacon. Sheri said she didn't get to see anyone open their gifts because she was so busy in the kitchen.  Next year we need to do it differently.

Kim opening BB-8.  Brian was too sick to

join us this morning.

 BB-8 is controlled by an app on your phone.

Ian helping Ruby with her new roller skates.

The Trezise "men" playing a game 

with ping pong balls.

Hey, there's Sheri playing with her phone.  Maybe this was

after everyone opened their gifts.

Joshua gathering up his "stuff."

 Paul taking a nap under Joshua's new 

Star Wars blanket.

 Adam, Jared Ammon and Holly.

I think Jared misses his kids.

He gave us a beautiful picture of the Gilbert temple.

It is beautiful!

 James and Darrel in the kitchen.

 Ian and Alex.

Lola, Max, and Holly.

 Lola in her Christmas tent playing with her "stuff."

Jared and Alex playing the ping pong game

and Ian and Max playing Chinese checkers.

 Sorry I didn't get more pictures.  Things are always pretty hectic on Christmas morning.  

After the morning festivities we went back to Cathi's and took a nap and then got ready to go to Lois's.  Cathi and Terry rode over with us.  Jared was downstairs taking a nap but he came over a little later. We had taken the food we ordered from Mimi's over last night and when we got there Dawn was already preparing it. 

Playing Mexican train after dinner.  Cathi

took the picture, so she wasn't in it.

The dinner was quite good.  We had ham, potatoes, green beans, cranberry celebration, and Lois's marshmallow cherry salad and croissants.  We also had a brandy pecan pie which I didn't like very much.  

Lois and Dawn's Christmas tree.

Nathan and Chris came by this afternoon to wish their grandmother a Merry Christmas and to bring her and Dawn a gift.  They didn't stay long because they were on their way to a movie.

 

Jared took James and I to see the new Star Wars movie this evening.  We met Camie Burgi and her family at the theater.  They saved us places.  We all enjoyed the movie.

All in all it was a very nice Christmas day spent with family and friends.

 

 

 

 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Sheri and her gang along with

Amanda, Joe, Joshua, and Michael.

Jared arrived from El Paso this morning and he also hiked the

mountain with Darrel and Trina's family

Merry Christmas Eve!

James made one last trip to his doctor's office project this morning.  I finished preparing Christmas gifts, including gift cards and cash.

Here is a picture of the beautiful sapphire necklace James bought me at Sam's Club.

It looks like a diamond.

James and I went shopping at Sam's Club and Walmart.  I am making ham and cheese rolls for tonight's get together at Darrel & Trina's.  

Cathi and Terry are celebrating Christmas with their family tonight.  They do a pinata, have dinner, and then open their gifts.  

This evening at Darrel & Trina's was very casual.  Stacy and Paul were at Paul's mom's house and Kim and Brian were at Brian's parents house.  So we had us, Sheri, Alex, Ben, Max, and Evan, Jared, and of course Darrel's family.  My ham rolls were a big hit.  We also had Chikfila, Someburros, and brownies and ice cream.  I am so sorry that I didn't take any pictures.