Monday, December 26, 2016

Moroni 7:35-48

What does it mean to you to have Jesus Christ as your advocate?

GC: "The Doctrine of Christ" by Brian K. Ashton

The prophets have taught that faith begins by hearing the word

of Christ.  The words of Christ testify of His atoning

sacrifice and tell us how we may obtain forgiveness, blessings

and exaltation.

Our friends, the Lamb family.

We had the battle of the pancakes this morning.  James made potato pancakes and I made Bisquick pancakes.  I had strawberries and whipped cream with mine.  Kacey did the dishes while James and I cooked and Jared packed the car and cleaned the ice and snow off the windshield and the top.  

James pulled Emmy and Joshua behind the Razr on a sled.  Joshua came in while Anna and I were working on a puzzle and said: "That was the worst experience of my life.  I hit a tree and hurt my favorite leg, my right one."  It didn't seem like he was really hurt and it was all Anna and I could do to not laugh out loud.

A relaxing time around the table.

Stacy and Michael "horsing" around.

It was actually pretty funny,

especially looking at Michael's face.

Jared and his family left for El Paso around noon.  Anna wants to

get their in time to see some of her friends, especially Joe.

Tomorrow at 6 a.m. they will all leave for San Antonio.

Looks like alot of tired people with their eyes closed.

We will miss this family!

Michael went on a run and Paul rode the Razr beside him and ran out of gas.  James had to go to the rescue.  When Paul got back, Dallin and Sarah took the Razr for a ride.  

We babysat Shipley this afternoon while Stacy and Paul's family went to town to meet his sisters, Trisha and Dorina at Pizza Factory.  Shipley likes us.

This evening James and I watched "The Rooftop Christmas Tree."

It was good and we cried at the end.  We also read from our book "Babylon."

A picture of an elk taken by a

friend in our ward.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

My greatest desire is to become more like my Savior,

Jesus Christ.

Moroni 6:1-7:19

As we celebrate the Savior's birth, what can we do to better serve Him with real intent?

GC: "If Ye Had Known Me" by Elder David A. Bednar

A grand objective of mortality is not merely learning about the Only Begotten of the Father but also striving to know Him.

Four essential steps that can help us come to know the Lord

are exercising faith in Him, following Him, serving Him,

and believing Him.

Kevin's girls.

At 6:45 this morning we all met upstairs where Jared read the Christmas story from Luke 2.  

Even though this isn't a picture from our reading I couldn't resist posting this picture of the Case grandchildren acting out Luke 2.

I remember when our kids used to dress up for this event.

The kids all lined up youngest to oldest

before coming downstairs.

All the kids had a filled stocking and their own Santa stash.

Anna wrapped up in her new blanket.

James got a watch and cash from his dad and from us.  Anna got cash, Emmy got a drone from her dad and a Harry Potter Clue game from us.  Molly got a microphone and singing app for her phone from her dad and a Magic Sketch from us.  We also gave all the kids a blanket.

Molly's singing app.

Molly loves to sing!  

The kids helped me get a drone for James.  Here he is opening it and then he and Emmy with their drones.

I guess it was the Christmas for drones.

Rowan got one and so did Tanner.

If you look closely you will see Rowan's

drone flying in Darrel and Trina's house.

It was a perfect white Christmas morning.

It was a Christmas miracle.

After opening gifts and eating cinnamon rolls we all got ready to attend sacrament meeting.  It was so wonderful to have Jared and his kids and Kacey here to celebrate Christmas with us!!

Becky Skousen was the speaker in sacrament meeting.  She spoke about the Light the World campaign and shared some stories. 

A women's choir sang "O Holy Night", my favorite Christmas carol.  James Hayden didn't feel well and went out in the foyer for most of the meeting where he fell asleep.

He happen to be wearing Anna's flip flops.

Back at home we had brunch: waffles, strawberries and whipped cream, venison gravy and biscuits.  Afterwards I had a short nap and then James and I attended Kacey Jo Westbrook's baptism:

Kacey was baptized by her brother Sy.

I got a call from Cathi this afternoon.  She attended Stacy and Paul's sacrament meeting with Terry today at my request.  Joshua was singing a solo as part of their Christmas program.  It was a surprise for Paul.

 Cathi said that Joshua did an amazing job.  He was on tune

and never missed a note.  Oh how I wish I could have been there.

I am so proud of him!!

I was in the kitchen for over five hours today preparing dinner for everyone.  We had ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry celebration, salad, rolls, and pie for dessert.  James made some of his punch.  Jared and his family ate and then Stacy, Paul, Michael, Dallin, Sarah, and Joshua showed up later this evening, starving.

They had come from Chandler in a snow storm and were exhausted.  Oh yes, did I mention that Shipley was with them too.  

We are glad to have them here with us.

I got to have a nice conversation with James Hayden and he told me a little bit about his broadcasting class.  He gets to help give the school announcements in the morning.

I also got texts from Addy and Rowan thinking me for their Christmas gifts.  Addy loves her golden snitch necklace and Harry Potter Trivia game.  She sent me a picture of Lola with her monkey.

She is saying Thank you.

Rowan loved his Harry Potter chess set too.  Ruby likes her Magic Sketch and so do Lola.  Trina is going to get Lola one too.

I was exhausted by the time James and I got the kitchen cleaned.  While our company played games, James and I went to bed.

Christmas greetings:

Seth and Jasmine

Thor, Denise, Dennis, and Rachel.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

I am grateful for those who have cared for me when I was ill and for the opportunity to care for others.

Moroni 1-5

When have I been blessed because a priesthood holder fulfilled his responsibilities?

GC:  Gratitude on the Sabbath Day by President Henry B. Eyring

"The fact that we are able to gather with even one other Saint and partake of the sacrament will help us begin to feel gratitude and love for God's kindness.  The blessing of love we receive will make it easier for us to keep the commandments to "always remember Him."

I am grateful for the bishop and his sweet family.

We fixed a big breakfast this morning: Eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and biscuits.  

Afterwards Molly, Emmy and I did some crafts.

Molly made a Christmas tree and Emmy made a

snowflake.

Jared said it is a tradition for their family to go to a movie on Christmas Eve.  This year they wanted to add something to this tradition and wear the new pajamas they get for Christmas which they open on Christmas eve.  Molly and Emmy helped Jared wrap Kacey's pajamas.

It was a joint effort.

I am sure Jared appreciated their help.

Here they are opening their pajamas, starting from the youngest to the oldest, except for Jared:

Molly 

Nice!

Emmy

Emmy's top was a little small but she

loved the bottoms!

Anna's shirt had a dog on it.

James was so excited he changed his clothes immediately!

A picture of Elvis on the top.

Kacey got lama pajamas!

She said why lamas and Jared said, "Why not?"

Everyone except Kacey and Jared wore pj's to the movie.

They went to Lakeside and saw "Sing."

Before they left, a relaxing moment in front of the

TV with grandpa.  I like Anna's pajamas!

Back in the valley Sheri had her annual Christmas Eve hike up A mountain.  Here are the people who joined her three years ago and then today:

Three years ago.

Today

What a fun tradition!

I made a roast beef dinner for everyone when they got home from the movie. Kacey helped clean the kitchen after dinner which I really appreciated.

 Also, I opened Sheri's gift, a wooden shadow nativity which is really neat!

Jared, Kacey, Emmy, and Molly went on a Razr ride but they had to cut it short because Jared was cold which really annoyed Emmy.  That girl loves action!

We had a Christmas miracle this evening.  Snow!  It was beautiful and we were all excited!  We are going to have a white Christmas.

The kids went to bed and Jared and Kacey wrapped gifts and got ready for Christmas morning.

Friday, December 23, 2016

I am grateful for those people in my life who are peacemakers.

I had an opportunity to use this gift as a mother when

my children were growing up.

Ether 15: 18-34

What consequences can anger have for an individual or a family?

GC:  The Righteous Judge by Elder Lynn G. Robbins

"The natural man and woman in each of us has a tendency to condemn others and to judge unrighteously, or self-righteously.  This even happened to James and John, two of the Savior's Apostles.  They were infuriated when the people of a Samaritan village treated the Savior disrespectfully (Luke 9:51-54).  And when they saw this they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (verses 54-56).

Kacey and Jared took Anna and Addy to the Gilbert temple this morning to do baptisms.  It was Addy's first time and they did family baptisms.  Thank you Kacey and Jared!

James wrapped Michael's GCU blanket we bought from Sheri and we delivered it this morning.  We left it on the porch because no one answered the door.  Michael texted later and said he got it.

Sheri ask us to take donuts to her house so we stopped by the Bosa Donuts south on Arizona Avenue and delivered a dozed donuts to Ben.  James, Joshua and Rowan were all there too along with Max and Evan and Alex.

Speaking of Evan, I got this picture off my phone.

It was taken a couple of years ago.

Our next stop Charlotte's to deliver Christmas presents and then Sonic to pick up a drink on our way south again to IHOP for breakfast.  I had fried eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and pancakes.  Of course I couldn't eat it all and shared with James.  

Grand Canyon

Next I MapQuested James's job for Jerod Bowen and we headed for Tempe to a tenant improvement James is doing for a medical office.  He took measurements, etc. while I waited in the car.

  

We wanted to find some fresh oranges to take home with us.  I told James they might have them at the new Fry's Artesian Marketplace on Ocotillo and Gilbert road so back to Chandler we headed.  

While at Fry's I got a ham and some chuck roasts (3), that were on sale.  Their oranges were way too expensive.  We drove out towards Queen Creek where James remembers getting oranges at a stand years ago, but there was no farm stands in that area.  I told him to drive up Power Rd.  I remember on my way to Dr. Allen's on Power and Baseline passing a farmstand somewhere just north of the 202.  Sure enought, it was there!  Vertuccio Farms.  We stopped and bought four bags of oranges, some strawberries and what turned out to be very delicious banana nut bread.  James was so excited!  Now we can head for home.  Since we were already on Power Rd. we went the Globe way home and stopped at Burger House for lunch.

We got home, unloaded the car, and settled down to watch a Christmas movie.  Jared, Kacey, James, Anna, Emmy, and Molly arrived way after we went to bed.

Family and Friends:

Niece Christine and her family, Jon, Eden, and Ander.

Kacey and her kids Tanner, Autumn, and Summer.

Christmas caroling at Lois's a couple of years ago when

Lola was a baby.