A New Year Already!

My, the time has flown. It is a new year and I missed the whole month of December writing here. It was a very busy month, baking, getting ready for Christmas as well as working at the FHC twice a week. We had a very nice Christmas. It was different in that Christmas Eve we had only Karen & Kent’s neighbor, Bob there plus, Karen and Kent, Kylie, my mother-in-law, my sweetheart and myself. Bob just stayed for the meal and left. The rest of us had our program. It was the smallest number yet for the program. We took turns reading the scriptures that told of Christ’s birth on both continents. Kylie and I took turns playing the piano as the others sang the Christmas carols. Karl and Kylie sand a duet of “Star Bright”. Their voices blend sooo nicely. Karl sang “O Holy Night” accapelo and of course we sang “He sent His Son” and “Let There Be Peace On Earth” accompanied by myself. It was all very nice. Mom’s neighbor was coming up to IF so brought her as far as Blackfoot. She said she had been invited to Christmas dinner at Paul’s but she was soo glad to be there with us for the Christmas Eve part as well as all day Christmas day.

We left about 2:00 the day after Christmas to take her home. We stayed with her until Monday morning when we headed for Utah to see our two sons and their families and my mother. Sunday afternoon, Paul and ElDene came over and a little later their oldest son, Kevin came over with his girlfriend, Jessica. We had a delightful visit with all of them. After they left the three of us played Rumicube, two games. It was fun. We left about 10:00 the next morning for Utah. I had talked to Kim and Bryan and Téa and Mama Saturday night. Found out that our gifts for Richard, Téa and family hadn’t gotten there. Téa had called earlier in the week saying they weren’t there yet. I discovered that I had the wrong house number on it….7654 instead of 1654. I guess I can’t read my own writing. I have corrected the address for sure. They had blizzard in Nebraska. Bryan said that in the six years that they have lived there, he hasn’t seen drifts that high before. They had about 21 inches with 40 mph winds.

Kim said it would be best if we waited to come to his house because he had to work until 9:00 pm Monday. He would be off Tuesday and Wednesday. So we stayed with Mama Monday night. That was good too. you get a different kind of visit when you stay over night instead of just visiting for a couple of hours. The same when staying with our children. it is just different when we wake up at their house instead of just stopping in for a few hours. We had a delightful time with Kim, Kimberly and their children. We played games and watched a couple of movies. I had given Karl “Ever Strong” the story of the Highland Rugby Team (SLC) and “One Good Man”. I took them both with us. Everyone seemed to enjoy watching them. we went shopping with the Kim's Wednesday afternoon then left for Michael & Tanya’s just before 5:00. We had a delightful time visiting with them too. Their two little girls are sooo cute and make you feel so welcome and loved. The others do too but…We also enjoyed Tasha and Collin too.

We spent New Year’s Eve with Michael & Tanya. We were able to play a couple of good games of Pinochle while we were there. The men got double pinochle again. But the women did too. we have been keeping track who gets it and when the last five+ years and the men get it three to one of the women getting it. We kept telling them that and they didn’t believe it so now we keep track. We left about 10:00 or so New Year’s Day (we have found that that is a good time to travel…not as much traffic as other days) and stopped at Karen & Kent’s to pick up the stuff we left there from Christmas and got home about 4:30 or so New Year’s Day. Saturday, I did the wash, made out the budget, paid the bills, etc. and quickly put the bulletin together and ran it off and folded them….all with Karl’s help.

Sunday was our first Sunday meeting at 9:00. it will be nice having a part of a day after church. Monday, I took down all of the Christmas decorations and Karl took them down stairs. It was pretty much an all day job for me. Tuesday, we went to Silver Sneakers exercise class and worked on the bulletin, Wednesday, the FHC, Thursday, Silver Sneakers, and worked on the bulletin, Friday, ran off the bulletin and got them folded and went to the temple and Saturday the FHC again where I taught my first PAF class in the series. I didn’t expect hardly anyone there. I had told a few patrons about it as they came in but didn’t really expect anyone to come. I knew that there would be one new missionary couple, so I knew there would be maybe five there. I thought I was being optimistic by printing off seven handouts. There were 16 people there!!! I was soo pleasantly surprised. It went very well and all seemed to enjoy it. All in all it was a very full week. I’ve decided that I need to keep going to Silver Sneakers. I hadn’t been to Apple Athletic Club for at least four months maybe five. Karl has kept going at least twice a week all that time but I had other things to keep me busy. I decided that I need to do it for me tho’. My blood sugars have been better and I feel better and my abs stay in much better. I need to do this!! So last weeks schedule will probably be close to last week. If I can get to Apple Athletic Club at least two times if possible three times a week, I will be much healthier. I have the bulletin pretty much down now if people will get me the material I need to put in it by Thursday evening, then I think it is a plan that will work. Time will tell.