December 23, 2012

• So, on Monday we went Christmas caroling as a family to our neighbor’s and those we visit and home teach.  It’s a tradition that I enjoyed when I was younger and my kids enjoy it too.  On Wednesday, I went out to lunch with a few friends from the Messiah orchestra and we had a good time talking.  That evening I brought dinner to a friend who just had a baby, and then Mike and Cameron went to help another family in the ward.  The family’s house had flooded this week and the Elder’s Quorum was taking shifts to help them fix and clean up everything.  Cameron enjoyed learning how to install toilets with Mike. 

  Earlier in the week, the Mission President’s wife called to see if I knew anyone with a cello for a musical number a missionary was going to perform at their Mission Conference.  So, on Thursday morning I let them borrow Cameron’s cello.  That evening, Cameron had an orchestra concert at one of the local highschools.  He did a good job. 

  In an attempt to simplify our lives, we decided not to have our adult Christmas Party this year.  It was a difficult decision, but in the end I’m glad.  So, Cameron and Errolyn wanted to have their own Christmas Party and promised to clean, make all of the games, and prepare the food… and they did.  They planned a great party and had a lot of fun with their friends.  They played table tennis, foosball, laser tag in the backyard, a minute-to-win-it game they had prepared, and then they had a White Elephant gift exchange.  Also, on Friday Emma and I went to Logan and Errolyn’s Christmas parties at school.  Emma was quite the food mooch, but enjoyed ”having a party” with her brother and sister.

  On Saturday, we mostly cleaned the garage, car, a few things in the house, and went shopping.  Mike and I went to the temple in the evening… barely.  I think everything was conspiring against us to go, starting with long lines at the stores (getting home late), a dryer that broke (so our clothes we were planning on wearing were still wet), and construction (causing the exit to the temple to be closed), and then us taking the wrong exit after the closed exit.  Luckily, we were still able to make it to the temple before it closed and had time to do the family sealings that I had brought and then a few other sealings the temple had.  I always enjoy doing sealings with my husband; it’s always special even if it’s for somebody else.  Then we ate at Outback Steakhouse, which we have boycotted for the last two years because they changed the way they cook their Alice Springs Chicken (woodburning stove + no spices except salt= dried out and flavorless).  We asked if they could cook it the old way (seared with poultry seasoning), and they did and it was tender and delicious.  Boycott over!

  Today was our Ward Christmas program.  It was simple with narration and Christmas hymns straight from the hymnbook, but sometimes simple is nice.  Mike and Cameron are hometeaching right now.  I really enjoyed Cameron’s answer in his Journal Jar post today.  He really felt the Spirit as he was answering the question and cried and hugged me at the end of his testimony.  He’s such a good boy; always trying to learn and do what’s right.  I’m a blessed mama to have such wonderful children!

  • 5:41 pm
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