"Did you ever stop to think and forget to start again?" Winnie the Pooh
Seems to apply right now......... soon I will blog again.
Are you tired of snow pictures yet? We live in a wonderland to be sure. It's just that there is a sheet of solid ice under this snow on the roads. Looks like these cars aren't going anywhere soon, but they say its business as usual on Monday....... we'll see. Church was cancelled for the second time this winter. Our Bishop is from Maine and he doesn't cancel when others might. 
Ihere were avalanches coming off the dark metal roofs yesterday and more will happen today I am sure. Glad for the snow and the joy that comes with it. Many were without power. That would have been hard but we never lost ours. 
We were very blessed to get to go to Utah for Christmas this year. Our thinking went along the lines of "since Tyler will not be with his family for the holidays maybe we could go and give them something to look forward to." I know we missed Tyler very much but with the movies sent with the iphones he was able to enjoy the gift giving somewhat. We arrived on LaVar's birthday Dec 23 and took Tim and Laura up on their offer to pick us up at the airport. They gave him a lovely book on ships that not only he enjoyed but so did Ollie. 
This rock candy from my mediteranian store was a hit and the dinosaur liked it very much.
Ryan and Stacey~ Chelsie~Jessica and Chistoffer down front. Brook and Chason (holding Chris' baby)~ Jordon just returned from his mission and Kelly
Our friend Molly Collings came to visit after church on Sunday with her 3 children. It was so good to see her and remember old times. 
Off to Fallon we went. Tuesday on the road, Wednesday there and Thursday back home. It was a full day though. Brad and Kendal were there with Izzy, two dogs, an interesting cat and a mouse. Linda was there too, we just missed seeing Natalie and her girls. Brett and Rowena had house guests from California but we still had a great night of chili and cornbread from them. Mom and Dad's had a house full but they seemed to enjoy the company as they always do. 
Emma asked for and got some alone time with Great Grandma, looking at shells. 
They got to play in the freshly fallen snow. This is Grandma Cecile done in "snow"
Brad and Kendal brought not only gingerbread house for each child but a PILE of candy to decorate like I have never seen before. 
It was almost time to go after that full day! I had no voice after getting some kind of virus and am still recovering. Tucker thought he would give himself a shave like Grandad. The kids were perfect travel companions and Charlotte and excellent driver in the snow that we traveled through going both ways. We had a wonderful trip, wonderful memories and we thank all of you for your contribution to both. 
Our Amaryllis waited for our return to bloom.
Terry this one is for you. This little leather purse I bought at my wonderful thrift store for $1.98. There were 2 there at the time and I have had so many compliments on it I wish I had gotten both. I found out what "color swap" means on my little camera! What fun that has been. 
The orange Wal-Mart boots took us there and back. Even got me a comment by an ardent Boise State fan on her way to the big game. She liked the color as she too was dressed all in orange. Thank-you, thank-you, we had a great time!
Walkin' in a winter wonderland! It really is up to my knee. It is just beautiful beyond belief. Many places measured 22 inches and it all came in just one day.
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so. It all began because my husband Mike, hated Christmas - oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it - overspending, the fanatic running around at the last minute to get gifts given in desperation because you can't think of anything else, etc. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, and ties for Mike. I reached for something special just for him. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son, Kevin, who was twelve that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters on the opposing team, mostly minorities, were dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together. They presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the boys on the other team were wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of the other team's boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated next to me, shook his head sadly. "I wish just one of them could have won" he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them". Mike loved kids and he knew them from having coached little league teams. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree with a note inside telling Mike what I had done, and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year--and in succeeding years. For each Christmas thereafter I followed the tradition. One year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game. Another year sending a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas. And on and on, all anonymously. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning. Our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew older, the toys gave way to more practical presents. But the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike several years ago to cancer. When Christmas rolled around that year, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree. In the morning, it had been joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. In each envelope was a note describing a gift made anonymously to someone less fortunate. That tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation---watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. May we all remember Jesus Christ, who is the reason for the season, and may we always have and share the true Christmas spirit.
Jaim and Jody invited us to come and see what they have been doing in their kitchen and we thought it was really great. We love what they are doing in true "Huntzinger makeover" style. They did bring Monster their Great Dane over for visits he is well behaved and obeys Jody well. 
Charlotte opened their home for a Hightower/Huntzinger get together on the day after Christmas. All of the boys came with their wives and children plus Chelsie. Rachel and Greg went to the only temple open during the holidays and stayed for the evening then went back home to Orem and Greg's family. Tim and Laura arranged the evening a delicious desserts and Charlotte served pulled pork sandwiches with all that could go with it. We played games and had a great late night with all of them! It was so wonderful for me to meet the girls I had been lurking on their family blogs and see the precious babies they have pictures of. Emmaline was the main entertainment for the children. Savannah floated between the group of children to the games and conversation of the adults. Jaim and Jody were the hit when they arrived with Monster. The children didn't seem to mind this small horse amoungst the party. 
