I haven't even written about Thanksgiving?!? Where have my days gone? I have to back up some...Our November Fireflies get together was held in the Lane's apartment and the theme was "Pies". We had shepherd's pie and pot pie, then Boston cream pie for dessert and apple pie and pumpkin pie. It was so yummy and a really fun evening. The Lane's brought one of the ladies who works in the deaf zone with Sister Lane and Sister Clark. Her name is Sister Stokes and she is so sweet. We have invited her to come with us all the time--I think others in her group have gone home.
On Tues. the 17th, Robert took me to Macy's to get the Clinique moisturizer I was out of. He dropped me off and went around the block. When I came out, I called him and he said he had been in an accident! He sounded fine and said he wasn't hurt, so I walked a couple of blocks and met up with him, the other driver and the policeman. Robert had made a right turn on red, which is legal, but the guy coming from his left (three lanes going that way), moved to the middle lane where Robert was and he had the right of way, so Robert got the ticket. Our whole left front quarter panel was mashed in, but the car was still driveable. We went to the dry cleaners to pick up Robert's suit and they couldn't find it! It didn't seem to be our I really wanted to go to the anksgiving Point, but wasn't sure Robert would be in any mood for that--not his favorite thing to begin with, but he took me! When we got home we found his suits in the closet. We'd already picked them up--felt pretty stupid about that.
At the Outlet Mall I went to Gymboree and found such great things. I had a ball! I got jammies for all the 4 little grands and outfits for 3 of them. I LOVED what I found for Katie, and knew we would be bankrupt if we had 1/2 a dozen girl grands. I went to Oshkosh and found jeans for James, then felt I should check out Hot Topics for a shirt for him to make up for the gingerbread boy pajamas! I got him a t-shirt I could probably have gotten at Target for 1/2 the price, but hope he likes it. I got Destiney a knit hat and a necklace--need to get those in the mail. I left there feeling like I had had so much fun. We ended up at WalMart, as usual.
Wed, the 18th, we took our car to the shop. We had called the insurance and they recommended someone close by and that evening I got a perm.
On the 21st Sister Isaacson and I went to the Handbell Concert at the Tabernacle. It was so fun to watch them and the music was beautiful. For their last number they each put on a different hat and played Up on the Housetop--it was great. We're really getting in the spirit of Christmas and it isn't even Thanksgiving!
Sunday we hosted at the JSMB at 8:00. It was very cold, felt very early and I must admit I wasn't a very happy camper. We got there and put out all the signs. About 8:20 another couple showed up--Robert's day had been changed to the 29th, not the 22nd. Inside I thought, "I may do this one, but chances are very slim that I will do this again." They very graciously offered to trade and come back on the 29th--it was our mistake, not theirs, but I TRULY didn't want to make the trek over there at 8:00 another time! I survived and still don't want to do it again!
The week of the 23rd the library closed at 5:00. It always closes at 5:00 on Monday, we were off on Tuesday and 1/2 a day on Wed, so it was a really short week for us. We were closed on Thursday and Friday. Sister Isaacson took me grocery shopping on Tuesday because our car was in the shop. We went to WalMart and Costco. I don't have a Costco card but she does. Every Costco was out of turkeys, so we went back and got one at WalMart. We were having the Roberts, Sis. Isaacson and Sister Murry for Thanksgiving. Everyone offered to bring food, so we were doing the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and 4-layer dessert.
Elder Roberts woke up sick Thursday, but Yvonne said she was still coming. She brought the dressing. Sis. I. brought a yummy lemon/cream cheese salad and cranberry relish and pumpkin loaf and apple cider. Sister Murry brought sweet potatoes and a homemade apple pie that was divine. We had a delicous lunch and a good visit afterward. It was a lovely day.
Friday I was very much looking forward to the lighting on Temple Square and taking pictures to put on a card to go with my Christmas letters. We asked Sister I. if she would go with us and take pictures and agreed to go. It was VERY cold (and maybe more so because I hadn't set foot outside for 3 days!). Lights were supposed to go on at 5:30 and we got there at 5:00 (of course) and I didn't think I could survive 30 minutes of just standing in the cold. So we went in the Museum, which was PACKED, and went up to see the children's area upstairs. It looked very fun. We came back down and the lights were on! There must have been at least 1000 people on Temple Square, but there was no pushing or shoving or yelling. The atmosphere was very sweet. We took some pictures and had to basically wait in line at those places, but it didn't matter. We didn't have a schedule. We started for home and there was a car parked beside the Conference Center with snow on the bumper. Robert got some, made a snowball and pretended to throw it at us. Sister I. took his picture and we all laughed.
As we got in the apt. the phone rang. It was Sister Ratcliff, saying Kristen was on Temple Square and hoped to see us. I told her we'd just been there, but would go back to see her. We met up with her and her little family at the museum and took some pictures, but as we were leaving the apt., Sister I. realized she didn't have her camera bag. She had her cameras around her neck, but her keys were in the bag--keys to the apt. and the library! She was panicked! She rushed ahead of us, crossed over to the Conference Center side and found her bag on the ground! 100's of people had to have passed by there and it was still there! She said, "Prayers are answered." I told her her prayers would have to be answered, she is so good and does so many kind things for others.
We got our car back on Saturday and even though we don't drive it often, it felt good to know it was there when we need it.
We had a really busy day on Tuesday the first. Owen and Brenda were coming in on Thursday, so we needed a few groceries, I wanted to finish up my Christmas letters and do some cleaning. We started out dropping Robert's suits off at the cleaners (and apologized). We went to Paradise Bakery for lunch, to Staples for more Christmas stationery and envelopes, to DI for boots for the kids, to another DI, to WalMart. I had been so good about deciding to not try to decorate for Christmas and made it all the way to Dec. 1st. Then I saw a tiny little fiber optic tree and decided I needed one of those. Then also decided I need a lit garland for around the doorway, plus groceries and all the usual.
We went to the party shop and got stuff for the Hosting Zone Christmas Party we're over, then came home to haul it all in and put it all up! So on Dec. 2nd we had the tree and garland up, the gifts in bags under the trees, the cards and letters in stamped, addressed envelopes, the apt. clean, two dinners in crockpots and we were exhausted, but more ready for Christmas than I've ever been by that date!
Brenda brought flowers!Owen and Brenda came in on Thursday. It was the day we were scheduled for the Christmas Devotional for the Family History Dept. put on by the church. We had heard wonderful things about it. And it was wonderful. It started at the theater of the Conference Center. They told us about the origins of the media filming area of the Biblical films the church is doing. It was quite amazing. Then they hosted us for a scrumptious lunch. It was very wonderful. We had left our car at the library so O & B could put their luggage in it and then go site-seeing. We were excited to see them that afternoon.
One of the trees at the Conference Center
Friday and Saturday we worked. They went to Logan to the temple Friday and to the SL temple on Saturday. Friday night they took us to dinner at The Garden in the JSMB and it was beautiful. Sat. we decided to go to the Lion House, but there was a huge line, so we opted for the Nauvoo Cafe and got to see the lights again--never get tired of those.
Sunday was a big day. We started out with Music and the Spoken Word. It turned out that a couple they worked with in the Houston Temple for 10 years was sitting right behind us! Pretty amazing. It was fast Sunday, so we didn't want to come home and eat. We decided we could go to City Cemetery--Owen loves cemeteries and is such a church history buff--he loved it! Brenda had about 3 she wanted to see, one of which was The Christmas Box Angel where people put white roses in memory of a child they have lost. I honestly didn't remember that from the book at all, but it was so sweet d touching. We had to be at the JSMB by 12:30, so we had our practice and then did our part
in Sister Klopfer's lesson. It was a lovely lesson, with ideas to take home and use later. Our Sunday School class has a great view of the temple, so we all enjoyed that. The Young Elders were invited to our ward for sacrament meeting, so they passed the Sacrament.
We hurried home afterward, ate our soup and sandwiches and went to the Devotional. Our tickets said we had to go in gates 15-20 and there were LOTS of stairs! We had seats in the balcony, but we were down front and nearly in the center, so they were good seats. It was all so nice--beautiful decorations, so good to be in the same room with the first presidency and hear the wonderful messages. A great ending to a great day.
Our Monday morning devotional is always a little difficult--we have to wake up earlier and walk further than we choose, but it's always so good. President Oliver conducted and he just cracks us up. He was trying to introduce the new missionaries and missed nearly every name or place. Finally they "red carded" him and everyone was just rolling. I always love the stories and could hear most of them this time.
We had our December Fireflies party that night at the Birches. They did the ham and "funeral" potatoes--so good! Everything was good. We took Death by Chocolate that I made the night before and Brenda assembled for me that morning. She heard me say I wish I had my clear glass bowl for it and she found one that day at DI! Only Brenda. We did our white elephant game and then sang carols. It was such a fun evening.
We hated to see them leave yesterday. We had such a good time and enjoyed them so much. Monday Owen wanted to go back to the cemetery and Brenda got a white rose to place on the Christmas Box Angel for Katie. That really touched me. I've been sad that this is the first year I haven't done something special for her grave and just didn't feel I could ask someone else to do it--it's just such a busy time for everyone. But now I feel it's done.
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| Robert fixed breakfast before going to the airport--complete with fried Oreo's! |
Yesterday Robert took them to the airport and I stayed home to rest--I was just tired and needed some down time. He went to Bountiful and got the license plate they had taken off of the car and did our grocery shopping, too. In the afternoon we took the Wilson's some things they had left in our car and took themto the Trax. I went to Deseret Book to buy The Christmas Box (I want to re-read it), but they were out. I got the little Sister and Elder stockings they have.
We talked to Meghan and they're all getting better. Hope they're fine quickly. It's almost Thursday! We're so excited to have them get here!
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