Giving Thanks

Son Ben and his Jessica offered to host a family Thanksgiving this year.  It promised to be a little bit special as almost all of our family planned to attend.  So our little group of Layne, me, Allegra, Seth and Angelica drove to California on Monday.  It was a lovely drive, even with the bay area traffic.  Except for a bit of white-knuckle driving over the Sierras...by me.  It was rainy and foggy the whole way.  But it all cleared up as we drove out of the mountains.  We stayed at Audrey and Cliff's, as we usually do. They are our kids with space, so it is fun to stay with them and enjoy a room of our own. 

I planned to see our foster daughter, Michelle, my cousin Judy and friend Lynn Hooker but all I managed to see was Lyn.  Returning from her home in San Leandro was a bit of a nightmare as it was bumper to bumper all the way home.  The Bay Area is a traffic nightmare just about any time you choose to join it.

But not on Thanksgiving.  We drove to Palo Alto, to Ben and Jessica's, with very little traffic.  When we are there and driving, this is a situation worth mentioning!  They had a beautiful set-up, with tables set with china and goblets for all.  Steamers kept the food warm and there was plenty of it. 

The joy of it was having so many of our family there.  Only Gerald and Frances were missing of our children and several grandchildren were not there.  But it was a bigger family group than we have had for awhile.  There was a good spirit there as well, as the kids all mingled together and got along well.

There were a couple of years when 4 grandchildren were born in the same year.  Here is one bunch:

Miles, Seth, Vincent and Jacqueline.

And here's another bunch:  Angelica, Alexis, Timothy and Peyton.  You might be able to tell that Timmy wasn't quite as keen on having his picture taken!

There was quite a bit of happy mixing of the adults too.  There was a sweet spirit throughout the day, it seemed to me.  Here is most of the family in attendance.  I love these people!

Jacqueline took a bunch of pictures which I don't have yet, but here are a couple more that I took.  Here are my girls, Jessica and Audrey.

Granddaughter Rayne and me, holding our latest great-grandson, Alex.

I do love Idaho but I miss being so close to family.  It was a dream for me to be with so many of them for one wonderful day.  Here's daughter-in-law Dorothy with her first grandchild and son of son James.  Dorothy and Alex:

Here's a close-up of Alex.  He's a gentle little soul with big brown eyes.  I love him already.

There are more pictures to come when I get Ben's.  We had a wonderful time.  We headed home on Friday and got the house cleaned up and all decorated for Christmas!  What a great time of year!

Time for a Temple

 Area youth in front of the new Meridian Temple.

For weeks Seth and Angelica have been attending practices for the youth Cultural Celebration for the upcoming Meridian Temple dedication.  The time for it has finally arrived.  The kids spent the day at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise yesterday practicing and performing in celebration of the new temple.  The whole event centered around the history and description of this Treasure Valley area.  Youth from many stakes nearby performed all sorts of dances and singing that lasted about an hour and a half.  President Uckhdorf and Elder Christofferson were our GA presence.  We saw it all on satellite.  We had the chance to see it in the flesh with two tickets awarded us, but, with Allegra, we were three. So Layne turned it down.  Perhaps we had a better view from the stake center anyhow.  But not good enough to spot either kid in the crowd of youth on stage for each performance. 

Seth sang with the choir in the bleachers.  He's somewhere in here, dressed in white shirt and blue tie.

Angelica danced with this group, depicting water and its blessing.  She's among the girls dressed in blue.  Somewhere.

Allegra and I made her dress...and four others.

President Uchtdorf and Elder Christofferson were our visiting authorities.  I think they loved the whole celebration.

I think the kids loved the experience too, once the practicing was over!  There is a special spirit that accompanies performance and I think they caught it.

Today was the temple dedication.  President Uchtdorf gave the dedication.  We saw it on satellite again.  It gave us a close view.  There was a marvelous spirit that we could feel even in our stake center.  I'm excited to have this new temple.  Imagine being just minutes away from a temple!  I've never been this close.  This is one more thing to be very grateful for.  

Another Great

This wonderful Holiday season is speeding by.  The beautiful leaves of Fall have...fallen.  It is getting almost cold enough for snow.  The land is without color and naked.  I miss the leaves.  Seth and Angelica are settling into American life.  I find myself reminding them of "American ways"; especially at the dinner table.  They are pure-hearted kids and open to our love and counsel.  It is beginning to feel a little more normal having them here.

 Our new Meridian Temple will be dedicated this coming Sunday.  The local kids will be performing in the Cultural Event on Saturday.  It looks like we will witness both via satellite.  I was hoping to witness it all in the flesh but there are too many of us to make that possible.  Still, it will no doubt be a very special experience.

We have another great-grandchild!  Grandson James sent us a picture of his sweet little boy, born on November 10th.  We finally have a family birthday in November.  His name is Alex.  He looks to be a beautiful baby.  I'm anxious to see him in the flesh!

Here is Alex.

Family is such a blessing, with all the good and bad news among them.  I'm grateful to be a part of such a nice one and to witness its endless increase.  This is the month for gratitude and I'm feeling it.

Beautiful Fall

The joyous days of Fall are passing quickly.  The colorful leaves are falling, leaving naked branches; not nearly as lovely to look at as the leaves.  Here's a view of fall in part of our yard.  Look quickly; it will soon change.

We are slowly adjusting to having kids at home once again.  Wow are they busy.  Basketball rules for Angelica and soon it will be so for Seth.  Here is Angelica with her Basketball jersey.  She's pausing from Dish Duty.

Just about every evening is filled with some sort of kid activity.  Allegra, Seth and Angelica carved pumpkins last Monday.  It was fun even if our pumpkins are beginning to look a little sad for Trick or Treating.

We spent over 35 years in Fremont, CA and got to know lots of wonderful people.  Now, years after that, most of them have gone, like us, to other locations.  Once in awhile, we get to reconnect with some of them.  This past week Ron and Marlene Natali visited us, on the way to somewhere else, as is usually the case.  It was sweet to renew our friendship and catch up with their life, now in Utah.

It is interesting to see how youthful dreams morph over time.  Life has its surprises.   I never imagined in my younger years a life in Idaho, working with pornography addiction.  My prayers to be close to family have given us a surprising answer in the form of two grandchildren living here with us.  Yet it brings with it sweet family rewards.  And, perhaps, with a little more time, some more family. Life does not often turn out the way we hope or anticipate, but, sometimes, it turns out infinitely better.

Here are some sweet family rewards:

Rayne and her sweetheart Dominick will soon be married.  We will then have an Englishman in the family.

We have an adorable great-grandson, Hunter, who brings new light into the family circle.  He's one year old already!

Halloween has come and gone!  I was anticipating that Seth and Angelica would really get into it.  Seth was absolutely not interested.  But Angelica was.  While Seth stayed home with us, Angelica went trick or treating with a school friend and brought home quite a haul.  

There isn't much candy-eating in Taiwan, you know.  So, what to do with this pile of sweets?  Well, as you might be able to conclude from this photo, Seth was more than willing to help shrink the pile.  But since he didn't put any work into it, Angelica would only share one small bite.  That's what you get for taking someone else's earnings!  Since these kids don't have much of a taste for really sweet things, Angelica plans to take the goodies to school, a little at a time, and give them to friends.  No wonder she seems to be accumulating a growing number of them.

Halloween is a fun way to begin the holiday season, since, in my opinion, it is the least important.  We are moving on to thoughts of Thanksgiving and hoping that our plans to share it with California family will not be interrupted by...Basketball!