I just looked and I'm not nearly as far behind as I thought I was.
Yay me! Before 2012 comes to a close I'll do my
best to get through Thanksgiving and then post on Christmas festivities after
they have come to an end. Here goes nothing...
The end of September we did a quick trip to Utah to visit with Dan's Uncle
John and Aunt Norma before they left on their mission to Kentucky. We spent
part of Saturday with them visiting at their home and reacquainting ourselves
with our cousins on that branch of the family.
Before heading up to Poctello for more family time we stopped in South Ogden
to see Amanda and Jake's new house. They closed the day before so it was now
officially theirs
(well, theirs after 200 +/-
monthly payments to the bank). It's a cute home that needs some updating
(the previous owner was the architect and he
passed away in his 90's without making many updates) so they will be
busy making the house their own. It's been a big project but they have enjoyed
the renovation process thus far and moved in shortly after Thanksgiving.
While in Pocatello I borrowed a dress from my sister-in-law and then used it
to put together our costumes for an upcoming Roaring 20's themed birthday
party. The weekend before Halloween we stayed with four Andy & Angela's
children while they were out of town to watch their oldest complete at the
State Cross Country Tournament. Our ward held a Trunk-or-Treat party so we
donned our costumes once again and to our nieces and nephews with us to the
party. I think the highlight for them was when we walked into McDonald's for
dinner all dressed in our various costumes.
Dan even did a little trick-or-treating too...
...and was given our Bishop's son, but on the condition that he eventually
be returned to his parents. Bummer!
Also on our stop-over in Pocatello, we were finally able to see Neal's
trophy hippo mounted on his bedroom wall:
A couple years ago he decided that hippos were cool, so cool that before he
graduated from elementary school others were sporting hippo things as well.
His mounted hippo was one of the birthday gifts he received earlier in the year
on his 12th birthday.
October was also filled with opportunities to be involved with the Boise
Temple Open House as tour guides. That carried over into November with both of
us being chaperones for the young men and young women involved with the Youth
Cultural Celebration. Both were such amazing events! We feel so blessed to have
been asked to participate.
The Cultural Celebration was spectacular and the highlight of the Temple
Dedication weekend for me. To be in the arena with over 9,200 youth was both a
privilege and a blessing. They were so excited to perform the dances and songs
they'd spent weeks practicing in front of our beloved
prophet,
President Thomas S. Monson. After, I found this quote regarding the Cultural
Celebration performances: “On Sunday, Elder Bednarsaid there was enough energy
during the program ‘to power every home in the United States for six months.’”
(Original source) I
would agree 100%!
Shortly after being asked to chaperone I received a letter describing our
responsibilities. One of the things it said was to help keep the youth excited.
Keep them excited?! I was more worried about keeping their excitement
contained! The girls in our ward have been so excited from the moment we told
them they'd be able to participate in a Cultural Celebration and the excitement
returns whenever we talk about the event. It was one the the highlights of the
year for them and for me. I don't know if of us will be able to participate in
something similar in the future or that we'll ever forget the experience. Truly
a tender mercy that I was able to be involved.
Whoa, I just might get things caught up here...Blogger, don't fail me now!!!
Monday immediately following the Youth Cultural Celebration and Sunday's Temple
Rededication
(see...huge events for me), my parents arrived in Boise to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had
a good time visiting and being together. It was their first time in Boise so we
did what we could to show them our "home town." We visited, strolled
through the mall, attended the Festival of Trees, visited, watched our niece
clog, visited, ate yummy food, and just enjoyed time together. Before they left
we met for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We made sure to snap a photo by in the
rockers out front:
(The sign in the back is my maiden name and one of 5
or 6 signs they have with my maiden name on it!)
Well, except for the onesey, twosey things that might come to mind, I am
saying that I am now caught up enough that I can say good-bye to the Prodigal
Blogger
(hopefully forever but we'll have to
just see about that). Now it’s onto my final preparations for Christmas
then the posts about what we finally end up doing.
(I
can't wait to find out what we do because we can't seem to make up our minds.)
