Thank you to David and Bree

I am really pleased with the mother's necklace. I have wanted one for some time but have not wanted to pay the price. So thank you. 

Dad and I have been looking at mills because ours does not work anymore. Julie has the style you gave us so it is proved (meaning we know it works). Thank you for that also. 

We also thank you for the phone calls. You and Julie were the only ones who called on Christmas Day, so that made it even more special. It was neat to hear from all of you. Of course, Dad called Shawn and told him not to come, so we did talk to him. After we saw how the weather turned out, we were glad we had done that.

I understand that Bree made her first pie for your dinner. Way to go, dear. I am proud of you.

Thank you for all you do. We do love you all. 

We spent a quiet day alone, Dad and I, on Christmas. It was snowing too much for anyone to come to see us or for us to go and and see anyone. Dad watched the news and called and told Shawn and family and Julie and family not to come. 

I hope you had the right amount of money in each envelope? I also hope you can find something you would like to buy.

Love, M

Thanks to Shawn and Kimberly

I am really pleased with the mother's necklace. I have wanted one for some time but have not wanted to pay the price. So thank you.

Dad and I have been looking at mills because ours does not work anymore. Julie has the style you gave us so it is proved (meaning we know it works). Thank you for that also.

Thank you for all you do. We do love all of you. We are so thankful that you are part of our family. It is hard for me to know that the kids are growing up so fast. You do bring us joy.

It is nice to know that you were so willing to spend Christmas Day with us. It would have been so fun but was not to be. We ended up spending the day just the two of us. I don't know that we have ever done that before. We know that you would have been here. We are so glad that you did not travel on those terrible roads. When we watched the news, we were so glad that you had not been out on those roads.

Did everyone get the right amount of money? No one got short-changed, I hope.

Love, M

Thanks to Eric and Amy and Family

I am really pleased with the mother's necklace. I have wanted one for some time but have not wanted to pay the price. So thank you.

Dad and I have been looking at mills because ours does not work anymore. Both you and Julie have the style you gave us so it is proved (meaning we know it works). Thank you for that also.

Thank you for all you do. We do love all of you. We were happy to spend time with all of you on Christmas Eve. Thanks for being here. Family is such a joy for me. The more there are, the happier I am.

We spent a quiet day alone, Dad and I, on Christmas. Wasn't that a terrible storm? We watched the results on the news. There were cars off the roads everywhere and all sorts of grief for travelers.

Did both you and Amy get the right amount of money? Did you all like the books and the game?

Love, M

Thanks to AnnMarie and Brandon

I am really pleased with the mother's necklace. I have wanted one for some time but have not wanted to pay the price. So thank you. 

Dad and I have been looking at mills because ours does not work anymore. Julie has the style you gave us so it is proved (meaning we know it works). Thank you for that also. 
I really like the sweater that you gave me. I am so COLD all of the time. I am wearing it to the temple today. 

We also had the added bonus of finding the older four kid's school photos in the package when we unwrapped the mill package.

Thank you for all you do. You are a wonder woman. I cannot believe how you manage to make so many people feel so needed and wanted all at the same time. 

We spent a quiet day alone, Dad and I, on Christmas because, as you well know, it was snowing too much for anyone to come to see us or for us to visit anyone either. Dad watched the news and called and told Shawn and family and Julie and family not to come.

I hope you had the right amount of money in each envelope? I cannot believe how confused that little job made me--getting money, in the right amount, into each envelope.

Love, M

Thanks to Julie, Jim and Family

I am really pleased with the mother's necklace. I have wanted one for some time but have not wanted to pay the price. So thank you.

Dad and I have been looking at mills because ours does not work anymore. Since you have the style you gave us, it is proved (meaning we know it works). Thank you for that also.

We also appreciate the beautiful photos of the girls. That is a special gift.

Thank you for all you do. We do love all of you. We were happy to spend time with all of you on Christmas Eve. Thanks for being here.

We spent a quiet day alone, Dad and I, on Christmas. We are thankful that we all decided to stay home and not travel in that terrible storm. It was fine to be nestled in a warm and not worried about someone being in a terrible accident.

I hope all of you enjoyed the presents.

Love, M

Ho, ho, ho, Grandpa!

Here are the promised photos of LHT in his Santa hat. Sue Harmon suggested I get Leonard the Santa hat because, she said, he deserved it for all the work he does cleaning snow off of the walks and drives of all the people in the neighborhood and beyond. He has been helping Milt by doing his walks because Milt has a bad back.

A funny story: one of our neighbors, Sharon Butterfield, teaches school. For three or four years, Dad has kept her walks clear so that when she gets home, she does not have to do the work. She finally caught him in the act. She had not known who it was. She sent him a thank you note which arrived a couple of days ago. She said there were days when she just dreaded getting home because it had snowed so much that she just knew she would be hours clearing walks. Then it would be done. What a relief it was but she was never certain that it would keep being done. So now that she knows who has been doing it, she is certain that she can relax because she will know that it will be done.

A Different Christmas

Believe it or not, this is the first Christmas LHT and I have spent alone since we were married. It was fine. We opened presents, had a nice visit by the tree, ate a great breakfast, had a left-over Christmas Eve dinner and watched "Emma" on DVD. Dad built a roaring fire so we were nice and toasty while we watched the show. Dad spent a couple of hours during the day moving snow for everyone in the neighborhood and a few more in other neighborhoods. He wore his new Santa hat for the occasion. (I had a nice puttery day and got to visit with those who called.) We gave Koda his Christmas presents and his Christmas dinner prior to settling down to watch the television.

Earlier in the day we called Shawn and family and told them to cancel their plans, not come to Nephi and stay home. We also told Jim and Julie to stay home. When we watched the news we were glad that we had. It is better to be apart and be alive than to be together attending a funeral. Yes, all of the roads were terrible. It snowed and snowed in Nephi. I am not certain it ever stopped. Maybe for a brief moment here and there.

Oh, Holy Night!

Gordon Smith wrote: 
This is very beautiful. 

Oh Holy Night Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2008
23:56:15 -0700 
Josh Groban singing Oh Holy Night. On the video, Jesus is born, the star is
shining, the wise men come, etc.You will enjoy it. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ypUnnqr8Y 
(Copy and paste into your browser box.)

Kimberly wrote: Mary looks like the girl from Whale Rider, is she?

Happy Christmas Eve!

It was a merry Christmas Eve at our house. Thanks to all of you for making my birthday special. I love all of you! 

Merry Christmas from Gordon and Roberta

Dear Myrna, Leonard and Family,

Loved your family letter.  Your family is certainly scattered.  The good thing is it gives you some place to go!

This last year has been a good one, just flew by too fast.

We truly appreciate your letters, notes of information, etc. that you so willingly send on and share.

We used the words from the hymn "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow at our family Christmas party on Sunday.  They seem so appropriate, yet written so long ago...like the scriptures!

We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a New Year of peace and joy.

Thank you again for all the info you send this way.

Love, Gordon and Roberta