Christmas 2022!

 Christmas turned out a little bit different than usual this year...it was wonderful, with a bit of trouble thrown in at the last minute.  It was a little different, good different, than usual because it fell on a Sunday.  Going to church on Christmas is actually so perfect!  We had a simple, short, wonderful sacrament meeting.  The sacrament was sung/passed and the Christmas story was narrated from the scriptures and interspersed with the celebratory carols of Christmas that we never get to sing enough of.  And afterwards the bishop gave a short talk/testimony and we closed with another carol/prayer.  It was wonderful.  But that's not the first thing we did.  Our church wasn't until 11 am, so we had already eaten and visited two places before church to get all of our regular visits in.  

First we got up and had a little bit different Christmas breakfast than usual.  We didn't have extra time to spend making something really fancy, but we did try a new recipe - a very yummy baked frittata.  We had non-fancy stocking food to go with it (pop tarts, pineapple juice in little cans, fruit cups).  After that we opened our presents at the house with just Bean, Paul and me.  It was fun and we  loved our gifts. 

Christmas light looking at the Desert Garden and Town Square and Christmas Eve dinner.  

Then we went down to Season's Health and Rehab to visit Grandma and open presents with her.  She  had the bit of trouble that started on Friday, December 16th.  It started out as a pretty good day with me getting my end of first year after cancer treatment PET scan.  (We later found out that it was clean!  Yippee!)  But then we ended up at the ER when Anna Lou fell down and used her beeper to get Paul to come and take her there.  I had just spoken with her a few minutes before she tripped over new slippers she was wearing.  Paul got her to the ER.  Ross and Lerlyn were in route to visit her to watch the BYU football game the next day.  They arrived shortly after Paul took Anna Lou to the ER.  I traded Paul at the ER so he could visit/entertain Ross and Lerlyn and make the yummy dinner we had planned to share with them and Anna Lou that evening.  Then we waited and waited and finally late in the evening the verdict was reached - Anna Lou had broken her upper right arm in the fall.  All they can really do is put it in a sling and "let it heal".  No cast, surgery or pin.  Pretty hard thing to do without your right arm and also so very painful.  She ended up staying in the hospital until Monday afternoon when they moved her to Season's Health and Rehab Center which is about a half mile from our house.  That makes things so much easier.  She's had a tough go, but is starting to move forward, but is very depressed and anxious a lot of the time.  She gets more company and calls that anyone there I think.  But, that's how we ended up there on Christmas morning for a little while with her.  She wasn't in any shape to go out visiting with us as we usually do, which was too bad.  But lots of people did call her to wish her a Merry Christmas.  

After we had finished there, we hurried over to Supe and Beacher's to visit and bring gifts.  Jem was so excited about his new grocery store play set and train!  And Auri was excited about her dog cookie!  Kaia just chilled on our laps while we visited and they opened presents from us.  It was fun to see them and especially to see Kaia again.  They've been keeping her close to home so she doesn't get all the childhood diseases going around right now.  

After that we went to Sacrament meeting.  Then we came home, ate lunch, and went over to visit the Smiths.  It's always fun to go there.  The dog cookies were a hit there too. And it was good to see everyone and open gifts there again!  It was Derek's new wife's Kelli's first family Christmas since they got married.  We love her.  She's always so sweet and full of fun.  We hope they are happy.  I know the kids are appreciating having her help them as a mother does.  

Then we went to Ferf's.  She had all of the kids there right then, so it was nice to see Kennis, Tavin and Brynnli all home from school and they were all having a really nice time being together for Christmas!  They've had some hard times the last year with all of the divorce angst, but things are close to settled finally and they were just relaxing and enjoying each other.  Kennis and Tavin had played a beautiful violin/cello/piano trio at church that morning.  They were able to play the violin/piano part for us which was wonderful!  Then more fun times opening presents happened.  And the dogs liked their cookies at this house too.  

Then we went on to Moss and Christie's house and had fun visiting with them and opening their presents and our presents from some of the kids.  We got a gift cert to Tuacahn for some good plays that will be there this summer/fall and some dinner gift cards to Outback and Wood, Ash, Rye (we've never afforded to go there before) and some dessert certs to Larsens Custard!  Yummy!  Fun stuff from some very generous people.  

Next we came home and loaded up the stuff to take to the Cedar/Enoch crew and took a short nap before heading up that way.  Thankfully it was a beautiful, clear day for traveling this  year.  On the way up we talked to Jay, Brynn and girls.  It wasn't as nice as it could have been to actually see them, but it was what we could do.  We had taken up their gifts on an earlier visit so that wasn't a problem.  Everyone got a beautiful stone welcome signs for their homes this year.  We got one from Ross a few years ago and decided it would be great to give some like it to our kids.  Ross was kind enough to bring them over to us just before Thanksgiving.  Everyone seemed to like them.  Men got cool socks this year and women and girls got headbands from this unique little place and littler women got kits to make scrunchies from the same place.  Except Jem and Kaia who got something a little better for their ages. 

At Juge and Lance's we ate yummy treats/nuts and played a couple of rounds of Telestrations, which was a lot of fun, after we opened their presents.  Then we opened our gift from them and Jay and Brynn.  They are quite cool gifts.  It's a gift to Storyworth.  Each week they send Paul and me a question about our life and we write up a story to answer it and submit it.  At the end of the year we should have 52 stories about our lives which will then be printed into a hardbound book.  We can have more printed for the other kids if we want to.  Paul is off to a good start, but I decided to put mine on hold until June when I will retire and hopefully Anna Lou will be all fixed up and I won't be so very busy looking after all my stuff, working and helping taking care of her.

After the Weaver's we joined the Randall Christmas feast as per usual.  It was fun to eat and visit with them and see what they got.  And then it was fun to see them open our gifts.  We stayed until it was time to head back down the hill to our beds at the end of another wonderful Christmas with the family! Merry Christmas 2022!  We love you each and every one!  Thanks to all again for being so generous with us.  (Everyone put in for a 12 days of Christmas for Ferf and family this year headed up by Moss and Christie.  It was a nice touch to their Christmas I'm sure.)

We are so thankful at this wonderful time of celebration to remember the birth of our Savior.  We know that He is the real gift of Christmas to each and every one all of God's children.  How grateful we are for his infinite atoning sacrifice.  We are truly bought by his gift and saved through his grace.  We love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and feel their love so much at this time of year as we remember this gift.  It has been sweet to see little Kaia and think of Mary and Joseph and all that they went through to bring Jesus into the world with so many difficult circumstances to deal with as part of being his mother and adoptive father.  

Here are a few other activities we did over the holidays while I was off school!  We just took it easy here and there and enjoyed ourselves when we weren't doing the regular things that need to get done for everyday life to happen and getting Anna Lou settled in and visiting her pretty much every day and sometimes more than once a day.  

Those women and girls who could got together at Ferf's invitation for a Girl's Night.  It was just an easy, fun bring some food to share get together and games and visiting evening.  Just the kind I like.  No one had to go to a whole lot of trouble to make it happen kind of last minute.  

Paul and I went shopping on the Monday after New Year's and Costco had a great deal on a small Traeger smoker.  We decided it was a good thing to get with some of his first retirement check from Social Security.  He made us the best steaks on it for New Year's Day dinner!!!

During the holiday break Paul and I and Moss and Christie went to the little Italian restaurant that everyone went to for Paul's birthday after Thanksgiving when he had Covid and couldn't go. Moss and Christie missed it too because Brenden had a soccer tournament game that night.  It was a delicious and fun evening!  Happy #70 at last!

Paul and I ran a lot of errands just spending New Year's Eve day together.  We used a coupon and went to breakfast at Great Harvest.  Then we did other errands and ate lunch at Street Eats and also went to see this beautiful work he is doing on a job right now.  It was a fun, relaxed day for us.   

Paul, Bean and me having our quiet, New Year's Eve feast of finger foods!  The next day was our new 9 am church schedule, so there was no staying up late and celebrating done this year! Well, that's it...the end of good old 2022!

Here are some good year's end report Christmas cards we received from these peoples!  

  

Torin's Baptism!

 It was the exciting day, at last on December 17, 2022!  We all arrived and found that the font had not been filled.  It takes 2 hours to fill it up.  And then Ferf's high school best friend, Janna Combs Adams   randomly showed up at the church to pick something up...and saved the day!  She said we could all come over to her backyard and baptize him in her jacuzzi!  She called her husband to get the heater going on the water.  The bishop arrived and okayed the idea and then we had the program.  The piano player forgot to show up too, so Kennis stepped in handily to do the that for the program.  So we had the program at the church where it was warm inside only the room we were in and then we all caravanned over the Janna's backyard and Gaige baptized Torin in the jacuzzi part of the pool (it was 82 degrees, but it was really pretty cold outside) and then they quickly got dried and dressed and Tavin confirmed him at the edge of the pool!  So, it all worked out very nicely and kind of sweetly since Janna just showed up to save the day just like a good friend would do if they had the chance.  There was a bit of tenseness in the air because of the divorce situation and because Ryan was not able to participate in the ordinance at all.  The two grandpas, Paul and Theron, were the only ones allowed (by Ryan) to stand in the circle while Tavin confirmed Torin.  He didn't want to look like the odd man out I guess, so he made it so no one else but those two could be involved.  But, we were very glad that he finally agreed to let the baptism happen that should have take place a few months ago.  Divorce is not a pretty thing, but I'm so happy Torin did not have to wait any longer.  Afterwards Ryan also allowed Ferf to have Torin at her house for a couple of hours (even though it was his day to have him) for a family dinner.  It was a very nice time to celebrate this wonderful and very important day.  I'm so happy that it all worked out.  I gave the Holy Ghost talk and Grandma Borrowman gave the baptism talk.  I'm so grateful to have Torin on the path and moving forward with the help of the gift of the Holy Ghost to help him through the life ahead of him.  He's a sweet boy he'll get lots of help with the rough patches that are sure to be ahead of him.  It's a "SHOUT FOR JOY" day as are all of these type of days!

Kaia is here early!

Last night, December 9th, 2022, at 9:32 pm we got great news! Kaia Kawehiokalani Lillywhite had arrived before her planned birthday...which is so nice for her mom and dad and little brother!  We are hoping to meet her today or tomorrow.  She weighed 7.9. We have only seen a few pics as yet, but she looks like a cutie!  We are so excited.  She will most likely be our last grandchild and is #27!

A few more pictures:  We've had a chance to see her a few more times (being careful with lots of diseases in the air right now) and went over on Christmas morning for a little while.  She's growing and getting cuter all the time!  

December birthdays!

 We started off on the 1st with Brynnli's 23rd birthday.  She wasn't in town for it, but we gave her her present at Thanksgiving to take home.  I just took a picture of her at Thanksgiving since I knew we wouldn't be seeing her the day of.  She's our oldest grandchild...crazy how they grow up!  She's had some hard times, but she's on the upward now.  Love her so much.  Hate having them grow up, leave home and be away.

Now it's time for Paul's birthday.  Too bad he had to miss the big birthday dinner with the family that was planned for the day after Thanksgiving...dang Covid!  But we got some gift cards from a former employee that borrowed our scaffolding last week, so for our date we ate at Texas Roadhouse.  He said he wanted a great steak for his birthday...and he got one that he didn't even have to pay for!  It was a really delicious early birthday dinner.  Today he'll be cooking a lot of his birthday dinner - pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans with almonds.  The family will come over for cheesecake tonight to celebrate.  This is a big one, #70, but big plans just weren't his plans, so it's not a big party like it could have been.  We made cheesecake for many last night and bought one from Costco too.  They are both really good!  Paul is the love of my life and I can't think of any bigger blessing in my life other than the gospel.  He's such a loving, kind husband, father and grandfather.   He's a hardworking, taking care of everyone.  I don't have words to say how wonderful he is.  He's truly the sunshine in my life in so very many ways.  Happy Birthday Paul!  I love you more than "birds (words) can say" or tongue can tell!  Happy #70!!!  Can't believe we are getting that old...you and me!

"Good temper, like a sunny, day, sheds a brightness over everything; it is the sweetener of toil and the soother of disquietude."  Washington Irving

This was the quote of the day in my Franklin Planner today, and it is a good description of Paul. The kids, in-laws and grandkids wrote things they love about Paul in a book for  him. It really shows what an impact he has had in lives of  family members and how much love and "sunshine" he does bring to all of us.  I wish I could put them all here, but I'll just leave you to read them in the other book instead.  

We had as many here as could come and it was great crowd! Juge read the cute book they made for Paul on his 60th birthday - "60 things we love about Dad".  It was pretty sweet!  We sang and Jem helped Paul blow out his candle.  We opened presents and visited and ate 2 kinds of cheesecake - both yummy!  It was a fun evening.  Jem is the only little one right now, and he was pretty darn cute and helped entertain all of us.  Happy 70th Paul!  We love you! (Jay, Brynn and girls gave him a sweet call just before it all started.  He loved it!)

(The only thing I didn't love about this whole thing was the idea of 70 YEARS OLD!!! We are both getting way up there and the thought of one of us kicking the bucket and leaving the other is not a pleasant one.  We've just been together so long - 48 years now - that it will be really hard to be apart even for a little while. It's just a worry in the back of my mind that if Grandma kicks the bucket her revelation about him being the child that would take care of her will be taken care of the the Lord will decide Paul can then be done...and I'll be here without him for a while.  Not good! Guess we better keep G'ma here as long as possible, but I know she'd sure like to be moving on too. Guess it's all in the Lord's hand no matter how I feel about it anyway.)

(On December 9th, Kaia Kawehiokalani Lillywhite was born to Jerel (Supe) and Kalehua (Beacher) Lillywhite.  She's getting her very own, separate birthday post this year!)

Last up for the year, and December, was Gaige!  It was #17 for him!  He's such a cute, smart, fun guy! The girls really like him...well, everyone just really likes him,  He's easy to like! He has a great friend group that have been really supportive in the hard times he's had with his parent's divorcing.  I'm really grateful that he does have good friends there for him.  He's a super athlete even though he's small in stature.  He was a really little baby and has had some struggles with getting his growth, but he's large in heart.  He's a Junior this year.  His sport is running now.  He's done others, but is happy with this now.  Happy Birthday Gaige!  We love you!  

 

The unexpected Christmas tree!

 The Friday after Thanksgiving was a little quiet for us since we didn't get to have company.  After hanging out way too long by ourselves at home we decided to take a drive over Cottonwood Road.  Paul felt fine enough to do that.  As we got up into the trees I noticed some pretty nice looking Pinon trees...ones that were actually shaped like Christmas trees!  There has been a lot of snow up on Cedar Mountain and with Paul not feeling that great I hated to expect him to go up there in the cold to get a Christmas tree, but wanted to get out there pretty soon for one.  (This seemed to be a great opportunity to find one down here instead.  We used to get Pinon trees when our kids were little, but it seemed too be hard to find nice looking ones and we ended up getting a fake tree for a while when they were all such busy teenagers we could never find a time to get out together to get anything.)  We found a road we had never even explored to boot!  So we went up there and started making cairns by the side of the road near possible Christmas tree choices.  We hadn't brought a saw and didn't have a permit on this drive, but decided to look and then come back Saturday morning early to cut one down. 

And that's what we did.  We also did a little hike that turned out not to go to where we thought it would.  So we turned around and went back down and got on with getting our tree.  We found the cutest little one for Grandma too!  This was kind of a sweet little bonus in our otherwise sweet, but sort of messed up holiday time.  

Here's Paul at one of his favorite stores...Lowe's!  

And here's how our tree and Grandma's tree turned out!  

Thanksgiving with a twist

 It was a real bummer when Ross told us that Lerlyn had Covid...the same thing he was unknowingly sharing with us the day he came over for an unannounced visit (practically) and spent the night and all of the next morning with Paul the Tuesday a week before Thanksgiving.  I was pretty upset when he came in coughing and blowing his nose continually.  I even spoke out and said I really didn't want what he had to to ruin our Thanksgiving with our family the next week.  Well, we heard about Lerlyn on the day before Thanksgiving and hurriedly went out and bought Covid tests.  Paul, Bean and I tested, and Paul came up positive!  Jay and Brynn were already on their way down to stay with us for the  holiday.  We called them.  They stopped for dinner and tested to see if Paul had shared it with them the week before when we were up at their house and Paul first started feeling a little sickish (the Friday after Ross had visited us).  Thankfully they were all negative and they ended up staying with Moss and Christie.  Paul doesn't really feel very bad.  We checked with everyone and they all said to go ahead with Thanksgiving at the church with everyone with us sitting at a different table and wearing masks most all of the time except when eating.  (Supe, Beacher, Jem and Koen and Torin are not in the group shot as they had to come a little bit later.)

Grandma had been on us about having Thanksgiving with us, but not able to really stand us as a whole group.  So the answer was to set her up in her own little dining room at the church just down the hall from where we all were.  Then people took turns going in to visit with her...and it worked out wonderfully!  Whew! Glad we got that right.  

The rest of us enjoyed a wonderful time feasting, playing in the other half of the gym - basketball and 9 square, etc. and all of the kids just enjoyed pairing up with other cousins and playing in different rooms around the building.  

After lunch and some time just visiting, most of us took a walk across the street to the university campus and enjoyed the cool sunny weather and getting some exercise before the pie devouring began.  Then it was more time for visiting and some more gym time, kids playing and table games.  The day went too fast and it was time to clean up and say our goodbyes.  It was especially nice to have Ferf's kids - Brynnli and boyfriend Ryan, Kennis (from college in St. Louis) and Tavin (from BYU) and of course Kaebri (home from her mission) there with us.  Ryan had the Ferf's little boys, but let them come over for a while which we were happy about too.  (A fun addition this year was having everyone bring table decorations; so cute and festive! And we love having it at this YSA building with the divided gym!)

It turned out well in spite of the last minute Covid twist. Our house has felt quiet without Jay and Brynn and girls as expected, but we did spend a little time with them on Saturday afternoon outside.

Unfortunately the special birthday dinner for Paul on Friday afternoon at a new amazing Italian restaurant had to go on without us.  A few other people ended up not being able to attend as well.  That was the most disappointing part about all of it.  As of Saturday afternoon Bean and I are still negative thank goodness.  I hope we miss it entirely.  

 Happy Thanksgiving 2022!  I do feel so grateful for so very many blessings 

that I have personally and that we all enjoy as a whole family group.  

Sister Smith (Kaebri) comes home!

 It was a sweet time to see Kaebri arrive at the airport after honorably fulfilling an 18 month mission in the Florida, Jacksonville mission!  We are so proud of her.  I know it wasn't all easy for her with her anxiety issues as well as losing her other Grandma thrown into the mix while she was out.  BUT she DID IT!  WELL DONE SISTER SMITH!  We are happy to have her home and to see what she decides is next for her life.  Her travel buddy was Christie's niece, Madi Smith (also Sis. Smith) from the same mission.  They had some mix-ups on their flights and came in a little later than originally planned which caused some confusion, but it was a big party at the airport with both of them coming in at the same time!  Double celebrating!

November birthdays - Eliza #10, Brynn #38, Zion #9

Another month and more birthdays!  We start November off in a hurry with Eliza's birthday on November 1st!  This is the beginning of the double digits and the beginning of the really growing up years for her.  It's great, but kind of sad too.  Sorry to see the little girl years passing by and the pre-teen, teen years coming when I never know what to get for them anymore!  (Hopefully they don't start being one of those "everything is so boring" type teens either.)  But she's not there yet!  Love you Eliza!  

Happy birthday #38 Brynn!  We couldn't make it up for the day of, but very soon after we did go up to watch Madi perform in her first school play, "Annie"!  She was one of the orphan girls.  She was offered the part of Annie to begin with, but being her first year in middle school and first play she felt just a little too unready to take on such a big role.  At the end, she knew all of Annie's lines and kind of wished she had take the part.  But one of her good friends she made in the play did a really great job and she was happy with her own performance.  Love you Lillywhites!  Glad we got to visit with you a little bit and be part of the love and fun at your home.

 I was so glad I was so prepared for Zion's birthday - found lots of fun things for him that I already had stowed in my present box!  And he liked all of it - the bug light, socks and paper airplane book!  He's at a cute age, #9, and it's fun when they are still easy to please!  Happy birthday Zman!  We love you.  And it was so fun to face time with you while you opened your presents! (Working hard to blow out all of those candles - great cake choice!)