Ward Party

When a member of the Bishopric comes to visit just after you've moved into a new place, you know that some kind of assignment is coming.  For us it was a request to head the 7th Ward Christmas Dinner.  I don't think either of us were too excited but it turned out great.

We decided to try out a new recipe that was delicious as well as festive.  Cherry Beef Brisket - after cooking the brisket you add a can of cherry pie filling.  Yes cherry pie filling!  Absolutely delicious!  With rice and salads and rolls and lots of desserts it was yummy!

For our theme we choose, "Wise Men Still Seek Him". 

Decorations were easy.  We hung stars on the walls and displayed a large nativity scene.   Thanks to Matt's skill with wood each of the 25 tables had a beautiful wooden base upon which to display a unique collection of 'Wise Men.'  More stars made it all look very 'put together'! 

A framed copy of our theme completed the decorations.

A short musical program ended the evening.  I loved that Isabella insisted on coming up to the front when the children came up to sing.  She didn't know the song but she looked cute and did a little interpretative dance to "Away In A Manger".

And when the 'three kings' came she was enthralled with them. Children add such fun to Christmas!

Story Time

One of the activities I was most looking forward to after our move back to Eagle was taking Isabella to story time!  We've made it a weekly activity and all 3 of us seem to enjoy the outing.  At first Isabella was not sure if she really wanted to listen to the stories or sing when there were lots of toys in other areas of the library but she is finally starting to get the hang of it and sometimes listens and participates.  I love the attitude of the librarian who says, "The most important thing is that she enjoys coming to the library."  And she does, even if she doesn't sit and listen to every story!

Sometimes Isabella is interested in the books. 

And sometimes Isabella loves the songs!

This librarian has a sweet way of interacting with our strong willed little girl!  Here they are trying to decide on a song that Isabella DOES want to sing.  Most of the ones suggested she was adamant that she did not want to sing.  She has a mind of her own! 

A favorite is picking out books to take home.  Although 'going home' is not popular.  After our very first story time, I needed to go to Costco so Monica and Isabella went with me.  Now she thinks we should go to Costco for pizza after every story time.  Her memory is amazing!  As we leave she always says, "Goodbye Library.  See you tomorrow." 

Old Friends

I have to admit that the thought of decorating the house for Christmas was not appealing to me at all.  I had just barely finished going through boxes and putting things on shelves, a LOT OF THINGS!  Delving into the mountain of boxes labeled "Christmas" did not seem like a fun way to pass my time but since it is Christmas and my family does like the decorations, I dove in!  And it was surprisingly fun!  Really like meeting old friends since most things had been stored here in Eagle for the last 8 years!

I am so glad that I decided to decorate.  Although I know that Christmas isn't about 'things', these much loved items are so full of memories and joy that they definitely bring the right spirit!

First my beautiful Catalan nativity set...how I love it and what sweet memories it brings of shopping in Barcelona near the cathedral each Christmas.

Then my Christmas Pyramid from Germany.  I remember buying this and being so excited.  See the 4 Santas in sleeping bags?  When I bought them, each of them reminded me of one of the children in some way.  Isabella loves them and spent a lot of time telling them good night while putting them in their blankets. 

And the Italian nativity that my parents bought in Sicily when I was 6 years old.  Wow!  It will soon be 60 years old!  When my mother gave it to me our kids were young and she told me that I was to let them play with it because she let me play with it.  I followed her council and it was a favorite during the holidays.  I remember one year when I looked at it to see that the stable was under attack from GI Joes!  Now Isabella can play with it!  Hanging above it is one of the banners my mother made and I've inherited. 

I also inherited this beautiful tablecloth that my Aunt Mary made.  She made it for my mother but now it is mine and I think it is just stunning.  That's my mother's centerpiece on top.

Each sequin is hand sewn and there are many, many sequins.  What a labor of love!  I am so lucky to have it. 

There are some 'new friends' among the old in my nativity collection.  I need more shelves! 

A recent favorite is this one from Kenya.  Love the very typical African tree.

And this one from Madagascar complete with baobab trees and a lemur or two! 

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

Thankful that Scott surprised me and flew over for the weekend

Thankful for Matt and George for making that happen

Thankful that I have the beautiful china my Daddy brought back from occupied Japan and the silver that was my mothers.

Thankful that John, Monica and Isabella came over the celebrate with us

Thankful that we get to enjoy our adult children and our granddaughter

Thankful that all the food tasted wonderful.

Thankful that Isabella loves turkey and mashed potatoes.

Thankful that Monica is a wonderful mother to our precious, little granddaughter

Thankful that Johnny took over the job of baking rolls and had great success.  The torch is passed!

Thankful that Monica is adapting so well to our distinctive American traditions.

Thankful that George did the dishes!

Thankful for games of Uno and Apples to Apples. 

Thankful for all the 'stuff' I've collected over the years.

Thankful for all my 'stuff' that makes Thanksgiving even more fun!

Thankful for Matt's help in putting all of the 'stuff' away!

Thankful for jumping!

Thankful that even though Isabella started the day dressed adorably with a ribbon in her hair.  She ended it a wild jumping Tarzan!

Thankful that Mary and Mark have their cute little bundle of joy.  Because he is a foster baby we can't show his face so you'll just have to trust me that he has squeezable chubby little face and an adorable smile.

Thankful that Mary and Mark could celebrate Thanksgiving with Mark's wonderful family since they can't be here with us.

Thankful for Thanksgiving - a holiday that makes us pause to remember all our many blessings.

Goblin Valley on Halloween

What better place to spend Halloween than - Goblin Valley!

There are definitely some spooky looking rock formations. 

Goblin Valley is a Utah State Park and it was not crowded at all on this Halloween Day.

 The hiking was quite an adventure. 

We explored this wash and made our own trail.  There was no danger of getting lost since we had some unusual rock formations to mark where we had started.   

I loved walking on these narrow, sandy trails at the bottom of the canyon. 

This desert lizard didn't seem at all bothered by the paparazzi!  He was just soaking up some rays. 

A longer hike took us around behind the rock formations to see the "Goblin's Lair". 

The Goblin's Lair looked very "Lord of the Rings-ish."  I could picture the goblins up there throwing boulders down on us! 

Great last stop before we started back to Boise.

The drive to Provo was also an adventure.  We listened to our GPS which decided to play a trick on us and took us on a crazy drive on what was barely a road.  At one point the GPS didn't even think it was a road!  No worries though as we made it to Provo to spend the night with Tammy and Richard and then home the next day.  I love making memories!

Monticello

I love Monticello, Utah!   Here was where the seeds were planted that culminated in my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My Aunt Dawn Boyle and my two cousins, Scott and Bill still live here.  When we decided to do our little trek across Utah, I knew that Monticello had to be on our itinerary! We were welcomed by Scott and his wonderful wife, Cassie.  These are the two Mary and I visited in Madagascar and they are simply the best in every way.  Cassie's homemade bread alone would be worth the drive! Yum! 

Monticello has the first of the small temples the church has recently built. With smaller temples, more can be built so that many more members have easy access. 

We had planned a day of hiking but the weather didn't cooperate too well.  It was very cold and rained so we took a short little jaunt to the top of "Salvation Knoll."  Many members of our church will know the story of the so called "Hole in the Rock" pioneers.   Here is a very brief explanation.  The route they took is similar to the route George and I had just driven in our warm, comfortable car. 

At the call of Mormon church leaders in 1878, a company of pioneers was sent to colonize the San Juan Valley in South Eastern Utah.  Throughout the winter of 1879-1880, these Mormon pioneers built a wagon road, through the terribly rugged terrain between Escalante and the Four Corners area.  As the main body of pioneers labored to widen the treacherous descent through the 'Hole' or cleft in rock above the Colorado River Gorge, four advance scouts traveled through this area, searching for the most feasible route between the Colorado River and Montezuma Creek.  By the time the scouts reached this area, they were lost and out of food. 

On Christmas morning 1879,George Hobbs climbed to the top of this knoll searching for a recognizable landmark.  Hobbs recorded, "This was surely salvation knoll.  For looking to the northeast...I discovered the Blue Mountains about 10 miles away.  This was the landmark we had been looking for the last several days."  Although hindered by severe winter storms, the scouts, George Hobbs, George Moreel, Lemuel Redd and George Sevy succeeded in plotting a wagon route through some of the most difficult terrain in North America. 

That knoll that George Hobbs climbed is the very one we climbed. 

And we also could see Blue Mountain from the top.  And yes just like for the scouts, it was cold and windy.  So glad we could go back to our warm car! 

Blue Mountain is right by Monticello.  One of its claims to fame is the horse's head that is easily visible.  Can you see it?  I remember as a little girl trying so hard to find it.  Once you see it, it is totally clear.  It is right in the middle of the photo.  A horse head with a white blaze.... 

Of course the main reason we had come to Monticello was not hiking or mountains but the Boyle family that I love so much.  My Aunt Dawn is one of the kindest, sweetest, most pleasant people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.  She married my mother's brother, Eddie Boyle, lived in Lonoke for a short time and then moved to Monticello where they raised their family.  Our summer visits to them are what led me to the Church.  

I have 3 Boyle cousins, Doug who passed away a few years ago, Scott, and Bill.  All wonderful men who married well!  Bill's wife Linda wasn't home the evening we visited them.  

Here we are....cousins, in-laws and even a dog cousin!
 I am so glad that Families are Forever!  And that they are my family!

3rd National Park - Capitol Reef

Our 3rd and final National Park on this trip was Capitol Reef. 

Probably the least known of the Utah National Parks but certainly just as stunningly beautiful. 

I learned that Capitol Reef encompasses the Waterpocket Fold, a warp in the earth's crust that is 65 million years old. It is the largest exposed monocline in North America. Monocline is a new word for me.  It means  a step-like fold in rock strata consisting of a zone of steeper dip within an otherwise horizontal or gently-dipping sequence.  Does that describe this?  I think so! The park is filled with brilliantly colored sandstone cliffs, gleaming white domes, and contrasting layers of stone and earth.

The area was named for a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, each of which looks somewhat like the United States Capitol building.  See that dome under the arch? 

Early settlers referred to parallel, impassable ridges as "reefs", from which the park gets the second half of its name. The first paved road was constructed through the area in 1962. Today, State Route 24 cuts through the park traveling east and west between Canyonlands National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, but few other paved roads invade the rugged landscape.

We hiked by what is called the 'Pioneer Registry'.  Early pioneers of the LDS Church were called to settle here.  Their names are immortalized on the sandstone. I think they did take President Young's words to heart  as he sent settlers to remote corners of Utah "… make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations." When the area became a National Park, the orchards were preserved and today you can buy delicious fruit pies made from that fruit.

Just so happened that today was our anniversary so we were excited to see this heart rock placed carefully just for us!  Do you see it? 

Spectacular canyons! 

And yes we did carry water!  Supposedly the outlaw Butch Cassidy had a hide out in this canyon. 

We hiked up on one of the ridges with some people from Boston.  So fun to listen to them talk about the Wild West!  Right in the middle of the photo you can see a hiker on the canyon bottom.  It was quite a scramble to the top. 

The purpose of the climb up was to see these natural water tanks.  Important natural resource in this desert country! We wondered how the pioneers found them.  I assume the Indians knew about them and shared their knowledge. 

Another fantastic day in Utah....I think instead of 'greatest snow on earth' as a state slogan, they should say something about 'greatest rocks on earth'.