December 26th Surprise!

We had to leave Arizona the day after Christmas because Alan had to work the next day. 

To our surprise, we got word that it was snowing in Lancaster...AGAIN! 

Since the usual route home on Hwy. 138 by Wrightwood was closed because of the snow, we had to take an alternate route over to the 14, where it was snowing but it wasn't closed.

It was snowing even harder by the time we got home and this is what our yard looked like.

Good thing we got home when we did because we ended up getting about 3"-4" total as you can see by accumulation of snow on this bench.

We are simply not used to getting snow here in Southern California. When it does snow, it's a bit of a nuisance because the county has no snow removal equipment, but it also adds a little bit of excitement. 

Christmas 2019

Christmas eve turned out to be like none other I have ever experienced before. 

It started really nice. Emily made a nice roast beef dinner for us as well as the Fuqua family (Emily's sister and her family of 6). [I forgot to take a picture of all of us at the table.]

After dinner, I started to have some stomach issues (not because of the dinner). I had to run to the bathroom several times and I also felt nauseated and was dry-heaving. All of that seemed to pass after 1 or 2 hours. However, while on the couch in the family room, my body started twitching. I started having uncontrollable body tremors - my arms, my legs, my jaw (my teeth were chattering), but it wasn't like a fever. I couldn't figure out what was happening. The only other times I had felt like that before was after giving birth and after a special kind of blood donation called ALEX, which I will never do again!

After a while of experiencing these tremors, Alan, Jared, and Kyle decided that I should go to urgent care. I didn't want to go, but decided to anyway to see if we could figure out what was going on. Besides the diarrhea, nausea, and dry heaving, I had a low-grade fever, a slightly racing heart, and a pain in my right side so the Dr. at urgent care sent me to the hospital where they could do lab tests and a CAT scan.

Well, Christmas eve turned into Christmas day while there. I've decided that true love is sitting in the ER with your wife until 2 a.m. Christmas morning without complaining.

Alan got a little sleepy and took a little nap about 1 AM while we waited for the lab results.

The results finally came back. My labs and CAT scan were all normal and the Dr. couldn't tell me what was causing my symptoms. At least I was feeling much better by this time. I was released and went back to Kyle's to try to get some sleep before the kids woke up to see what Santa brought them.

[As I look back now, I believe that dehydration was the cause of my problems. I had a bad headache all Christmas day. I thought I was drinking enough water, but evidently I wasn't.]

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We got to witness the wonder of Christmas when the kids came down the stairs about 7:30 on Christmas morning. Seeing their joy made the trip to AZ all worth it.

Pictured below is Milo discovering his new electric scooter and Clara her Barbie Doll House. Both kids had smiles from ear to ear!

One gift Clara received was some make-up. She went a little wild with the lip liner, but it sure made for a cute picture.

That evening, Emily made another great dinner. (Ham, potatoes, salad, rolls). It was delicious. I contributed by making the rolls.

Another Christmas has come and gone. Different in so many ways, but alike in the sense of being with family and enjoying one another's company. 

Pre-Holiday Fun In Arizona

Since not many of our children would be home for Christmas this year, we decided to make the trip to Arizona to spend it with Jared and with Kyle's family. We were able to do a few fun things together before Christmas.

We went to a park close to Kyle's house in Queen Creek.

The kids had a great time playing on the playground. In warmer weather, there is a splash pad for the kids to enjoy.

We were able to spend a day at the Phoenix Zoo as well.

Taking a peek at a snake!

Jared's wing span is almost as big as a condor!

A bobcat

This orangutan covered himself with a blanket. I thought he looked like a vagabond. Can you say "Nee Nee"?

The whole group

One of the last things we did was go to the farm area where they had a petting zoo. We made it just before it closed.

Although we weren't dressed warm enough for the cooler weather Phoenix was having that day, we sure did love spending the day at the zoo. The kids made it really fun!
I love my family!

Downsizing Christmas

I am at the age now where I feel the need to simplify my life. I no longer have as much energy or desire to "deck the halls" of my house as much as I have in the past. My back issues make it painful and difficult to devote that kind of time to decorating. 

Last December, after Christmas, I decided to give away our large Christmas tree in exchange for a smaller, easier to decorate, tree. I thought I might regret that decision after we gave our tree to Kyle and Emily, but I don't at all!

This new 5' tree was so much easier for me to decorate! I have never liked decorating Christmas trees, so we plan store it after Christmas without removing the decorations, if possible, so I can easily use it next year. I Love this new plan!

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year. By minimizing my decorating, it is making my Christmas season much more enjoyable. For that I am grateful!

Winter Wonderland

While we were in Orange County on a very rainy day enjoying our Thanksgiving, our friends here in Lancaster were enjoying a unique "white Thanksgiving". 

Some of the snow had melted by the time we got home the next day, but it still looked like a "winter wonderland" around here. A very unusual sight to behold here in Southern California.

My estimation is that we received 2-3 inches of snow. What a treat!

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

We were thrilled to spend Thanksgiving this year with the Stronks down in Rancho Mission Viejo, California. Not with just Cheryl, Parker, and Kessler, but all of Parker's family as well.

The purpose of joining both families together for Thanksgiving was to witness and participate in the Church baby blessing of Kessler given by his father through the authority of the Holy Melchizedek priesthood. This was Parker's first time to ever give a blessing and he did a fantastic job! Cheryl and Parker's Bishop, Allen Doezie, oversaw the blessing. 

Kessler looked so cute in his little outfit. The suspenders almost made him look like a pilgrim. He just needed a top hat.

The Stotts

The Stronks

More Stronks (I don't have a picture that includes Ryan and Sarah)

Everyone who attended: From left to right - Ken Aird, Jane Aird, Ryan Stronk (holding Roman Stronk), Bruce Stronk, Karla Stronk (holding Reese Stronk), Parker Stronk (holding Kessler Stronk), Cheryl Stronk, Joan Stott, Alan Stott, Sarah Baldwin, and Ryan Baldwin.

Thanks to Grandma Karla, Kessler was ready to celebrate his first Thanksgiving in style!

Our Thanksgiving meal was a feast that everyone enjoyed. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, dressing, salads, rolls, and of course pumpkin and apple pie with ice cream. As always, we all over-ate. Yummm!

Thanksgiving is a time for showing gratitude. I have so much to be grateful for. I am thankful that Kessler could receive a blessing and that we were able to be among so many friends and family for this special holiday. 

I am so thankful that Jane and Ken were able to get permission to leave the boundary of their Riverside Mission in order to join us. Their presence made the day even that much more special.

 I'm thankful for my entire family. I wish I could have spent Thanksgiving with more of them, but am grateful they were able to have great Thanksgiving experiences of their own.

I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father, his son Jesus Christ, and for the knowledge of His gospel that I possess. Life would seem pointless without the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that I can return back to my Heavenly Father. I will always be grateful for that sure knowledge and I definitely appreciate His unending love for me.

An Apostle Speaks

Today I was attending the ward in Bountiful where my three sisters attend. It was their ward’s Conference. 

President Eyring lives in this ward and as their Bishop was speaking, I noticed that President Eyring, who always sits on the stand and presides over Sacrament Meeting, was sitting forward in his chair. I remember Ken telling me years ago that when President Eyring does this, it means he is anxious to speak. Although he hadn’t been announced as one of the speakers, he asked the Stake President for permission to speak at the end of the meeting. It was so wonderful to hear from an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was like icing on the cake after what was already a great meeting. 

One thing that impressed me during President Eyring's remarks was that our callings to serve in the church are meant to get us on our knees so that we will inquire of the Lord in ways to fulfill our callings. It is good for us to be dependent upon the Lord and to humble ourselves sufficiently enough to inquire and then receive answers to our prayers. The Lord needs a humble people.

What a great feeling to be in the same room with an apostle of the Lord. I'm grateful for his example over the years and the strength and leadership he gives to the church. He is a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

The Farewell

I happened to be in Utah the Sunday Jane and Ken spoke in Church prior to leaving on their mission. Both of them did an excellent job on their talks. They will be a big asset to their mission in Riverside, California.

After church, I was able to attend their Open House to wish them well. It was fun to see all of my siblings (except Phil).  Some pics of the event:

Lots of good food and lots of good company. I had Ethan, Ella, and Livi with me or I would have stayed longer. They didn't know many people there and they were anxious to get home shortly after we ate.