Dear family well this it is a great week
hayley is making her final preparations for the mission and looking forward to the setting apart and entering the Provo MTC
I challenge each of you to write to her--(wouldn't it be fun if we even sent letters --right as she left or a day before so that she could have a note that first week) her address I will e-mail to you shortly). Thanks to all of you for the food prep and helping host her friends after her talk on Sunday--I think a good time was had by all--as we say --I appreciate you Hayley for the preparations you have made not just since the mission call--but throughout your life to prepare for this opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father
even though I feel at times you are slipping through my fingers as the song says--I know you are where you are supposed to be
we will pray for your feeling of well being and happiness as you learn the language and have these new experiences--you will have angels go before your face to help you. And you just need to be yourself and the Lord will be able to use you as an instrument in his work.

a few Pics of this years Christmas season

Christmas Eve 2008

Dec 2008
Dear family,
I felt close in spirit to each of you this Christmas Eve and On Christmas day--even though the miles separated Brad's family in Virginia, I got a little teary eyed after silent night--feeling close though the miles separated us. I had a wonderful evening on Christmas eve and again had wonderful feelings of love and appreciation for each of you again on Christmas day--I also felt so appreciative of our Savior--who's birth we comemorated- May each of you always remember as that the reading of the navity stories (Luke *and in Nephi) are the best part of the season for dad and I. May the Testimony we feel of our Savior always be reaffirmed in our posterity's hearts on Christmas Eve. Much love---

Christmas Season this year 2008

Dear family

I really enjoyed myself this year--I Hope everyone did too. Remember how, I told the grandkids to always remember of all the things we do together as a family or individually during the Season. Reading the Story of our Saviors birth (from Luke-as well as 3 Ne 1:10-...._) is my most favorite thing of all. I am so glad that We got a few snap shots before dad started the narration. I love how dad reads it. He has such a great voice and the spirit was so good during that time. I also love the songs that we sing. Music always gets to me. I got all teary; eyed when it came time for the closing prayer, after silent night, but you know that is just cause I love the Nativity story so very much and I love each of you so very much and thought of us gathered together and brad gathered in Virginia and I just felt close in spirit, even though the miles separated us.

"these are a few of my favorite things" (in this season)

some of my favorite things are :
1)having all the grandkids help me paint the sliding glass doors (mayley pictured here--sweet thing --anna and abbie and megan helped to but not pictured)
2)Getting letters and cards from folks around the country and from right here around me
3)making little crafts for Christmas--this year it was Christmas stockings...
4)and not pictured of course is baking and decorating
5)attending various performances/get togethers:
--such as
a)*wayne Burton singing (Festival of trees)
B)Kurt bestor (abravanel hall) c)Wasatch singers (Riverview Jr. high)--sort of comprable to what grandma Helen would have sung in called the choralettes --D) ward choir (at church yesterday)
E)watching the grandkids dance around (either in person in my front room-or on the blog for brad and kerri)--F)forgotten Christmas Carols --*(cottonwood high) and then attending the
G)party for The Stake Presidency and their wives--H)also last but not least the crowing get together will be when all of you gather around dad and on on Christmas eve to read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and from 3Ne 1--....And it came to pass
see ya soon!!! on WED. it will be here before you know...

Peace

Dear Family,

As I looked at a snow filled night, or the nativity or sit by the tree with the lights glowing I was reflected on the peaceful feeling that seem to come over me--in the still, quiet moments I was pondering about...

* the winter season is upon us (both physically and emotionally) --

and about * Christmas Eve draws near, and about the

*blessings of a loving Heavenly Father and bout

* the end of the year drawing near.

It gave me time to reflect on many thoughts.

another time I had to ponder was during some Christmas performances.

I have been impressed lately as I sat in choir performances that

1) the Lord loves us and is mindful of us.

2) As we feel united with one another--in purpose and love --and prayer for each other we'll feel a sense of peace.

One song that impressed me, lately in a performance that made me think of all of you, was

"Go ye now in Peace"

I don't know if you can find that on play list or you tube or pandora's list but I wish I could send it to each of you--the lyrics say Go ye now in peace, He that made you will never leave you..and how he will give you his peace when troubles come before you. He will will go before you. That is our wish for you in the coming year--that you go in Peace (into the new year). That you may have his peace.

lotsa love

sweet Megan

Dear family,
I am writing to let you know that Megan has been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). She has type II. It presents itself in a spectrum of severity meaning that not all kids are equally effective. It seems Megan is somewhere in the intermediate area. It is hard to predict exactly how aggressive Megan's case will be. Time will obviously tell. They are working with Dr. Swoboda who is a leading expert for this disorder and kids come from all over the country to see her. Type II is less severe than Type I but does create significant challenges. She faces a life in a wheel chair and future surgery (maybe not for 10 years) to deal with scoliosis among other issues. A detail plan is being devised to deal with exercise, nutrition, and everything esle. A good online resource if you want to learn more about the disease is http://medicine.utah.edu/neurology/research/swoboda/sma/.
This website deals with all types of SMA. Not everything you read about the disease will apply to Megan. . This will be a time to pull together to pray and to increase in testimony.
so far Nancy and Stephen found out--in classes some of the things they can start doing are to
Keep her healthy--keep in in her stander (physical stander-) for minium or two hours
she'll sleep with the braces on her legs alternating --so its just on one leg each night
she'll soon have a manual wheel chair. This disease will not affect her mind--so she will continue to be the smarty that she always has been--We love you so much Megan and pray that you will be so blessed through all of this--you were such a trooper with the many tests of the past weeks.

gingerbread house time

the more frosting & candy the better! ha

Hi family

I know you already posted some pics--but I wanted to too...loved that night--let's always try to do that as long as we can okay? love mom

Christmas Season

This picture is a memory of LastYear--remember how we started in the late of noon--we'd like to try to do that again--if your schedules allow--Hayley found out she can get off by 1 PM that day and bryan Scott mentioned trying to leave work a little early--dad said he may not be able to get home that quick--but the rest of us could play games and ralley around each other and make a Christmas craft of something--I was going to try to get that kit to make Christmas Plates

Dear family

you all know I am a big fan of hot chocolate--it was fun to sit down the other night and drink some as I sat in my PJ's and think about the warmth of the holiday season--

*I am so Thankful for our Savior his birth--his life's mission--his teachings and his atonement

* I reflected on the times of being together that the holiday season affords

*I love the traditions of the season, the anticipation of little children and grown ups for the traditional times

* dressing up and reading the Christmas story from Luke and also from 3 nephi are such a big part of my favorites--because of the miricle that takes place in my heart of remembering and imagining what it might have been like at that time of the Saviors birth.

* I made a list of other traditions we carry on from year to year--all with the hopes of bringing us closer together and making memories to reflect on when those times that we can't be together.

*I want to make this a memoriable year--as Hayley will be in the mission feild at this time next year.

* I love and appreciate you and my thoughts for your happiness have been with me with each gift I wrap for you and I wrote you all love letters --as that to me is the best gift of all and so know that while doing this you've been in my thoughts... lotsa love--mom