Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
November 2010: by Bjorn
Isn’t the Christmas season wonderful! For me its always the music that really makes me feel like the season is here. This year Auriana started our season off right by giving a great FHE lesson using “The Last Straw” story about the family that prepared a soft manger bed for the Savior by putting in a piece of straw every time they did a service for someone in the family. She challenged us to do the same, though we are using cotton balls instead of straw. ☺ I’m always so grateful when our children can teach the rest of us so well and help carry out or introduce family traditions. We enjoyed a trip up to Temple Square on December 1st. I had a concert in the Assembly Hall, and so we decided to make it a family event. At Enoch’s request, we took TRAX from Sandy to downtown. While I was warming up with the choir, Becky and the kids walked around Temple Square and enjoyed the lights and also some hot chocolate and cookies. The concert was short and sweet and then we enjoyed the lights some more with Brenda and my mom and then headed back on the train.
We have a fake tree for the first time this year. A few of us were a little hesitant at first since we’ve always had a real tree, but its sure nice to have it up and looking so beautiful and to realize that it will look just as nice on Christmas day rather than all dried out with needles everywhere. Becky always does a wonderful job of preparing for Christmas and selecting useful and meaningful gifts for everyone including what we give to our neighbors. We’re hoping to provide the kids with some memorable opportunities for service as well. We were scheduled to go play for a group of handicapped people on Saturday, but it got cancelled.
We enjoyed seeing many of you at Thanksgiving in Burley and are glad that all navigated safely through the patchy, icy roads. We look forward to any opportunities we will have of getting together with you during the holidays. My family has a big get-together planned between Christmas and New Years at a lodge in Altamont, Utah. I don’t get to see my cousins very often, so we’re looking forward to that time with them.
As far as a quick update goes, we’re currently enduring another round of cut up walls and drying fans to take care of damage to carpet and walls because of a cracked pipe that gushed water all over Auriana’s room and bathroom. The pipe that leads out to the back yard faucet cracked and while the boys were using the hose to clean off their shoes the other day its was leaking out from behind a lighting fixture above the mirror in the bathroom and also along the ceiling and behind the walls. Luckily the homeowners insurance covers it all, but we’ll have the downstairs in a jumble for a week or so. Auriana is a good sport and has relocated to the upstairs bedroom until things are repaired. It’s kind of painful to have to see the “newest” room in our house have to be torn up like that.
Auriana is preparing for her Christmas choir concerts at school and also with the Utah Valley Children’s Choir. She got a 4.0 recently. A great way to start 9th grade. Isaac also got a 4.0 his first term of Jr. High. He continues to grow daily it seems, and is improving his basketball skills by playing each Wednesday night with me and other people in the ward. He and Natalie and Enoch will be playing city league starting in January. Natalie will also be participating in indoor soccer with her club team. Ellie had a fun puppy birthday party, and both she and Miriam were the subject of the winning photo in the Spanish Fork High School Reflections Contest. Our neighbor across the street took the photo. Enoch invented a “pencil launcher” for his Invention Convention at school. Last week I was called as the Elders Quorum president and have had some good soul-searching, humbling, inspiring, and spiritual experiences related to that process. Becky continues to serve as the Personal Progress advisor in MiaMaids and functions so well as the heart of our home.
We have a fake tree for the first time this year. A few of us were a little hesitant at first since we’ve always had a real tree, but its sure nice to have it up and looking so beautiful and to realize that it will look just as nice on Christmas day rather than all dried out with needles everywhere. Becky always does a wonderful job of preparing for Christmas and selecting useful and meaningful gifts for everyone including what we give to our neighbors. We’re hoping to provide the kids with some memorable opportunities for service as well. We were scheduled to go play for a group of handicapped people on Saturday, but it got cancelled.
We enjoyed seeing many of you at Thanksgiving in Burley and are glad that all navigated safely through the patchy, icy roads. We look forward to any opportunities we will have of getting together with you during the holidays. My family has a big get-together planned between Christmas and New Years at a lodge in Altamont, Utah. I don’t get to see my cousins very often, so we’re looking forward to that time with them.
As far as a quick update goes, we’re currently enduring another round of cut up walls and drying fans to take care of damage to carpet and walls because of a cracked pipe that gushed water all over Auriana’s room and bathroom. The pipe that leads out to the back yard faucet cracked and while the boys were using the hose to clean off their shoes the other day its was leaking out from behind a lighting fixture above the mirror in the bathroom and also along the ceiling and behind the walls. Luckily the homeowners insurance covers it all, but we’ll have the downstairs in a jumble for a week or so. Auriana is a good sport and has relocated to the upstairs bedroom until things are repaired. It’s kind of painful to have to see the “newest” room in our house have to be torn up like that.
Auriana is preparing for her Christmas choir concerts at school and also with the Utah Valley Children’s Choir. She got a 4.0 recently. A great way to start 9th grade. Isaac also got a 4.0 his first term of Jr. High. He continues to grow daily it seems, and is improving his basketball skills by playing each Wednesday night with me and other people in the ward. He and Natalie and Enoch will be playing city league starting in January. Natalie will also be participating in indoor soccer with her club team. Ellie had a fun puppy birthday party, and both she and Miriam were the subject of the winning photo in the Spanish Fork High School Reflections Contest. Our neighbor across the street took the photo. Enoch invented a “pencil launcher” for his Invention Convention at school. Last week I was called as the Elders Quorum president and have had some good soul-searching, humbling, inspiring, and spiritual experiences related to that process. Becky continues to serve as the Personal Progress advisor in MiaMaids and functions so well as the heart of our home.
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August: by Bjorn
Well, the 3 younger kids are off to their first day of school! Can't believe Miriam's in high school! We did father's blessings...
