An Unforgettable New Year’s Eve

We all headed over to Nathan and Cami’s for an evening of food, skating and fireworks.  Their beautiful new home is the most perfect setting on Finger Lake for the array of colorful explosions that we so easily viewed from their big windows.   What a great place to welcome in the New Year and celebrate Georgie’s birthday!  Just as we were about to start eating our snack foods their daughter Callie broke her arm – snap – and the kids all heard it too!!  Off they went to the ER and we ate and celebrated with all of Georgie’s gifts, cake and cookies.    Fortunately they arrived home in time for an amazing fireworks show!  Happy Birthday sweet girl and Happy New Year!!

 

Little Lamb

My most touching Christmas card arrived.  Written by the painter Jenny Paige:  When beginning this painting, I realized the story of the Savior’s birth was actually quite simple.  All we really knew about that night came from one verse, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for him in the inn.”  (Luke 2:7)  In an effort to portray this simplicity, I researched the elements of this verse.  I discovered the manger was most likely made of limestone and was designed to hold water.  I learned grass was abundant on the hills surrounding Judea, and hay would to have been collected and stored.  I discovered the swaddling bands were actually strips of white lines that were embroidered by the mother with symbols of their heritage.  As I worked to combine this new information, I realized that when you take away the Hollywood drama, the traditions of centuries, the wood and the hay, all you’re really left with is a babe in white linen on a white stone.  Immediately my mind went to the purpose of the Savior’s life:  He was born to die.  He came as the sacrificial lamb for all mankind; so how fitting that He would being His life on a stone altar of sorts, and be wrapped in white linen, as He would after His death.  And of course He would be placed in a trough for water, for He would be Living Water, and would bring life to us all.  What good news, what comfort and joy, what a gift was given to us all?  O come, let us adore Him.”

You Touched Lives Vryl

I followed his story, prayed for their family and was so sad to hear that Vryl had returned home to his loving Heavenly Father.  He was a fine young man according to many – I know his parents and his extended family but never knew him.   In his own words Vryl said, “Never give up until you know God is ready for you.”  To all of our loving friends, family, and community:  Vyrl passed into God’s paradise today.  There truly are no words to describe the flood of emotions. Vyrl stuck with us through Christmas Eve and then quickly finished up his life mission at home with his family this afternoon.  Vyrl’s attitude, fighting spirit, love for life and service to others will live on forever in our lives until we can be reunited in the eternities.  Our family is doing well thanks to all of the many selfless people in our community. The loss of Vyrl will take some time to adjust to, but he wants us to “keep living”, making the most of what life gives us.  This evening, after family prayer, Jason said it well, “It is going to take time to get used to not having Vyrl. It’s not so much sad as just different.”We are so grateful to our Father in Heaven for the time we were given with Vyrl.  Plans to celebrate his life are being made and services will be held this week.  Lots of love from our family!”  Stephanie Bowen

Let’s Go Sledding

We all needed some good fresh air and the kids needed to get out so we dug out the sleds from the shed, the Dahl’s brought over their kids’ four wheeler and we had fun.  The hill that our kids used to slide down was revamped and equipped to allow the sledders to head down it, veer to the right and make it all the way down the driveway.  We had some successes and some failures but it was fun most especially watching David and Devin fly on down.    Gwendolyn hung out on her new red sled and Georgie parked herself in the green Adirondack on the tailgate of the truck.  The sky on one side of us was the most brilliant blue – rather surreal.

Goals For The New Year

I’m always setting goals and making lists.  I do that year round.  Usually at about this time of year I like to make a few goals that truly “better me.”  My first goal is to read this message that was given by President Howard W. Hunter during his last Christmas message.  I think substituting “year” for “Christmas” would make it so fitting.     “This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it again.”  My second goal is to follow the words of my grandson Maverick.  When asks what he wants to talk about, he says “let’s talk about Jesus.”   So, I want to “talk about Jesus.”

Georgie Takes It All

We got a lot of game playing in and a lot of snack eating in while Devin and Brooke were here.  We could have done more but with a gang full of kids downstairs and some babies it sometimes made our evenings having to be cut short a little sooner than we wanted.   In the midst of all the laughter with game playing and scooping out small plates of corn dip with chips we had a little distraction.   Georgie got on the table and we saw her little butt crack and her rolls and we had to stop the “play” and just laugh.  That girl, that body, those rolls and that smile.

Christmas Day 2020

Hard to know where to start about this year’s Christmas:  watching the kids seeing what Santa brought them, talking to Rhea for so long during the day, sharing what we got as gifts, driving to the kids’ homes and watching them open their Grammie and Granddaddy presents, monkey bread of course, leftovers of the best kind, game night with puppy chow, so much cardboard Mike’s room was stacked high,  seeing Rhea wearing her new dress and sweater, Lane bringing in Mike’s oil drain tank, Mike’s confused face as to how I knew he wanted a leveler, the messiest house ever, the pebble ice maker making ice in the kitchen and me getting to know Rocky, my new Shark robot vacuum from all the kids.   Such a wonderful blessed Christmas.

The Styers Christmas Eve

At the beginning of our Christmas Eve program I gathered the little ones in front of the ottoman and shared a little poem using Mrs Crumb’s nativity cookies.  Each of the children took a turn to either place cookie pieces to build the stable, or Joseph, or Mary or baby Jesus.  Mayvie put the star on the top.  We were short but the picture shows the sweetness.

The Surprise Of All Surprises

We were getting ready to Zoom in Devin and Kyla for our White Elephant at Bret’s house when Gwendolyn and Georgie found the computer and we giggled as we saw their big picture on the screen.  Devin messaged me to say they would be a little late in popping on as Britta continued to struggle to get Kyla on.  About then we heard bells ringing and in walked Santa Claus.  I looked at Bret, he looked at me, then I looked at every person in the room and we were all so bewildered.  Who invited Santa?  And he just walked in??  David told me it was Devin and I didn’t believe him.  It was.  The biggest surprise ever and they had it planned since September.  In walked Brooke and the kids and we were still shocked all evening long.  They pulled off the grandest of surprises and now Christmas doesn’t have to be quiet and lonely this year.

Pre-Christmas Gift

My options were to be put out or just get numbed and I chose the latter.  Part way through the oral surgery when what felt like a massive jig saw operating on my mouth I kind of figured then why most opt to be zonked out.  I was so glad it was over and I didn’t even care what sort of bone went in.  It didn’t matter if it was human or an animal bone I was just happy to be done.  The bleeding, the stitches, the gauze were tolerable but the worst news of all was no carbonated drinks for a week.  I just about passed out when she gave me that news.  Oh well – I’m done.