Pictures of Daddy

Here are a few more pictures of Daddy that you may enjoy.

 Kissing Oak

Kissing Oak

1980

A Scanner for Christmas

I got a scanner for Christmas.  It is so simple to use and only takes a few seconds to load, scan and save a picture.  Tonight I scanned pictures from one of Granny's albums.  Here are a few you might enjoy.

These are all Thanksgiving or Christmas pictures from 1982-1984.

Knitted Elf Slippers

Another project I made for Christmas this year was knitted elf slippers.


I saw a pattern for crocheted elf slippers on pinterest.  I tried making them but the pattern was complicated and it took about 1\2 hour to do a row.  So I made up a my own pattern.

They are really soft and comfortable.

Make them in adult size or child size.

This pattern is available at etsy at theslippershoppe.  #cozy elf slippers #sugar plum elf slippers

Amigurumi Crochet Nativity

I did a lot of crocheting and knitting for Christmas this year.
One of my projects was a crocheted nativity.

The pattern can be found here.  The pattern for the sheep is here.

I will post more of my projects in the next few days.

I am SO Thankful

To begin with, I loved Beckie's Thanksgiving blog and it made me think of my past Thanksgivings.  Yesterday, as we drove through Ephraim I mentioned the year Beckie and I stayed at the dorm and Annemarie said that Beckie had blogged about that.  I hadn't read the blog yet, but I remember it well.  It surprised me because Beckie remembers everything better than I do and when I have forgotten something I always call her to refresh my memory.  Anyway, we did stay at the dorm my first Thanksgiving at Snow and we went to the Mangelsons for dinner.  It was a very special Thanksgiving to me, being with Beckie, and it was the first of seven Thanksgivings in a row that I would be away from home.
Seven years later I was married and spent that Thanksgiving at my parent's home.  I was so looking forward to a "traditional" celebration.  As Beckie said, Mom always invited lots of people over and that year she invited her cousin's family.  Her cousin's wife had a dominant personality and took over our family's celebration and it was sort of her "traditional" Thanksgiving-not ours.  I went home and cried, but I got over worrying about tradition and it has made it easier for my to enjoy holidays that are different than what they used to be.
Yesterday we went to Manti.  I always love being with Popi and Grandma Doreen.  I pulled up the Thanksgiving picture that Heidi posted on Facebook to show Popi.  He loved the picture-he sat at the computer for at least 10 minutes looking at the picture and remembering.  We have all laughed at the picture but it was so special to him.  Thank you Heidi.
I am thankful for my wonderful family-immediate and extended.  I love you all, Beckie's girls, Bob's kids, their kids, Cindy and her family.  I am thankful for Grandma Doreen and that Popi has someone to make his life so perfectly happy.
We are blessed beyond measure.

Advent Calendar

A finished advent calendar.  

I learned a lot making it.  If you have any questions about how I made it let me know. 

Four more ornaments

Making an Advent Calendar

When I was newly married my cousin, Cyndi, made me an advent calendar.  It has been such an important part of our family's Christmas celebrations.  Now that my girls are beginning to establish homes of their own, I need to make advent calendars for them.  I am following the basic idea that Cyndi used but I wanted to update it a little and use some of my own ideas.

four ornaments I have already made

I started by making a list of ornaments.  My list has way more than 24 ideas.  I will probably not use all of them but I also think it is ok to have more than one ornament per pocket, per day.  I may make two ornaments per pocket.  Since there are not 48 ideas, I could make multiple gift ornaments to go under the tree.  Also, I may make multiple "ornament" ornaments and christmas light ornaments.

Here is my list of ideas:

Star (goes in first pocket)

Baby Jesus (goes in 24th pocket)
angel

lamb

camel

donkey

dove

bell 

gingerbread house

gingerbread man

gift

snowman

Santa
Santa hat

mitten

Christmas stocking

candle

candy cane

poinsettia

wreath
holly

snowflake

drum tree ornament

heart

train

ice skate

doll 

tree

penguin

polar bear

reindeer 

starlight mint candy

church

tree light

Santa sleigh

toy soldier or nutcracker
drum
christmas cardinal
trumpet

If you have any more ideas, please let me know.
I will continue to blog about my progress.

Advent Calendar Ideas

As you may have noticed from my pins, I am working on making advent calendars.  I came across an idea that wouldn't pin so I decided to blog about it.
Basically, it is the old idea of making a chain and tearing a link off each day.  It included ideas for things to print on each link.  I loved many of the ideas.  You may want to replace some to fit your own family.
Here they are;

Give someone a hug.

Take a moment to thank God for your Savior.

Thank God for your family.

Play Christmas carols and sing along!

Read Luke 2:1-20.

Put together a Christmas puzzle.

Read another story from the Bible about a different baby.

Thank God for his incredible love!

Recite the Christmas story from memory.   “In those days,…”

Draw a Christmas picture.

Think of someone far away and say a prayer for him/her.

Tell someone special you love him or her.

Be a helper—pick up your books and toys.

Make a Christmas card and mail it to someone who might be lonely at Christmas.

Make a Christmas banner (use big paper), and display it.

Sweep the steps.   Think about your sin being taken away!

Dust the living room; remember that God formed Adam from the earth!

Help bake something delicious for a treat or supper.

Play quietly.   Remember the peace that God sent to us!

Practice your Christmas piano music, think about the angels’ message.

Write a Christmas prayer, say it at supper tonight.

Set the table for supper; consider the miracles when Jesus provided food.

Count the links left in this chain.     Do that many jumping jacks!

Tell someone at home why you appreciate him or her.

Wash the kitchen cabinet doors; think about having your sins washed away

I finished the Old Testament

Over a year and a half ago, Frank gave me a Kindle for Christmas.  I decided it was time for me to read the Old Testament from beginning to end.  I had not done that since my mission.  I do read scriptures every day and I continued reading the Book of Mormon while I was reading the Old Testament.  I finally finished it yesterday.  I am so thankful that I did it.  There is so much that is so important for us to read and understand in the Old Testament.  It gave me a sense of how much the Lord loves each one of us and how important it is to keep His commandments.  I will read the New Testament next.

On an entirely different note, I found a hilarious book to read on my Kindle.  It was free.  It is called "Obama, the Greatest President in the History of Everything."  Find it and read it if you can.  It is only 25 pages and you will get a good laugh no matter how you feel about Obama.

Dole Pineapple Whip

One of my favorite things at Disneyland is the Dole Pineapple Whip.  When you go to the Enchanted Tiki Room there is a place to buy it.  Before you go in to the show, you stand in the long line to get a pineapple whip.  It is so delicious.  It is a must do at Disneyland.
Today, Frank and I went for a walk.  Just, kitty corner to our apartment is a Farr's Ice Cream store.  Our neighbors just told us about it and we stopped in to see what it was like.  It has all kinds of soft serve ice cream.  You serve yourself and put on your own toppings and then pay for it by weight.  I was so excited to see that they have Dole Pineapple Whip.
It is still a must do at Disneyland, but it is nice to know I can get it whenever I want.

Mercy River

Tonight Frank and I went to a banquet for the Missionary Department.  The entertainment was the singing group Mercy River.  It is made up of 3 moms who have 13 kids between them.  They sing beautiful inspirational music.  If you have never heard them, check them out at their website or on youtube.   You will love them.  http://www.mercyrivermusic.com  You can download a free song on their website.  You really do need to hear them.