Sunday December 6, 2015

Hello sweet girl! Happy December! I hope your week was wonderful and you are adjusting to whatever news you have for us about transfers.

Your week last week sounded long and sort of exhausting full of ups and downs. A true missionary week! I'm anxious to hear an update about the Meckels. That family worries me. I'm SURE you've learned a lot of important lessons from them. Mostly I think it's incredible and sad all at the same time to see the effect of parents choices on their children. It sure is important for parents to be committed one to another and to the Gospel. Simply living the commandments can be such a blessing to our kids I think.
Your zone conferences sound really fun and uplifting. And when you get to spend the night with other sisters - what a treat! I'm so grateful you're having these experiences!!!
So...our week around here...

I mentioned last week that I came home from our Thanksgiving vacation starting to feel sick. I was just coughing a lot. Well, by Monday it was a little worse. I still went to the gym Monday morning and did the normal day things. We went to the BYU Art Museum to see a Norman Rockwell (painter) exhibit. It was good. We saw Savannah's family there.

Tuesday I was SICK. Slight fever, coughing, sneezing, etc. I was home most of the day doing laundry and hanging out by myself. I went with Colt that afternoon for a checkup on his planters wart on his foot. It seems to be getting better and he didn't have to do another treatment. We finished decorating the tree that night.

Wednesday I was feeling a little better. I tried to finish a little decorating but I didn't move too quickly on that. That evening Dad and I attended his work party. It was nice. Dad doesn't talk too much about his work and certainly not their successes so it's always nice for me to go to those things and hear a little bit of the positive. They also announced that next summer they're taking all the employees and their families for 3 days to Snowbird or Park City to stay and do fun activities.

Thursday I spent a good deal of the day at the barn letting horses out and in, feeding them and cleaning stalls. Then that evening we headed up to SLC to the GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKT! Are you proud of us???! I had heard that it was happening and then Brad & Kelli Allen asked if we wanted to meet up there. So we went. It was at the This is the Place Heritage Park right by the zoo. They had a lantern parade which was led by Pres. Uchtdorf and his wife. There were A LOT of people there so I couldn't get a picture of him. Then they had the candy bomber guy speak. We heard some of his talk and then went inside the food tent to eat. The food was catered by the restaurant in SLC that we ate at with Brad & Kelli. Then they lit up the big tree! It was really fun to see all of that. They also had little shops set up. I was hoping it would be all German type things, but it really was more like a Fiesta Days feel. Anyway - it was really fun to be in a little German atmosphere with the music playing, walking around the shops, etc. thinking about you!

Friday I got to go to Shirley Hale's house to work on a service project with her. She donates little tiny blankets for stillborn babies every year since she had that late miscarriage. So I went to help her work on those for a little while. It was fun to see and talk with her! After school Hadlie, River and I went to the mall. Hadlie's signed up to get emails from Bath & Body works. They're having their big Christmas sale and she's been DYING to go! So we went and ended up getting a few more things than just B&BW. We've been on the hunt for some winter dresses for those two. It's hard! And for some reason I have children who have a hard time being nice while their shopping. I don't get it. Really. We found a couple of things and had Taco Bell for dinner.

Hadlie babysat for Brooke Fri night. Brooke and I met Saturday morning and after getting Hadlie we headed for the horses. We did our work there, came home, Hadlie helped Dad with the Christmas lights (!) which became an all day project. We did our second round at the horses and River and I went to get a few groceries for Sunday dinner. She's a very expensive shopping partner. Had me buying all kinds of things:/ We finished decorating the house, finally and then I could finally sweep the floor! Christmas tree needles everywhere I tell you! Last night we all settled in (except for Colten who has a very social life right now) and watched Christmas with the Kranks. Funny as always.

Today Dad stayed home from church for the first time in forever. He's got my cold of course.

We had my family over for dinner to celebrate Bryton & Brooke's birthdays. Bryton is about 4 inches taller than me now! He's going to be way tall by the time you get home! Anyway - we had a good dinner. Molly came and that was fun to talk to her.

Today at church Sister Haderlie asked Hadlie if it was fun to have River in Beehives with her. Uhhh. Hadlie didn't even pretend like that was a yes. How sad. I really hope and pray that one day these sisters of yours can like each other. And I'll still be around to see it.

Well - I hope you are ready for another week and that the baptism in ON! Can't wait to hear. And when do you have your big Christmas meeting and get our package???

I love you so much Cass! Keep up the great work and stay positive!

Love - Mom