Using Last Year's Christmas Presents

SNOWSHOEING NEAR HOME!!!

 Today Janene and I finally started using our Christmas presents from Santa last year. We took off this morning and went snowshoeing on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near our home. While it was smoggy down in the valley, it was brightness and sunshine in the mountains. We saw a few people on the trail, but not as many as many as you might expect for being so close to home.

 Pretty soon, we were overlooking the Salt Lake Valley from high above the valley. We got to see a view of Salt Lake that you don't see everyday. It might have been a really good view if it had been a clear day, but we could pick out a few landmarks.

 We sat down for a while and had a lunch of oranges and hot water (we found that if you keep a bottle of water in your coat pocket, it will get very warm) just below the radio and microwave towers. I learned how to take a picture of ourselves with a cell phone just like all the tourists do.

The view on the way back was outstanding! We passed a few springs where animals hung out even in the winter. We had a great time and enjoyed the freedom of being able to get out of doors on a cold wintery day. We will be doing this again. Next time, I will bring the good camera and tripod. We may even try this on a moonlit night.

A Phillips Family Christmas

The sounds of our unique version of the 12 Days of Christmas can only mean one thing. It must be Christmas Eve again in the Phillips home. I used to think that the children only "tolerated" this tradition as a necessary means to an end - that end being the trip downstairs to open presents. I think they all actually enjoy this version of the song my mother wrote that we sing every Christmas Eve.

 Of course, we always get to have a light meal together (love that Morton Family chip dip) and get to spend a little time together before the festivities start

 I am always amazed at how much our girls (we have so few of them) enjoy just being together. Lily looks up to and admires Elsie. Isabel and Laura just carry on where they left off as school classmates. They always seem to have some kind of inside joke or story going on that only they understand.

 The boys, on the other hand, are always just a wee bit on the rambunctious side. Caleb and Ben were so excited that they could hardly stand still.

 But stand still they did when it was time to read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. My father used to be the one to read from the Bible. Now that torch has passed on to me and it is a great honor to fill my father's shoes. This was the first year that I was able to do so without a few tears. We turned out the lights, lit the Christmas candles, and symbolically let the Light of Christ into our lives, as we sang Christmas hymns and ended with Silent Night.

 We all enjoyed that precious moment as we pondered the Son of God coming to earth, bringing the great gift of the Atonement and Resurrection. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) Our family has been greatly blessed by the peace our understanding of that greatest of all gifts brings to our lives.

 And then .... The next day was Christmas Day! Among all the craziness were Belgian Waffles, the Christmas ham, stockings, and goodies and more gifts. By the time the whole family left to return to their own homes, we were just stuffed. Stuffed with good food, good cheer, great joy and tender memories.

Every year, Janene and I usually run so hard and do so much that we don't even get to sit down and enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree. This year, with my surgery, I couldn't run so hard. It may be that it was worse this year having to watch my bride struggle with all the things I usually do. Things like putting up the tree (she did it with Chelanes's help), tearing it down again to fix the lights, then putting it back up again with the help of other children. Things like baking bread and goodies for all our friends and family (well to be truthful, I'm not usually much help there), and things like putting up the decorations and shoveling snow (Janene now runs a mean snowblower). Some of our neighbors call our house "The Christmas House". We like to think of it as a home that is just stuffed with life and love. Truly, as the inscription reads at our front door, the Good Lord has blessed all who enter our home.

Service Night 2012

 Angie invited our whole family to a night of service at her happy Christmas home in the mountains. As snow fell silently outside, we enjoyed a fun dinner and then got to work preparing missionary packages for Tiffany, Mary and our friend Judy. Every child made something special for all our girls serving across the country.

 We also prepared a gift basket for a family in need. Janene and I waited at the Post Office early this morning (only the busiest day of the year). Actually, I sat in the car while Janene jockeyed for the first place in line. Look at who is on her way to being a teenager!

 No more baby bellies here! Instead, the twins from different mothers (not really so different) had fun together. It looks like next year we may have two more babies to show off that will be about the same age. One of the moms was not able to be with us because of morning, noon and night sickness. We all missed Shon & Mel and their family, but they had a company party the same night on top of pregnancy sickness. Get better! And of course, Chelane had to work with her week on - week off schedule.

 Holiday hat night as the kids gathered around the TV to watch a Christmas show. For some reason, the biggest kid would not wear a silly hat.

 This kind of thing reminds me of the times I used to spend on Christmas Eve with all my cousins. I love the bond that our grandkids all have with each other. Janene and I hope that they will always be close and share the love we have found in our family. I know the boys can't wait to get together and cause a little mayhem. Sometimes they get a little rough and one of them gets hurt, sometimes they even get their feelings hurt, but they always seem to get over it. Isabel and Laura have some of the same classes together in their junior high.
We all have our challenges, but I think our family is as close to perfect as they come!