Christmas cookies and carols

Roommate Dori and I hosted an FHE at our place with old friends we don't see as often and new friends we wanted to get to know better. We frosted cookies (some serious creative genious was involved) and then sang carols to our hearts content around the piano and violin.

My favorite room decked out for the holidays...

Holiday Girlfriend Gift Card Exchange

Fabulous idea and tons of fun. The dynamic duo hostesses, Jill and Amber, invited their girlfriends and girlfriends' girlfriends to the Grove clubhouse for yummy treats, fun conversation, and a 7th annual entertaining gift card exchange. Think white elephant, but with the good stuff. Everyone brings a gift card worth $25 for a fun spending location--I lucked out with Williams Sonoma. Then the gift card and social evening counts as your Christmas gift to all your girlfriends. Brilliant. Thanks ladies for the invite!

Jill insisted on having me pose

for a photo on my way out...

I think she likes the furry hat.

I thought the pic was fun too--

kind of wintery festive.

My Christmas greeting to you!

Day to Give Thanks

I'm behind in posting but can I just say how much I LOVED my home bustling and filled to the brim with dear friends, old and new, on such a day. Not to mention the wonderfully yummy scents of their creations wafting through the house. I think we ended up with 25 at the table, which extended through two rooms. A few more showed up later for dessert, card games, reverse charades, and clean-up. I can't imagine a more perfect Thanksgiving away from home.

FRIENDS

Celebrating the Princess and Little Man!

Happy belated birthdays to my sister Sarah and nephew Caleb. Some of my favorite pics of them this last year...



Sarah=princess. Dad calls us the bookends. I was lucky to be there when she was born and the doctor handed her straight to me first following delivery. I took my time rocking her then handed her to dad. He held her for a bit until mom reminded us from her bed in the corner that she had been carrying the baby for nine months and just went through a laborious delivery and should probably get to see the baby SOON. Witnessing Sarah's birth definitely rates top ten in my life's most beautiful experiences. But enough about her baby days--she's now in the home stretch of teen years (which she surpassed in coolness and maturity LONG AGO) and BYU has just discovered recently how good they've got it! Love you sis.



Caleb. My little man. My only nephew for the time being--he's been a trooper hanging with all the girls. No issue there--he is ALL BOY. Of course his dad helps to protect this by approving which matching grandchildren outfits he can wear. NO red velour suit jackets for this little man. I love his curious nature, his techno savvy mind and heart, his sweetness with the girls, his mischief, his stubborn done-ness when he is DONE (family pix), and his big beautiful baby browns. Three is promising to be a GREAT year.

Influence and gratitude

Our dear Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, age 91 and oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died peacefully in his sleep last night at about 11:30 of causes incident to age. He and his beautiful wife visited my mission in Manaus Brazil many years ago while I was there. I have fond memories of him then, as well as more recently from his piercing testimony and sweet humor he shared with us in general conferences. His last message to us...

Come What May, and Love It

• The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.


• Learn to laugh.


• Seek for the eternal.


• Understand the principle of compensation.


• Trust in the Father and the Son.

(His parting words...) Although my mother has long since passed to her eternal reward, her words are always with me. I still remember her advice to me given on that day long ago when my team lost a football game: “Come what may, and love it.” I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it. As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I'm grateful for his influence in my life and will miss him. May he rest in the sweet peace of our Lord.

Old Rag

I don't get the name--sounds kinda mean! Or at a minimum, boring. But if you travel southwest from DC a few hours, you will arrive at beautiful Old Rag Mountain (summit elevation of 3,291 ft) located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shenandoah National Park. A group of us ventured there early November for the 7.1 mile hike, gorgeous color, fun company, and neverending photo shoot. It was a while back, but since we're in the not so pretty in between stages of autumn and snow, thought I might as well post now to prolong the fall colors just a little longer...

The gang:



Favorite scenic pics I took:


Favorite shots of photog cohort ScottP:


Having fun along the way (the 4hr hike took us 6.5+hrs for obvious reasons)...


Really can't say it better than these choice post-hike memory soundbits...

ScottP: It was a perfect day...hiking, jaundiced lady bugs, scrambling, sunshine, stimulating conversation, leaves of many colors, cracks, tossed cell phones, bum knees, black/white dog posing as a speed bump, rolling hills and “glistening.”

Deb: yes, that speed bump dog was really very random- especially since he was just sitting there sunbathing in the road not only on the way there but also on the way home.... Scrambling, nose drips. Michael Taylor buying out the brownie bake sale. Wendy and her "is this the Summit? is this the Summit? Is this the summit?" Scott and his "jirating". Steph Todd- what a trooper! Who would have ever thought someonewith her most recent diagnosis could keep up with the rest of us. Dorian and her never-ending supply of cheese sticks. The other Scott and his "is there a sign that says "Start!" at the beginning of the hike?" Aggressive bears? Meeting at the church an hour early due to Kevin Rees's suggestion. Gooooood times!!

When sparks becomes parks...

So raking leaves was only a part of last weekend's extravaganzas. Thought I'd fill you in on the rest. Since I'm sure you're all VERY interested. (Enter tangent) Sometimes I think blogs are kind of quirky that way. This is what I did, this is what I like, this is what I think, this is what I want, this is what I look like, this is what I'm talented at, this is who I love, this is what I feel, this is me, me, me, ME. Which occasionally makes me feel a little funny in writing. Like I'm proclaiming I have something really important to profess or show to the world. Anyone else? ...Then again I LOVE reading about you, you, you, you, YOU!! So my self-absorbed crosscheck inevitably ends up right back on the shelf until the next time. After all, do unto others, right? (end tangent)

Ok, weekend. Friday night began with dinner with the girls at Rio Grande-- a staple for some here and I now can see why. Fajitas to die for. Not bad for the east coast! This was followed by a 10pm viewing of the new Bond movie. Which I proceeded to sleep through. Can you believe?? We're talking Bond. James Bond. And twenty minutes in, I'm out. I don't understand. I'm a human bed-time clock. It was fun none-the-less. Just hated confessing when people asked what I thought of the movie! Oh the jokes. Or even worse, no surprise at all.

Saturday began with the infamous leaves-raking at an early hour since none of us in the house seems able to sleep in (though Dori says she can), and was followed by more cleaning, some grocery shopping, wedding gift shopping, ditching the rain, baking a pecan and chocolate pecan pie (which turned out pretty liquidy--but delish!), our annual mid-singles Thanksgiving feast well attended by over 100 peeps, and ended up at a lovely wedding open house...



Jocie got hitched to her best friend Zack. Hence the post title. There's gotta be a cool analogy in there somewhere... like, 'from electric sparks to peaceful parks' or something. Though I guess in their situation it was more like peaceful parks to electric sparks!! So that doesn't work. I just think it's very cool that she's only dropping one letter from her maiden name. Or is it more confusing. Will people think she is continually mispelling her name? Or wonder if she stutters when she uses both?? I'll have to ask her.

A dear friend from the good ol' MPA grad days, Jocie and I don't see each other NEARLY enough. Especially for living within the same 2mile radius--if that. But she's one of those good ones where time doesn't pass and it's difficult to pull away from conversation. I relished that we were able to take a decent chunk of time to escape the crowd and catch up in her fun "shockingly green" kitchen nook. (enter tangent again) Fav quote of the night.... when Zack joined us, I smiled and said I'd heard he was responsible for the green. When he looked at Jocie and said he wasn't sure that was a good thing, without a pause she sweetly responded, "badge of honor, honey. own it." gilmore girls style. Makes me smile every time it returns on instant replay! So I absolutely adore, admire, and am grateful to Jocie for who she is. For the fun, faith, and friendship she shares with the many she touches. I'm absolutely elated for her and Zack. ...That they found, and finally 'recognized', each other. Jocie may have said it first, but truth is, 'gunner' wants to be like her when she grows up...