Picture Perfect Christmas

After stressing and praying for two days while my Derek, Levi & Daymia, and Bret & Erika traveled home from Utah during horrible snowing and drifting storms (even church was cancelled Christmas morning because of the storms!) it was perfect to have us all together! These people are my favorite in the whole world!

We are so blessed to have Bret, Erika and Kailee live close enough for frequent visits. They are creating a beautiful family together.

Kailee Jo is a happy, inquisitive, determined, joyful little girl. Her smile lights up the room and she has every one of her uncles wrapped around her little finger.

LeRoy and I love being her grandparents! It is wonderful to have our snuggly grandbaby to cuddle and read with and to share her first Christmas with.


One of the joys of this particular Christmas was to watch Hyrum take on the challenge of finding the perfect gift. He had drawn my name for Christmas and was determined to buy his gift all by himself. The only problem with that is that I was the only person available to take him shopping. I took Nathan and Hyrum to a few stores in Idaho Falls and had them stick together with me only a few isles away. Hyrum wanted it to be a surprise and wouldn't take any suggestions. Finally, he had made his purchase with his own money.

Later in the afternoon while we were still shopping in Idaho Falls, he confessed that he had purchased a ring for me but that he didn't think I would like it. I told him that no matter what he got I would love it because it was from him and he had picked it out. He explained that he liked it because it was the color of my eyes and then he told me how much it cost and he showed it to me. Without showing any shock in my face, we talked it over and I explained that I don't wear rings except for my wedding ring he decided that he wanted to return it and get something that he knew that I would love.

After returning the very overpriced bold blue ring, I showed him a few items that I would love (a variety of scarves, and a couple of simple necklaces) and then I left him with Nathan so that he could secretly pick it and have it be a surprise.

On Christmas morning I opened my gift to find a silver chain with a beautiful half moon and a rose gold colored star in the center of the moon with the words, "love you to the moon and back" pressed into the moon. I Love It! Even now (6 months later) I still wear it nearly every day.

In talking with him after opening it I found that he learned that when you pick a gift it needs to be something that the receiving person will like, not just something the buying person likes and that it doesn't need to cost a lot of money. The necklace was only a few dollars on sale. Most importantly, he learned the joy of giving.


The final perfect note for 2016 was to learn that Levi and Daymia are getting married!!!

It is officially happening though they aren't officially engaged until he does the formal proposal and gives her the ring. We couldn't be happier for them! Levi gets the girl of his dreams and I get another daughter.