Love is the Reason

Our Church meetings Sunday were so helpful in strengthening and uplifting us for the week. I can really feel the love of the gospel in my life. I also gained strength by attending my Church Education class by President David Christensen. He discussed the Atonement and cleared up a number of concepts for me. I am truly amazed at the love our Savior has for us. He also talked about Elder Bruce R. McConkie's final Conference talk in 1985. It is a beautiful talk to read and very powerful. I remember hearing him speak that day and marveled at his testimony and faith. I have a lot of studying and praying to do to strengthen my own testimony.
I am also thankful for this special time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Love is in the air! People are so much more loving to others around them. That is a good thing because Love is the reason our Savior came to Earth--love for each of us.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love getting the house decorated for Christmas!!! We started yesterday and just about finished today. I love the colors, the lights, and that special feeling that says we are celebrating the birth of the Savior. I love the music and that feeling of little secrets to surprise loved ones. I love the giving attitude instead of the "gimme" attitude. I love the traditions and family time together. I'm so glad that its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Thanksgiving delights

Thanksgiving was everything it was suppose to be! Family, friends, and culinary treasures that left lots of yummy leftovers. I am so thankful for the joy we share with our loved ones. We were also blessed to have time with grandchildren. We are truly blessed. Now the fun is in preparing for Christmas---my favorite time of the year. The tree is up and ready to decorate. November decorations are packed away for next year. I love the music and decorations we use to remind us of the joy of the Savior's birth. Happy Holidays everyone!

Temple Blessings

I have been so fortunate to be able to go to the Temple a number of times this month. We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for a wedding sealing. Beautiful! We attended out Ward night at the Jordan River Temple and had a wonderful session. We went to the Bountiful Temple as a young lady from our Ward received her endowment. We thoroughly enjoyed it and I loved to see her glowing face. Such Joy!! Then this Friday we went to the Jordan River Temple as one of my friends received her endowment. They took us out to dinner afterwards and it was such fun to visit with her family and our neighbors. I am so thankful for this special opportunity in my life!!!

Random Thoughts

I have so many blessings. Today I ended up missing my BYU study class (which I love!) and we went to BYU to see the Carl Bloch art collection with relatives. What an amazing artist! The details made you feel like you were there. The exhibit was about the life of Christ and was well worth the time. After the exhibit we went to Payson to have dinner at our sister-in-law's home.
I am so blessed to have such a special bond with my in-laws. We laughed and visited and ate, and ate. It made a delightful day!
We had four engagements in our Ward this past week. That is a blessing too, because the Ward is accomplishing its purpose. We had a wedding last week so that is ten people we are losing--in the best way!
I love my special family! The greatest blessing is to have them forever.

Winter?????

I can't believe the short Fall we've had. I hope we get a few more beautiful Fall days, but looking outside doesn't look like it. Tuesday night we went up to Alta to visit friends with a time share. We played games and had dinner and played more games. Then we decided to head home because it was snowing. It was a blizzard!!! We headed down the canyon at about 10 miles an hour and had trouble seeing where the road was. We saw one car that had slid off the road and two cars trying to help, so we kept going. We saw an ambulance and Sheriff's car going up. We made it to the bottom (very thankfully) and made it home safely. The next morning we heard that they closed the canyon, so we were grateful we got down when we did. The leaves up Little Cottonwood were gorgeous! The only good side to the weather is that it brings with it my favorite time of the year. I LOVE the Holiday season! I hope you are able to enjoy your favorite time of the year--whenever that happens to be!

Reflection

I always seem to have some reflection on my life when I listen to Conference. This time was no exception. I thought of my special children, our devoted brothers and their families, my very special Hubby, my goals, and my beliefs. I truly feel refreshed and ready to move forward. There have been some special miracles that strengthen me and encourage me to carry on. Today my Hubby called and wanted to know if I would like to go with him for awhile. It was so much fun, and almost like playing hookey. We hunted for a water plant in the south part of the valley and finally found it. Then we went to the VF Factory Outlet and did some shopping--He got pants and I got dressy blouses. Then we went to Incredible Pizza for lunch. My grandchildren are always wanting to go there. It was a delightful day!