The Spirit of Christmas

Years ago a family in Alpine began sponsoring

a Live Nativity

in memory of their wife and mother who passed away from cancer.

Hundreds stand in frigid cold each year, awaiting the shuttle to drive them up the hillside

to the family's farm.

Hundreds watch the Roman Soldier on  pacing on horseback, interrogating, searching for the newborn child.

Hundreds walk through old-town Bethlehem and see the wares sold there.

Hundreds see the animals of olden days warming in their stalls.

Hundreds feel the hush in the crude stable where mother holds her baby.

Hundreds walk through icy pastures to feel the Spirit

of the First Christmas Morn.

What shall I do in memory of the Great One?

Seven Peaks

As an attempt to make sure our summer wasn't completely boring

(since mom was sick on the couch with mono for so long)

we took the kids - for the first time - to Seven Peaks. 

Mom mostly laid on the lounge chair and the kids frolicked in the sun and waves.

McKenna didn't make it with us, but Tessa, Maia, Cooper and Ivy all had fun in the sun.

Swimming Buddies

Dare-devil Maia, at high speed.

Taking a break from the activities.

At a rare moment of rest.



A Date with the Daines

 We met a lot of wonderful people when we lived in Boston - and made some very good friends. 

The Daines family is counted in that group - especially because four of our six children were the same ages as theirs.  It made for plenty of great play dates in Belmont.

The Daines came to Utah for family affairs, but squeezed in some time with us.  We met them for some s'mores and fun up Timpanogos Canyon.

Tessa, Kimber, and Lauren

Cooper and Paul - in the water of course.

Leilani with Ella

Emma and Maia and Emily

Cute Ella and Ivy

Surprise Family Reunion

My sister had a great idea:  We should all get together and surprise mom and dad (For dad's birthday and for their anniversary).  It had been quite a few years since we'd all been in the same place at the same time and so we started making plans.  Carla and Ray were flying from New Mexico, and Sandy from San Diego.  Unfortunately, Carisa could not make it from North Carolina.

Richard and I (and McKenna, Austin, and his friend Rick) took my parents to the Cheesecake Factory and while we waited for the server, we also waited anxiously for the surprise. 

Soon Carla and Sandy stood in front of the table . . . and magic happened.

My parents were speechless and wept.  It was wonderful.

Here we are at dinner - all blurry with a cell phone camera.  We also spent a day in Park City but I've got to find those pictures!



A Snapshot in Time

Our ward prints a directory of all the families and their contact information . . . and their picture. 

We had been way too s.l.o.w. about sending a picture to Bro. Evensen, the compiler of the directory.

So he showed up one day in our backyard with his camera - he lives just over the back fence - and snapped this photo.  Let's just say that I sent him the photo I wanted to be printed for the world to see just a couple days later.  This one is a  little too much reality for me.  Uncombed hair, play clothes and work clothes, and me with no makeup are just a few things that make me cringe.

But, truth is, it's the way we look.  I'm glad Chris captured it. 

But I'm also glad it didn't get printed in the book.

Govenor's Day

Each year the Utah National Guard has "Govenor's Day."  All the Guard troops turn out to parade for the Govenor and, of course, there are speeches (snooze).  But there are also fun booths, helicopters to peer inside of, tanks to climb on, and food to eat.  So we go. 
(Well, okay, we have to go.)

Park City

Richard and I had the opportunity to go to an Army-sponsored marriage enrichment conference for a weekend in Park City.  We've been before (the classes are always great) but this time we took the little kids.  They hung out in the hotel room and lobby during our meetings, and in our free time we swam in the pool and . . . RODE ON THE ALPINE SLIDE.  So fun.

Maia and Tessa rode up the mountain with Brent & Laurie Anderson

I made sure the little ones were with me . . . so I could remind them to sit back, not swing their legs, and hold still and . . . SIT BACK!  It didn't work.

Those are the four slides that we'll be sledding down.  It's a great ride.

Coop and Maia ready to go.  They were both excited but a little unsure of how much they could trust the brakes on the sled.

Tessa - always a good sport.

Love this one.  I casually mentioned that a picture of the Colonels squished up on tiny sleds ready to go down a slide would be a great piece of art on the wall in Guard Headquarters.

Happy Girl (and I'm not sure why she has her swim shirt under her regular shirt.)

Yankee Meadows

Dutch oven dinners, smoky campfires, playing in the lake, outhouses, catching horny toads, and swatting flies: all part of the fun at Yankee Meadows.

Our family spent a few days camping there before the Robb Family reunion.  (Grandpa Gary Miller's side of the family).  Luckily we got to shower in a hotel room before the big get-together.

Our camping candle - to celebrate Richard's 45th birthday.  Notice Ivy's hand sneaking into the cake box.

Hanging out with her friends

Silly mama's girl

gettin' sleepy before bedtime

Hoping for a prince

Mama and her boy

Maia happily entertained Kaitlyn

Not happy about something!

Completely in his element - dirt, water, rocks, sticks, and dead fish

Smiling in anticipation of a swim back to shore

Ian and Coop - Quite a pair!

Fishing Fun

Still playing in the water

Cute Camper

Coloring with her pet

Camping Cousins

And the big boys

Tessa

Cooper

Maia

More toads but, most importantly, a happy face!

Flashback: A New General

On October 12, Richard was "pinned" a Colonel in the United States Army. It is a promotion he has long worked for. It's been 21 years since he was commissioned an officer, and since then he has fulfilled duty and obligation and schooling to climb the ranks. The neat thing about promotions are - although they happen on paper in government offices at the Pentagon, are approved by Congress, and are signed by the President of the U.S. - that the final act of pinning the new rank or emblem on the uniform is done by a person of the Soldier's choice. In this case, he chose his family.

The Soldiers stand at Attention to Orders as Colonel L. Schmidt reads the Promotion by Order of the President of the United States.I get to pin the eagle on his uniform.
Cooper gets to pin the eagle on his hat - with help from mom and Austin.

Richard speaks to family, friends, and Soldiers gathered there.

Cooper's first in line for the cake at the reception following the pinning on. The chaplain who helped me set up the table and get everything ready to serve said he is the "acting Relief Society President" in the battalion.

The Proud Family (minus Austin who had to leave early).

This daddy deserves this honor!

Richard was commissioned an officer - a Second Leiutenant - on his birthday in 1987. At that time, the spouses of all new officers were invited to a luncheon at the State Capital by the Govenor of Utah. Since I would be his spouse in less than two weeks' time, I attended. We had a wonderful meal and then listened as the Govenor spoke of the Soldiers' responsibilities. He then reminded us of our important place - and even told us to keep in mind that we would always be one rank ahead of our spouses. That makes me a GENERAL now! And don't think that I let the Colonel forget it!