Catching Up

Its been a busy last couple of weeks. Dale was released from being Branch President in the YSA Branch and we were shipped back to the 5th ward. I was called to be Stake Relief Society President and plunged into ward conferences and speaking assignments. But wanted to post some pictures that I had good intentions of blogging about that will only get a few words of explanation. I tended Cam and Mary's kids one evening last month and took them to a Jerome High School basketball game. They enjoyed it and here is Bailey pointing out the cheerleaders and Braden sporting the lei we all wore for Hawaiian night.

Malia wanted a ribbon in her hair when Collette did Bailee's. Treats kept her happy during the game. Girls on the stairs before the game.

Collette auditioned at U of U for grad school on Saturday, Feb. 14th. We stayed overnight at
Polly's and after the audition had a great visit in American Fork with Julie at Heritage. Dix, Brent, Sonya, Polly, and Dave came and visited, too. My good friend Arlene Heiner and her husband, John came by and visited for a minute. It sure was great to see everyone. We met up with Dennis and Katie at Cafe Rio for lunch before we headed home. When we arrived back, we joined Jef, Sarah, and family and Cam, Mary, and family at theMandarin House for a Valentine's dinner. Here are Braden, Mason, and Bailee enjoying the food!

Logan joining in the craziness. Cole's cute smile and Ella trying to figure out who's taking the picture!

Malia trying out her chopsticks. It was fun to see everyone. Dale took his girls for a Valentine's treat at Cold Stone Ice Cream to top off the day. Will blog more later when time allows! (pictures didn't turn out too bad, considering most of them were taken with my camera phone)

Our Panama Boys

Ours boys...Louis aka Antonio Banderos, Jose, and David
We had the awesome experience last week of hosting three of the Special Olympic Floor Hockey Team from Panama for three days. I was very nervous at first but when we sent them to Boise Saturday morning, I cried. They left a Panama flag on the decorative tree in the basement where they slept so we would remember them. We loved watching them practice in the stake center, they are so good and so proud. We went with them to tour a dairy; see horses; to the Herrett Planetarium and Museum; get some Cold Stone Ice Cream; and to a CSI basketball game, to name a few. They chuckled when I tried to speak Spanish, it was a slaughtered pronunciation and usually the feminine tense of the words. But they had a special time in Jerome in homes of Mormon families that gave them love as special children of God.

Our Young Single Adults

Here are some fun pictures of our wonderful and crazy young single adults, oh how we love them!

Here they were trying to form the letters YSA...good try!

Dale and group enjoying the animal game


Collette and friends

Trying to capture the cork

REFLECTIONS...

The holidays have come and gone and reflecting back, I loved the joy I felt being with friends and family and the experiences that brought me closer to the true meaning of Christmas.

I loved reading some of my favorite Christmas stories, watching favorite Christmas movies and concerts, attending holiday plays, and visiting with cherished family and friends. A high light for me was listening to the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional...this seems to usher in the spirit of the season with the inspiring messages and music.

There were a few things that were disappointing, but all in all, the celebration was wonderful. We had lots of beautiful snow, of which I shoveled continually it seemed, that resulted in some pretty challenging road conditions. I didn't let that stop me from traveling to Twin Falls to get the one present that I was promised would arrive the day before Christmas. I didn't let the 1 hour fight-to-the-finish (of which I won!) fiasco with Verizon over Chad's new phone get me down. Dale, Collette and I enjoyed caroling and taking goodies to neighbors and dear friends. We used a gift card and ate at the Outback in Twin Falls on Christmas Eve that my sister Polly gave us and then finished up caroling at the hospital. There weren't very many patients and the few that were there along with the nursing staff smiled and thanked us for coming and sharing our love with them. I didn't sleep very well...no surprise there, I have always been the earliest riser on Christmas day in my family...but the wind was blowing very hard and snow coming down and I just knew Chad would not make it from Pocatello. We had all the family for Thanksgiving, so he was the only one that was coming. And sure enough, they closed the roads. Collette and I were having a hard time and I couldn't convince anyone to open presents until noon when we decided to quit moping around and enjoy the day. I loved talking to my children and grandchildren and felt of their excitement. We had a good visit with Chad over the phone and arranged a time that we could take his Christmas up to Pocatello the next week. Mary's mother couldn't make it in from Utah and they couldn't go down with the closed road, so we invited Cameron and his family to come and eat dinner with us. Tammy and her son, Daniel, couldn't get home to Utah either, so we invited them and also the missionaries. Dale made his terriyaki chicken and rice and his coconut cake (fresh from scratch) and we feasted on that and rolls, salads, and other goodies. I didn't take pictures AGAIN...I guess that should be one of my New Year's resolutions, but Collette took a few and posted them.

The day after Christmas, we took 18 young people from the branch to the Twin Falls temple and did two sessions of baptisms and confirmations. I love that temple and I love our branch! We had such a spiritual experience and I am so amazed at the dedication of these young people traveling on slick roads to come and give of their service. We had pizza after at Maxie's and can't wait until we can schedule some more sessions in the temple.

We headed to Pocatello Tuesday the 30th as a break in the weather and warmer temperatures cleared the roads. We had a party at Jeremy's house with Chad and Bailey and celebrated again with pizza, cherry chocolates, and sugar cookies...what more did we need? Dale, Collette, Chad, and I attended the Idaho Falls temple that next morning with a young lady in our branch that went through for the first time. We then headed to Jef and Sarah's to check out their beautiful new house and then all went to Primo's pizza...I think I have had my fill of pizza for awhile. Jeremy and family joined us, too. When Jef got home from work, he popped us some popcorn in his new theater-style popper as we played Logan's Apples to Apples - Junior Edition game. And of course a gathering would not be complete without some Rock Band action down in their new theater room. It was a fun two days and we were so glad to visit with everyone there.

On New Years Eve, we went to the big multi-stake Young Single Adult bash at the College of Southern Idaho. Our branch was in charge of showing sci-fi movies, so Dale and I ran the projector and watched crazy kids come and go. There were lots of kids and lots to do and this was the second year we brought in the New Year with the younger generation!

New Year's Day was pretty well a vegetate day...I watched a couple of bowl games and a Halmark holiday movie...and munched on I HOPE to be the last of the snacks and goodies!

The Clark family is starting The Biggest Loser come Monday, so I will be better at the gym and better at watching what I eat and better at raising the bar...the bar bells instead of the brownie and cookie bars!!!

I hope all of you have a great 2009 and will continue to feel in your hearts the love you felt during the holidays...and to share the love of the Savior with all your friends and family.

Two Cute Reindeer

I was able to go see Bailee and Braden's school Christmas programs and they were so cute and were the very best singers in their classes. Here are some pics I took with my phone camera. Thanks for inviting Grandma to your programs!

Enjoying fun together with our awesome YSA Branch

Here are a couple of pictures of Dale and I enjoying some great activities with the singles branch.

We had a wonderful SLC Temple Square trip recently, attending the temple, shopping, eating, and seeing the lights.

One of the girls snapped a picture of us walking back to the van in the car garage, Dale talking on his phone to one of the youth. She labeled it "president and first lady"... I thought that was cool!

Here we are with Stan and Cathy Lott at the Branch Talent Night singing a song to our young friends, "Text My Cell Rock" ( I changed the words to the December Reader's Digest song they had published of "Ring My Cell Rock" to the tune of "Jingle Bell Rock").

Love working with our awesome branch and they keep us young at heart!

Thanksgiving Memories of 1973

Hey Arlene...I was inspired by your post of you and John's first Christmas together. I rummaged through some photos of mine but couldn't find Dale and my first Christmas, maybe because we both worked on that day at the Utah State Training School. But I found this one at Mom's on Thanksgiving. I am digging the purple polyester!

I loved this one showing Mom's Thanksgiving table. That is Dix, my oldest brother by me and there is my sister Polly seating Audrey, her oldest girl. There is the great cornucopia Mom set on the table every year and all the good food. I didnt see her lazy susan with the olives and pickles, but I am sure it was there. Notice a favorite of mine but not anyone else in my family, the green lime jello salad with cottage cheese and pineapple and a hint of mayonnaise, by each plate. Ah, this brought back wonderful memories, I even thought about the year before I was married and when I accidentally put salt in the pumpkin pie filling instead of sugar! Good thing Mom was patient as we hurried and made more. We really did have wonderful Thanksgivings at Mom Gauger's.