The month started with Jaron's birthday dinner. We were delighted that he isn't too old to go out to dinner with his grandparents. He turned 16 and assured us he would always want to spend time with us. We went to Olive Garden and had a wonderful visit with him. He thrilled us when he said he was planning on going on a mission after high school. We truly hope that remains a prominent goal of his as he would be a tremendous missionary. He is going to seminary and so will have a great basis in the gospel by the time he graduates. 
As we drove up to Jon and Mindi's to pick up Jaron, we noticed several pink lit trees in their neighborhood. Jon and Mindi even had one outside their home. We asked about them and were told it was a tribute to the young Mahe daughter who died during the month of December from a terrible accident. Pink was her favorite, hence the pink trees to remind the Mahe family of the love their neighbors have for them. Many acts of kindness were shown this family during their time of need.
Missionary activities for the month included a wonderful mission meeting with Elder Cook. It was held in Payson and all the missionaries were invited to attend, even the senior missionaries. Elder Cook and those in attendance with him were very inspiring and instilled is all of us a greater desire to do all we can to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in our Utah Provo Mission. It was interesting that there are over one hundred senior missionaries in this mission with more being called. Eventually the senior missionaries will outnumber the young elders and sisters. It is the mission president's desire to have at least one, maybe even two senior couples, in each stake of the mission. There are 91 stakes in the mission.
We visited many people this month. The Chapels took us to meet Sandra Verbina and her daughter, the Llewellyns, and Courtney Brown and her children, all of whom we will continue to visit. At the middle of the month, the Chapels were officially released so we are now the only senior couple in the stake. They left us with a list of people to visit in the other stake with whom they were working. We will visit them, as well, until the new missionary couple, the Wards, comes on board. We also taught the 15th ward mission leader and his family, the Hoffmans, the family mission plan. Our goal is to set up appointments with all the members of the 15th ward ward council to teach it to them, too. That should keep us busy after the first of the year. The best 2 visits of the month were to the Rick and Carolyn Kinsie. On one visit where we taught the Word of Wisdom lesson, Rick handed his last can of chewing tobacco to Brother Roney, the fellowshipper, as we left. He has not chewed ever since. The second visit was the one just before Christmas where we were inspired to give a different message than originally planned. We showed a couple of Christmas videos and shared with them a Christmas message challenging them to give a gift to our Savior by changing their life for the better in some way. The spirit was so strong as we testified of Jesus Christ and his message to the world. We could tell the Kinsies were touched as they both were wiping tears from their eyes by the end of the lesson. We had given them a set of scriptures with their names on them the week prior so this time we left them with a tea ring and a basket of fruit as a Christmas treat.
It was transfers this month so we said good bye to Elder Duncan, who left to serve in Moab, Utah. We were sad to see him leave as he was a dynamite missionary for being so 'young'.....only out 12 weeks when he left us. We were given two new elders to serve with Elder Ruess, until he goes home in January. The new elders are Elder Twui and Elder Abbot. We had a delightful lunch with them just before we left for Oregon. We served teriyaki chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries. It was a hit. Of course, we sent them home with a Christmas tea ring and added a gift certificate for Cafe Rio so they could have lunch there on the Tuesday we would be gone on our trip to Oregon.
December always brings baking lots of tea rings for our friends and neighbors and this year was no different. I baked a total of 17. It is always fun to deliver them and to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We had a wonderful visit with our new neighbors, the Smiths. They are a very interesting couple with many exotic happenings in their lives. They just returned from a mission in Jerusalem at the Jerusalem Center where they acted as hosts and tour guides for the center. For Christmas, they gave us a beautiful hand carved olive wood nativity scene. We were a bit taken back as she presented it to us. Our tea ring paled in comparison, although they loved the tea ring.  |
| The hand carved nativity from the Holy Land |
The weekend before we left for Oregon, we attended a Moscow Russian senior couple mission reunion. The Ropers organized it for all of us who live in the Utah area. It was so fun to see everyone again and to catch up on what everyone has been doing since returning home. The Burgeners and ourselves had been home the longest of anyone in attendance. Lots of good food and great conversation.
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| This is Ephrem. We met him in the mall while we were sitting waiting to leave for the reunion. He noticed our missionary badges and sat down to talk with us for almost an hour. He had led a very interesting life, having been born in Ethiopia into very poor circumstances. He was introduced to the church there but baptized after he was adopted by an American family. He lives now in Draper and going to UVU after having served a mission in Texas. His story can be found in the Jun 2016 Ensign. What a privilege it was to meet him. |
Now for Christmas....Decorations went up around the first of December, including our Santa filled tree. Tea rings and cookies were baked and delivered just in time for a Sunday afternoon Christmas dinner with Todd, Kailie and Aria, and Jon and Mindi and their two families. Taylor and his girl friend joined us, too. We had tri tip and chicken oscars with all the trimmings, just like we did last Christmas Eve when our whole family was here. After dinner, Paul and I opened gifts from each of them and presented our gifts to them. Todd and Kailee gave us two fry pans, which we desperately needed, and a family picture. Jon and Mindi gave Paul a statue of an English bulldog to remind us of their beloved dog, Alice. They then presented me with 8 place settings of the blue Lennox china that matches the china we used as a family while I was growing up. Dad gave me the whole set of Mom's Lennox china several years ago but I have been afraid to use it for fear of breaking it. With this new set, I can continue a family tradition of using the blue china on Sunday without worrying about breaking Mom's, which is priceless to me. So thoughtful. (Now I just need to get the right place mats and napkins so I can set a beautiful table with the blue china.) 
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| Taylor and his girl friend |
This dishes and the dog,
such thoughtful gifts.
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| We found the perfect place for the bulldog - A boy and his dog!! |
On Thursday, the 22nd, we flew to Portland, Oregon, rented a car and drove to Cheryl Ashdown's home to visit with her and Bill. We then drove to see Yvonne in the care unit where she now lives. It is a memory unit and is very nice. She seems to be happy and the move had taken a lot of pressure off Bill and Cheryl. We were glad for the chance to see them all.
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| Paul and his sister, Yvonne |
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| On our 51st anniversary at BJ's |
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| At the River Inn |
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| Breakfast table all set |
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| The very long Santa letterread pm Christmas eve |
On Christmas day, we arrived at Andrea's at 8 in the morning to watch their family open their gifts. That was followed by a traditional Christmas morning breakfast of scrambled eggs and ham and a tea ring. Church was a 1 in the afternoon and lasted about an hour. The whole Westover family sang in the choir and the music and program was amazing. Not many ward choirs sound like this one did, thanks to over half the choir being of the Westover family, including some aunts and uncles. We loved going to church on Christmas day. It helped us remember the true meaning of Christmas.
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| Notice the beautiful prime rib in the middle of the table. |
Christmas evening was topped off with a delicious prime rib dinner. Andrea and I were a little nervous as neither of us had ever attempted to cook a 9 pound prime rib before. We followed a recipe we found on line and it turned out wonderfully well. Dinner was amazing and the singing game we played afterwards was fun. All to soon, though, it was time to say our good byes as we were headed to Medford early the next morning.
We were greeted in Medford by some excited grandchildren. They were so eager to show us their newly remodeled home and what Santa had brought them for Christmas. They were also excited to unwrap one of four gifts from us waiting for them under the Christmas tree. We had sent Ryan and Katie money to buy gifts for the children from us. They had waited until we arrived to open them, and in fact, had designed the activities for each of the three days we would be there around the gifts. The first gift was a big set of Legos so we had a building Lego afternoon. We paired up and each took a part of it to build. It was a fire station complete with a fire engine and fire chief car. A fun afternoon. After dinner we did a couple of puzzles with the children before they headed to bed.
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| The finished product |
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The last day's gift was a Kariokee machine. Yes, we spent the morning singing (and dancing) to music. Even Paul and I performed. Paul sang 'I Will Survive' and surprised everyone with his good voice. He and I sang 'Lollipops and Roses', the song we picked as 'our song' when we were dating. The morning sped by and we were soon having to say our good byes to the MIllars in Medford. We drove to Salem and spent the night in a hotel so we could easily make our early afternoon flight home. A great week in Oregon.
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| Singing as a family |
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| Dad singing his 'I Will Survive' |
On New Year's eve, we were invited to the Chapel's home for games and goodies. They wanted us to meet Daniel and Melanie Funk, a couple they had been working with during their mission. They have become good friends and will continue to do things with them but this gave us an opportunity to meet them. It should make it easier to get into their home to visit with them later on. Daniel is a non member while Melanie is very active. It was a fun way to spend New Year's eve though we left before bringing in the new year.
Of course, we must include Aria in our December blog as she changes weekly. She is now walking all over the place and loving her new found skill.
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| With her cousin, Taylor |
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| Loving the phone, as always |
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| Walking on her own |
The new year is now upon us as December is in the history books.
We look forward to what 2017 will bring.
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