DECEMBER - A MONTH TO REMEMBER

December is always a month with lots to do - decorating the house, buying presents and mailing them, baking and delivering our cinnamon tea rings, Christmas programs, dinner with family and, of course, BYU basketball. It's been a wonderful month as we tried to 'Light the World', as our Savior would have done, finding ways to serve those around us.

Besides donating money for meals and a chicken at the Giving Machine, we had the privilege of being a part of an incredible demonstration of generosity and love. Our ward asked the Spanish branch if there were any families in need that our ward could assist at Christmas time. At first, we were given the names of three families. That later expanded to six families and it was a good thing based upon the response we received for our ward members. With in days of making an announcement about helping these families, ward members began donating money, gift certificates, food and other gifts. Upwards to $3600 was collected along with $350 worth of gift certificates. One member of our ward donated money as well as lots of food from Costco. Other families opted to actually buy gifts for a couple of the families. After all was said and done, 4 family received about $600 plus gift certificates and food. One single lady received a little less money but also food and a gift certificate. One family received $200 and gifts purchased by two families. Truly our ward felt the joy of giving this Christmas season. Being Elder's quorum president, Paul was involved in the organization of this, so we got to witness first hand the great compassion of our ward members. This is what Christmas is all about. It truly made our Christmas celebration special.

Part of the packages we had the honor of delivering to the Spanish branch families.

Christmas decoration went up a little later this year because Thanksgiving was so late in November. We did get them up that second week, though. This year we decided to set our tree on top of a metal container which made it 2 feet taller. It was a good change as the tree became more prominent in our room. Even our ministering brother, Greg Olson (the artist) noticed the tree and loved it. He asked if I had ever counted the number of Santas I've collected. I haven't but there are at least 45 on the shelves and fireplace area alone. I love collecting different and unique Santas so our whole great room is filled with them. There is a book called, "I Believe in Santa" which compares Santa to Jesus Christ. It is a beautiful comparison of love, sacrifice, and giving.

Avery loved the Christmas dog that sat under our tree

Baking is always on my list at this time of year. I baked 24 Swedish tea rings this year for neighbors and family. We were so on top of things that we had them all delivered three days before Christmas. We are sometimes delivering on Christmas Eve, but not this year.

Tea rings are started. The cookie pizza was for a neighborhood party at the
Winslers. We were each to bring a treat to share.

A pretty professional looking
Santa, for sure.

We attended a ward Christmas party at the first of the month. The theme was Polar Express and breakfast was to be served. We were encouraged to wear our pajamas. Paul and I opted not to but some of our ward members really got into the spirit of the evening. It was a fun party. We took Karen Cutler with us. She is new in our neighborhood and not a member of our church. She had a great time and was able to meet so many of her new neighbors. 

The Gold's ordered these pajamas
just to wear to the party.  Pretty
brave people.

Sheri Winsler and Joyce Smith also got
into the spirit of the evening. Connie
Sneddon (center) not so much,

Aria's preschool put on a Christmas program this month. It was entitled 'The Night Before Christmas' and all the children were to wear their pajamas. Aria came in her Christmas pajamas from last year.  She was a little shy. When she got on the stage to sit with her class she immediately covered her eyes with her arms. She eventually started to sing with her class but kept looking away from the audience. When her class got up to perform their song, Aria joined in but was very tentative. So cute and so typical of the Millar/ Leavitt shyness.

The Sunday before Christmas, we invited Jon's family to come for dinner to join ourselves and Todd and Kailie's family. We were hoping to have Jon's whole family but at the last minute, Jen planned something and said the boys couldn't come. It ended up being just the 5 of them, Jon, MIndi, Clark, Olivia and Carly. Too sad. We had a Christmas Eve type dinner with ham and potatoes and peas and jello. The big hit was the sugar plum, a Millar tradition on Christmas eve. It was devoured.

Soon, it was Christmas Eve and time to head down to Todd and Kailee's. They had invited us to spend Christmas Eve and Day with them so we wouldn't be all alone in Heber. Most of the Leavitt family was there, too, but it was nice to be with them all. Todd smoked a turkey which was delicious. We had another sugar plum, too. After dinner, the girls decorated cookies for Santa and then it was time for the Christmas Eve festivities. This always includes a package and letter from Santa, a tradition carried over from our family when our children were little.

Decorating cookies for Santa with her cousins

Aria's own personal letter from Santa

Aria in her new Christmas pajamas

And then there's darling little
Avery climbing on the packages.

Christmas morning came bright and early with a houseful of cousins eager to see what Santa may have left them. Under the tree were gifts for everyone - all 17 of us.
We gave Aria and Avery a Peppa Pig playset. Todd and Kailee and Ryan and Katie gave Paul and I tickets to a Jackie Evanco performance in Salt Lake in February. Paul will especially like that as he has been a big fan of hers for a long time. Our present to each of our children was a scrapbook of our family reunion this summer in Oregon and a check for $400. They seem to appreciate money more than anything these days.

After Christmas breakfast complete with a tea ring which I brought, we settle in to relax. Paul and Reese watched Laurel and Hardy's 'Babes in Toyland,' one of Paul's favorite memories as a child. They both laughed like children while watching it.

Opening their stockings from Santa

Loving her new My Little Pony nail polish set with 24 different colors.
Of course, she had to paint my nails as well as hers.

Enjoying a movie out of their past.

In the afternoon, we left Todd's home to go visit Jon and Mindi and family in Highland. We were excited to see concrete poured, the garage framed, and the extension of the house started. We were so glad we could loan them $100,000 to finish this house. Both Todd and Jon lost their jobs in November as the company they were working for was partially shut down due to an investigation by the FTC. Todd found a speaking position with another company, though not as lucrative, at least it's a job with some promise. Jon is still trying to work something out with some of the contacts he has from his former company. Meanwhile, he needs to finish his home so if he has to they can sell it and move. If they stay here, he will refinance it to pay us back. A tender mercy that our CD came due just before this all went down so we had the cash available to help.

This home is going to be amazing once it is finished.

One of the last things we did this month was celebrate Aria's birthday. Although she doesn't officially turn 4 until January 9, it was decided to celebrate it early. (Todd and Kailee and ourselves will be on a cruise to Mexico on her birthday.) On Friday, the Leavitts helped her celebrate by going to a children's activity center and then having a party at home. On Sunday, we celebrated with dinner, a cake, and some presents. Aria is obsessed with unicorns so I did a cake in pink and purple with a unicorn candle one top. I lucked out and found a unicorn matching game and My Little Pony unicorns with rainbow colored hair to give to her. We also got her Elsa and Anna barbie dolls. The toys we give her, stay here so she can play with them each Sunday when they come to dinner. She loved her birthday celebrations.

Aria putting unicorn stickers on her
new unicorn scooter which her parents
got for her birthday.

Notice the brown spots on he cake top.
Every so often Aria would sneak over to her cake
and take a lick of the frosting.
 

Playing with her new unicorn ponies.
She braided all of their manes and tails.

On Saturday, we took a tea ring to Keith Allred. He is a high school buddy of Paul's who has struggled with health issues for years. We tried to visit him on Friday but he wasn't home. We called his son and found out that both he and Judy, his wife, were in care centers due to an illness. When we visited with him in the care center on Saturday, we found out he could barely see and that he had been in the center since before Christmas. He isn't expected to go home until sometime in January. Judy is in another facility due to insurance issues. We feel so bad for them and hope they return home soon. It makes us appreciate our relatively good health.

I took a copy of this Facebook entry. December 27 was the Allred's 50th wedding anniversary. Keith wrote Judy a beautiful note expressing his love for her and one of their children posted it. So sweet.




We ended that day with a basketball game at BYU, the last of 1919. 


One more thing......look what we saw coming down the hill across the street from our backyard - a whole herd of elk. There must have been 50 to 75 of them. They came down the hill, crossed the street, and spent some time in the flat area there. Some of them then came back across the street and started up the hill again. A beautiful sight for sure.