A Month of Gratitude - November 2015

We had a lovely Thanksgiving day with the family here in Utah.  We began our dinner with a hymn that has become a tradition,  "Come Ye Thankful People Come".  This hymn has an important message- though we have a lot to be grateful for in the harvest from our yard, it is the harvest of souls that matter in the eternal scheme of things.  We want no empty chairs in Heaven.  The dinner turned out very well.  I felt it was one of my best and it was satisfying.  A few days after Thanksgiving we had the privilege of doing Clifton's temple work.

Forty four years ago we stood here together on the
day we were married.

At the Manti temple for Clifton

Poor Avery was sick

The cousins put on a Thanksgiving play

Playdough after dinner

December Festivities 2015

We had many nice activities to attend in December.  We saw Grant and Charity sing in the Festival of the trees.  We saw Zariah sing in her school Christmas Concert.  We attended a live nativity in Kevin's Stake and we had a cousins cookie decorating party.

Zariah's concert

Ward Christmas party

Cookie party

Gemma loved her cookies

Grant and Charity's concert

Our Sister Missionaries

More cookies

And More Cookies

And More Cookies

Marshall loved his cookies

A Great December sunset

Boxing day family reunion

December 26, 2015
We got together as decendants of William and Mary Whitehead for a Christmas family reunion.  We had the rare opportunity to have Clifton's wife and children with.  We had a delicious dinner.  Debbie did a short family history presentation and the grandchildren played games or just plain played.  The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Uncle Brent of a chair he made for Brent to honor the service he is giving to his country.  We finished off the evening with pinatas.

We were glad Bob and Camille could join us.

Our White Christmas

Christmas Eve with our Family

December 24, 2015
We had our traditional junk food dinner with most of our family on Christmas Eve.  We were blessed to  have Debbie and her family visit with us from Indiana.  We missed Brent and Emily and her family, but we know they were with us in spirit.  After dinner most of our grandchildren acted out the nativity and then we exchanged gifts.  It was great to be together.

Our Nativity cast

The House is done!

December 17, 2015
Since April, we and our children have been working away to build a house.  I have been babysitting, Dad has been building.  It really seemed daunting when we were called on a mission.  Now looking back, it seems to have gone quickly and we are grateful that they finally have their own home.  I wish we had gotten a few more pictures, but at least it gives you an idea.

I love the spacious front porch

The kitchen

It has a spacious front room.

Hall bathroom

The big basement gives them lots of room to grow.

Halloween 2015

October 31, 2015
We held our family Halloween Party the Thursday before Halloween.  We had many good choices of homemade soup and cornbread.  It was fun to see the cute costumes.  We played BooGoo ( Halloween Bingo and we did the favorite pumpkin walk.  It was good to get together.  We attended three ward Halloween Parties the week before Halloween.  On Halloween night Craig and I served at a Halloween Wedding reception.  It was a nice evening and it was fun to see some old friends.

Leila was a beautiful Elsa, but she wasn't in the mood
for a picture.

Our cute Kangaroo, Charity.

Serving at the Wedding

The happy couple.

Old friends.

Nathan

Andrea

Benjamin

Our Lovely Cleopatra, Zariah.

Gemma was a darling Anna

Jayson

Avery the Minion

Owen

The Happy Homemaker

Two cute brothers, Grant and Marshall

The Prophet Moses and His Medical attendant.

I remember when Jessica was Little Red Riding Hood
when she was little.  This is a different character.

Charlie