WINTER IS REALLY HERE
Woke up this morning to the beautiful sunshine but stepping outside is a real hazard. It is cold and I believe the temp. is 2 below. I am glad Larry and I shoveled the snow yesterday from the driveway. I know the garbage man loves that winter is here cause he didn't have to thrown in a zillion bags of leaves or grass in his truck today. It is time to get away from here for the winter. At least until March.

I finally got the house decorated for Christmas. This is the first year for this as we were gone way before Christmas last year. It looks nice and Larry's kids were here for a family party and it was such a nice atmosphere with the lights and the fireplace. We had a great time but again, way to much food. I think I am going to become really good friends with Mr. Kentucy Fried the next time we get together. I spent a week cooking and trying to prepare cause I wanted to sit down and watch the last Bronco game of the season. But as all of you women know that is just not possible. There are always last minute things to do before everyone arrives. We exchanged gifts and it was fun to see how even the older kids just wanted to open gifts. Forget the food.

It was a wonderful summer at home. We got the yard in really good shape and the lawn is thickening up and looks so nice just after it is cut. The pines are finally starting to grow in the front of the yard and they will be so nice when the city comes in to widen the road in front. It is good that we have a deep front yard but even then we are talking of moving as the traffic will be horrible when it is all said and done. I really want to stay here too. I love our home and so many things about it. But as we all know, progress is every ongoing and no one can stop it. When the city wants some of your property, they will win.

Thanksgiving was nice. We drove to Columbus, Nebraska to be with Larry's daughter and family. We spent a week with Natalie and Steve during the Summer in Montana and so getting to see them again and finally meet their son was a real treat. I had already met their daughter and we became fast friends. The dinner was so nice and they toasted us on our 1st Anniversary. It was so nice of them to remember. Justin, one of Larry's grandsons went with us and it made the trip all the more fun. Natalie and Steve partly raised Justin when he was very small and they treat him as one of their own. There were lots of college kids that came and went during our time there. Both of Natalie's kids are in college. So there were kids there sleeping everywhere and up all hours of the night. We were upstairs so the noise never bothered us. The house they live in is over a hundred years old and the woodwork is phenomenial. The entry was was all wood and some of the doors, especially the pocket doors were at least two inches thick and about 10 feet high. I had to take pictures of the place. I think they told me they bought it for 39,000 dollars. They have been there for many many years. Anyway it was like being in a castle.

I have been so happy with the ward here. They are so good to us and we have wonderful Home Teachers and I love my Visiting Teachers. The Missionaries are here often and I love to fix them lunch. It is wonderful the Spirit they bring into our home. I really love the Bishopric, they are so good to Larry. They have taken a genuine interest in him and it means so much to me. But it is interesting how satan still can get to a good thing. It is even more sad when it comes from within your own family. I honestly have never met a kinder, more honest and generous man than Larry. I feel every day how much Heavenly Father loves him. I am very blessed to be in this man's life. I so appreciate how his children and grand children and extended family and friends have embraced me. I was told yesterday how much they love me. It made for a good balance when I learned of other things that were so very painful to me. Last night was a night of hurtful and bad dreams and getting up at 3:30 and reading Scriptures until 5:30 and then crawling back in bed to get some rest. I hate nights like this. I think this is the first one I have had since being married to Larry. They were all to frequent in years past. Bad times like this really brings me up short and puts me in my place. The only one in my life who hasn't thrown me away is my Heavenly Father. I guess I just kinda get used to it because it has been my whole life. You sure can question yourself and question if all of this is really worth it. I always come back to if Heavenly Father doesn't throw me away I must have some value. Until then I will keep on trying to make sense of Mortality.

The Jeep outing this year in Moab was so fun. We are going to their Christmas party this Saturday and we are excited about that. With Patricia and Gary now gone for the Winter we are anxious to get going too. Norma and Darwin just got back from 3 weeks down there with Mary and Ron and seeing her family and their son and wife, so it doesn't look like we will see them in Quartzite. We will probably only spend a couple of weeks there anyway. We want to try to go to Texas again and see friends there. We will get to spend New Year's with Russ and Erin and the kids there. Then we will go on to see Shelley and Ryli and hopefully Calvin's family. Then we will go on to Arizona.

I am taking my computer so I maybe can find time to keep up on what we are doing on my blog. I wish all of you the best Christmas ever and also that the New Year will find each one of you happier and more peaceful that you have ever been.