Jesus said - day 14

Luke 17: 8

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

There was A LOT of eating and drinking going on around here this season. It's a great part of Christmas.  We go to special dinners, events and family gatherings and we eat and eat and eat.  We make certain dishes and treats this time of year that we don't make other times.  That's what makes it so special and good!  This year my friend Cydnee came over and we tried our hand at making caramels, black licorice caramels and Boston creme candy.  We had three successes and one failed batch of caramels that were too hard.  Overall a fun day!

A few weeks later I tried by hand at making pretzel sticks and of course I made a double batch of my Grandma Mayme's molasses cookies.  Can I just say that the smell of those cookies brings back such memories and are so good.  The pretzel sticks turned out great and next year I will give them a go again.

Here is my Grandma Mayme's molasses cookie recipe.  I always double it and keep a roll or two in the refrigerator for up to a week so that you can bake them fresh when needed.  Don't say I didn't give you a wonderful Christmas present:

1 cup shortening (I use butter shortening)

1/2 cup molasses

1 heaping cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1/4 c. water, scant

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. allspice

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. soda

4 1/2 cups flour

Cream shortening, molasses and add sugar, eggs and water.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Divide into two halves and roll into round rolls.  Wrap in wax paper and put in the refrigerator over night.  Cut cookies from roll about 1/4 " thick.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  Don't over bake!  Cookies will be moist and chewy.  Frost with a powdered sugar, water and butter frosting.  Enjoy!!

Jesus said - Day 13

3 Nephi 28:10

And for this cause ye shall have a fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father, yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father, and the Father and I are one.

Rick and I are big fans of watching "The Crown" on Netflix.  I've been struck by what a good Christian woman Queen Elizabeth II is and how she strives to live her beliefs.  She has given a Christian Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the world since 1957 - for 60 years!!  I think she is wearing the same three strand pearl necklace.  So sweet!  I have read more about her life and really enjoy looking at the Royal Web Site and learning more about her life today and her mission.  This year she spoke of enjoying time in our homes with our families and finding joy and peace with those we love this Christmas time.  I thought it was a beautiful message given by a dignified Christian woman.  The whole message is good, but start at the 6.26 mark for the best part.  Hooray for Queen Elizabeth!!  Happy Christmas your Magesty.

Jesus said - Day 12

3 Nephi 12:41

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Rick and I went on an adventure in August.  It was extremely hot in southern Utah at that time of year.  We had never been to Kolob canyon, which is part of Zion National Park.  We spend an enjoyable day visiting the canyon and hiking around to see some of the beautiful vistas.  It was so fun to spend some time together and talk our heads off like we usually do.  He is a great travel companion and we really enjoy our road trips.  There is no one else I'd rather be with. He is my best friend and my love and I'm so grateful to have him by my side through thick and thin.

We also went to Cedar Breaks for a drive and then attended several plays at the Shakespeare festival again this year.  

Jesus said - Day 11

John 13: 34-35

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; 

as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

One of my greatest JOYS in life is seeing how our children love one another.  Our two daughters and our two sons are dear friends.  Sure they joke around and kid each other.  There is a fair amount of poking fun and sarcasm.  They all have different talents, personalities, interests, strengths and weaknesses.  But there is also a deep and abiding love there and I know that each of them would do most anything to help the others out.  I've seen it in action.  I've watched with a grateful heart as they have rallied around one another with encouragement and love, especially in hard times.  That is what it is all about, and I'm so very grateful for that.  I'm also extremely grateful that as their spouses have come into the family that they too, have joined our group with love and acceptance.  I love each of my in-law children so very much.  They are my dear friends and they add so much to our family unit.  

We had the opportunity this summer to spend a few days together.  Claire had just delivered a sweet baby girl, Annie, and so we couldn't travel very far if Claire was going to be included.  We decided to go to the Homestead in the Heber valley for a few days and have some fun.  Nothing does my mother's heart good like seeing my children and grandchildren enjoying one another.  We missed Jake.  We spoke of him and thought of him often.  He will always be missed. 

We had a very fun day on Deer Creek reservoir.  We rented a boat and everyone enjoyed boarding or riding in the tube.  Even though it was a cloudy day, it was still hot and it saved everyone from getting a sunburn.Andy and Chelsea got to meet Sam and Annie and get acquainted with these little ones. 

We had a unit with a kitchen so we could prepare our meals and we just played games, visited, enjoyed the hot springs crater, in-door and out-door pools, horse shoes, golf course and tennis courts.  And we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

The kids played non-stop and enjoyed hanging out with their cousins. 

 Their parents had many good chats.

 Little newborn Annie was a sweet addition to our group this year.

Dave and Courtney were in town several more days and we enjoyed even more time with the family swimming in the pool, slip and slip, MTC tour, picnic in the canyon and of course a visit to the BYU campus.  When there is love at home, all is right with the world.  I'm so grateful for my family and love each member very much.