Our Thanksgiving Holiday

I never have the pictures or the words to tell it all, but here's a glimpse of our celebration.

Our first guests to arrive were also our last guests to leave. My brother and his family headed out Sunday morning for the long drive back to Hollady, Utah.  It was great having them here.

Emma, Michael, Adam, and Sally

Just some of the things we did during the week:

Los Angeles Temple, visiting, board games, visiting, family history, visiting, video games, visiting, movies, visiting, reading, visiting, playing, visiting, firepit, visiting, music, visiting, singing, visiting, wrestling, visiting, taking pictures, visiting, riding scooters, visiting, working, visiting, moving, visiting, installing smoke detectors, visiting, babysitting, visiting, food, food, and more food, and VISITING.

 

 

 

Just some of the people who came:

Friends
Lisa and Mark

My cousin and his wife
Doyle and Julie

Doug and Marilyn
My Aunt Betty's Daughter/My Cousin

Friend and Caregiver
Teresa

Scott, Mark, and JoLinda

My Aunt

Betty Carroll

My Father's Sister - 91-years young

We had a BBQ and my dad over for the afternoon Saturday. Before everyone started heading home, a final picture of the whole family, except Becky (working) and Janna (in bed - not feeling well).

  

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm Thankful

One of our activities over Thanksgiving week was to "count our many blessings". We asked everyone who came by to write down something that they were thankful for on a poster I had prepared.  And they weren't suppose to repeat what was already on the list because the point was to count our many blessings.

A few people got creative in their attempt to repeat by just wording it differently. It was fun, thoughtful, amusing, and got us thinking. All we have is from God. Hope you had a good one, we sure did. Happy Thanksgiving always!

"I AM THANKFUL FOR . . ."

(The Final List)

Temple Sealing

Stake Center

House

Eyesight

Friends

Family

The Hymn, "There is a Green Hill Far Away"

Vince Beazel

Pets (3 dogs, 4 cats, 1 turtle)

Adam Reynders Family

Job (Employment)

"Skype"

Dependable Transportation

Health

Music

Scriptures

Prophets

The Plan of Salvation

Body

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Medicine

My Son Serving a Mission

Soccer

Fashion

Rest

The Atonement

Lisa (My Wife)

The Loving Kindness of the Lord

Batman Cave

Temples ALL over the world

Video Games

Everything!

My Mother

Heavenly Father and Jesus

Joseph Smith

Tithing

Bed, Blankets, and Pillows

Cheesecake with sugar in it

Grandkids

Airplanes

My Husband, Doyle McMullin, and his family

Hot Running Water

Jesus' Love

Sister Blair and her Testimony

Martha (My Friend)

The Heater and Air Conditioning

"We need to be more grateful. It's one of the marks of strong character, to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings that are ours. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in church, everywhere. It's so easy to cultivate the spirit of appreciation."

Ezra Taft Benson,

"All This and the Gospel Too," New Era, Nov. 1991, 4

Let the Festivities Begin!

Sunday, our first guests arrived for the Thanksgiving holiday.  My brother, Adam, and his family will be here for the week.  First on the list, they stopped by to visit with Poppy and our caregiver, Teresa.

The Reynders Family

On Monday night we had a surprise for Adam and his family. We invited a few of Adam's old friends to join us for Family Home Evening.  My friend, Lisa, her daughter, and Joe joined us too.  There ended up being 20 of us in all during the evening.

The Silva's



The McKell's
(their daughter, Caitlin, came too, but is not pictured)



The Male Quartet
Jordan, Adam, Jonathan, and Tom

Throughout the evening everyone selected songs, quotes, and scriptures to share.  We also told what we were thankful for.  (I'm making a list and will include it in a later post.)  We ended the evening with refreshments and visiting.  It was nice enjoying each others company.  Everyone met new people and renewed old friendships.

“Everyone needs good friends. Your circle of friends will greatly influence your thinking and behavior, just as you will theirs. When you share common values with your friends, you can strengthen and encourage each other. If some of your friends are shy and do not feel included, be particularly sensitive to their feelings and go out of your way to pull them into the influence of your strong circle of good friends. Together you can maintain a high standard of gospel living.”

(For the Strength of Youth, Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1990, p. 9.)

Death By Chocolate

Life without chocolate

is like a beach without water.

CRABS RESTAURANT

on Pensacola Beach

 That's right I had dessert!  More than once!
On our last outing in Pensacola we not only had dinner,
but shared some

Key Lime Pie

and

Death by Chocolate

And yes, I gained weight this month!  Since I've been home I've started riding my stationary bike again.  Having something to read helps.  I just finished The Hunger Games  by Suzanne Collins.  So I'll keep biking and reading and see what happens because I know I'm having some pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  So forget that dessert idea, but Janna has been hanging in there (no dessert) and she's losing more weight.  She doesn't even need to lose weight, but she's doing it.  Here I go again.  Reporting in 30 days - December 19th.

We're Home!

No matter what happens,

travel gives you a story to tell.

-- Jewish Proverb 

3 AM, November 9th
Giddy to get out of town!
Heading to LAX

Picked up by the grandkids at Pensacola Airport.
We haven't seen them since July 2010.
Evelyn and Will know who we are,
but you can see Eddie's thinking,
"Who are these people?"

The Reunion - Sam and Carson
"Reservations for 12, PLEASE!"
California Blair's, Floribama Blair's, and North Carolina Lockhart's
Hugh scouted out this restaurant with rave reviews.
We were not disappointed.

Sam, Hugh, Evelyn, Eddie, Rick, and Will
The next morning, we all had breakfast at WAFFLE HOUSE.

A round of disc golf before the air show.

Dave, Carson, Beth, and Jessica
After a bazillion mile walk we made it from our car to the air show.
My sister and family joined us in celebrating
100 years of Naval Aviation

THE  BLUE  ANGELS

The Night Show

Saturday - Deep Sea Fishing Trip On The Gulf
Everyone came home a winner!
That night we had fish tacos and the next night more fish.

Will and Evelyn ready for the Primary Presentation
On Sunday, we watched Will and Evelyn participate with the other
Perdido Ward Primary kids,
singing and saying their parts:
"I Know the Scriptures Are True".

Monday - Blue Angel Sam
Checking things out at the air museum.

Rick, Wendy, and the kids
Our last night in town
Hang'n at Pensacola Beach

Hope we can come again soon!

WE'RE OUTTA HERE!

Hugh, Sam, and I are off to Florida to see the grandkids and more.  To say the least, "We're excited!"

The other kids (Becky, Tom, and Jan) are holding down the fort while we're gone. They'll also be available if our caregiver needs any help with Poppy. They have school, work, etc. to attend to.  We do to, but we're taking a break. I'll report later with the details.  Have a good one!

"Find what brings you joy

and go there." 

Jan Phillips

A Witness of Jesus Christ

In the media last month, the "eternal rumor" as I refer to it, has once again reared its ugly head. "Mormons aren't Christian" - "Mormons don't believe in Christ" - etc., etc., etc. It's mind boggling to me. I am a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Someone will say to me, "You don't believe in Christ."  And I respond, "Yes, I do."  And then the conversation goes, "No you don't, you don't know."  What can you say to such talk?  I continue,  "Yes, I do know."  And through it all, even with more explanation, in spite of my testimony of truth (meaning a witness of the Spirit).  I'm considered a liar or in a softer tone, a person who has been deceived, or doesn't know what I'm talking about.  It's beyond belief.  This kind of colloquy I am well use to.  You just move on and hope someone will get it someday.

I'm not writing this today because of the recent media hype, instead I'm writing this because I'm inspired by a man's testimony.  Testimonies give credence to truth.  Just as The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ to the Bible, so are the testimonies of people.  They are a witnesses of truth.  This is one of the latest Mormon Messages to view on the Mormon Channel:  A Book of Mormon Story.



Let me add another testimony, another witness.  Here are the words of Elder Tad Callister during out latest general conference, October 2011, "The Book of Mormon -- a Book from God":

Why is the Book of Mormon so essential if we already have the Bible to teach us about Jesus Christ? Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian churches in the world today when they obtain their doctrines from essentially the same Bible? It is because they interpret the Bible differently. If they interpreted it the same, they would be the same church. This is not a condition the Lord desires, for the Apostle Paul declared that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). To help bring this oneness about, the Lord established a divine law of witnesses. Paul taught, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

 The Bible is one witness of Jesus Christ; the Book of Mormon is another. Why is this second witness so crucial? The following illustration may help: How many straight lines can you draw through a single point on a piece of paper? The answer is infinite. For a moment, suppose that single point represents the Bible and that hundreds of those straight lines drawn through that point represent different interpretations of the Bible and that each of those interpretations represents a different church.

What happens, however, if on that piece of paper there is a second point representing the Book of Mormon? How many straight lines could you draw between these two reference points: the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Only one. Only one interpretation of Christ’s doctrines survives the testimony of these two witnesses.

Again and again the Book of Mormon acts as a confirming, clarifying, unifying witness of the doctrines taught in the Bible so that there is only “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

I add my testimony.  The Book of Mormon is true.  I have read it and the Spirit has testified - Jesus is the Christ.  He lives.  He is my Savior and my Redeemer.  We too will live again because of HIM.  He is the author and finisher of my faith.

The New Teenager

 

Sammy woke up this morning and said he actually felt different.  He lives in a household of adults.  He's happy to be growing up.  Today is his 13th birthday.

Happy Birthday Sam.  Love, Becky

Sammy specifically requested a stocking cap like the one Becky had made for herself.  She was happy to accommodate him.

Sam ready for winter.

Birthday Sam and big brother, Tom

Young men of the Aaronic Priesthood,
you have been born at this time
for a sacred and glorious purpose.
It is not by chance that you have been reserved
to come to earth in this last dispensation
of the fulness of times.
Your birth at this particular time
was foreordained in the eternities.

You are to be the royal army
of the Lord in the last days.
You are “youth of the noble birthright.”
(Hymns, 1985, no. 255.)

President Ezra Taft Benson
Youth of the Noble Birthright, Ensign, May 1986