What A Way to Celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas

When my brother Roark found out that Thomas was getting married in the Portland, Oregon temple over Thanksgiving weekend, his first comment was "What a way to ruin Thanksgiving!" After all the festivities are over, I beg to differ.



Little Jude couldn't resist climbing up on
Mckenna's quilt.



We had a wonderful early Thanksgiving planned by Shelley and Ann at their home the Saturday before Thanksgiving. There were 26 aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and the little greats in attendance. On Thanksgiving day we got up at dark-thirty, piled into Brett and Kerri's Suburban and drove to Portland. I made homemade rolls and pumpkin pie, Kerri brought leftover turkey from her family's Thanksgiving dinner and diet Coke to eat in the car while we were driving. What more could you ask for?

   



 

Thomas looks pretty relaxed for  some one who
is getting married in less than 24 hours.



Everyone predicted rain for the wedding, but we had three dry days, unusual for Portland in November. We even made a mad dash to Moltnomah Falls on Friday between trips to the airport to pick up Jayne, Dave, Chris, Megan and Matt.



Saturday morning before we had to be at the temple we went to breakfast at a local cafe, a man was driving down the street, saw us taking pictures and stopped and offtered to take a picture of all of us. What a random act of kindness! 

 

Thomas was starting to get a little antsy by this time.



My wonderful siblings and niece Mckenna were so fabulous to come all the way up Portland  for their Thanksgiving also.  

Thomas looked so pleased with himself as he and Monica were walking out of the temple, as if he was saying, "Yep, I did it, I'm married!" Monica just looks beautiful.



We had an open house for Thomas and Monica last weekend at our home which was decked out in its Christmas finery.  Because Thomas and Monica didn't have a wedding cake, Shelley and I decided we would make a chocolate, raspberry, orange one with long distance help from Stacey. 

I will certainly remember this Thanksgiving and Christmas for many years to come.. The drive to Portland was long and the open house was a lot of work, but it was something we were happy to do. We welcome Monica into our family with open arms and look forward to celebrating many holidays with her and Thomas in the future. 

The Church Mobilized

This Sunday morning was cold and dark . . in the house. We hadn't had power since 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning when east winds came roaring over the Wasatch Mountains and down the canyons with gusts up to 100 miles per hour. Trees were toppled and torn like toothpicks. And as they fell they took down electrical wires and poles with them. The winds also ripped shingles off roofs, siding off houses, tore up fences and sent trampolines and other un-anchored backyard playthings flying.

We lost two blue spruces trees, one of which was our first Christmas tree in this house, 17 years ago. We were fortunate, they didn't hit the house as they fell.  Our emergency preparedness rated a B or so. I had flashlights, batteries, lighters and emergency candles where I could easily find them. Our ceramic glass front gas fireplaces, chosen especially as a secondary heat source,  kept the living areas warm enough, especially since we didn't have children to keep warm. The main thing we were lacking was a generator to keep the freezer and refrigerator working. But being without electricity was getting old and I was starting to get a little cranky (and a little stinky.)

So when I woke up Sunday morning at 5:00 without the cheery red glow from my beside clock I was not happy. John insisted on taking the branches from the spruces to the dump even though it was Sunday. I have to admit I was a little upset with him. He was worried about the weather forecast of more wind and snow.


Ward youth helping load our trailer, thankfully we had a
front end loader as well



John was not the only one worried about the forecast. We got word (our phones weren't working) that they were cancelling church to clean up the storm debris in our ward before the next storm and our Tahoe and trailer were needed to haul the downed trees to a holding field in west Kaysville. Ward members of all ages turned out to help. Children were working along side their 80 year old neighbors. Non members came out to help when they saw their pile of debris being thrown into trailers. 150 people working to help one another. We got done in four hours what could have taken weeks.




Waiting to unload.

 This was happening in wards all over the Wasatch Front. When John first took our trees to the dump he was the only one there, but as word spread trucks and trailers of all sizes loaded mainly with pine and spruce boughs began to head toward designated areas. I was luckily enough to go with John on 5 trips to unload the trailer. We saw the power of the church as it mobilized its members. The roads were lined with anything that could haul something; from the smallest truck bed to huge dump trucks.


For some reason I was almost moved to tears when the truck and trailer next to ours finished unloading their trailer and without saying a word, turned around and started helping us with ours. It didn't matter that they weren't even from our stake, it had to be done and they were helping where it was needed. By the time we made our last load, the National Guard was there, Kaysville City police was directing traffic and heavy equipment was being used to help unload the trailers.



Our last load was wider and taller than the Tahoe, We were glad to have help unloading.

As the Sabbath ended I was in a very different frame of mind. I was filled with gratitude and awe for a church that truly believes Christ's teaching: "When you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." I had a shower and a delicious Sunday dinner at my sisters' home, then picked up Thomas and his new bride from their honeymoon. And when I got home, the power was back on.