BEGINNING DECEMBER

We have returned home to Kentucky from our fabulous St. George/Thanksgiving vacation.  And life didn't slow down for us to catch up.  We were sooooo lucky to have my parents come visit us for three days this weekend.  I enjoyed spending time with them so much that I forgot to take pictures of them...  But they gave us the wonderful gift of predicting what Scott and I will look like as soon as our grandson is born in May:

And Mom and I made gnome trees for Scott's office:

Meanwhile in Idaho, my son is keeping things fun by creating silly snowmen and making delicious gingerbread houses.  I love that he is making life joyful!  I have a wonderful son!

And my beautiful, eldest daughter performed in the orchestra concert at BYU-I last night.  I'm so glad she is keeping up her musical talent!

After the concert....

BTW Hanukkah started Sunday.  So of course Scott, Katia and I celebrated our traditional way: with blue candy canes and Fiddler on the Roof.  I contend this is one of the best movies EVER!

So here is one of the most recent kid-isms from my dear friend, Amy.  Her son, Apple Pie, said, "I want mistletoe.  I want lots of people to kiss me or chase me to kiss me."  This is her most shy, and quiet child.  I laughed out loud!

Scott loves this picture.  I don't.  But I thought I'd share it for y'all's amusement:

Also - I'm done taking pictures for the season.  So I have more time to read.  So I have.

I recently finished reading Educated: a Memoir by Tara Westover.  I was really engaged by this powerful book.  The author grew up in a survivalist family in Idaho.  She was NOT homeschooled, she didn't do school at all, because her father mistrusted public schools.  They also did not believe in modern medicine and her mother became an herbalist and midwife.  Tara is abused by an older brother and the antics of her mentally ill father.  This story is about her internal struggle: to break away from her broken past.  It is an inspiring story of one woman's ability to change her future with education.  The only negative: she was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Sometimes, although she is never negative toward the Church, it is difficult to see the difference between her parents' mental illnesses and beliefs and the Gospel's beliefs.  I didn't struggle, because my testimony is firm.  But someone who does not understand the Church's beliefs, could be a bit confused.

I also just finished reading Because of the Messiah in a Manger by Brad Wilcox.  This book was insightful about what the Savior did for us and how Christmas is the perfect time to learn these gospel truths.  It's a quick read.  But it is worth reading to bring the true meaning of the season to our celebrations!

And I just finished re-reading my favorite book of all time:  The Book of Mormon.  I love this book!  This book is full of so much joy and light and hope!  This time I focused on all of that.  And I underlined almost every page.  This is my favorite thing to read EVER!