Two Years of Two

 

 

Seriously? Is this where we are?

Could our sweet babies honestly be turning two?

Truly? Madly? Deeply?

It’s hard to believe…

that we’ve had all this sunshine…

for two years straight.

And yet, somehow…

it must be true.

Whether or not I’m ready for it…

the babies are not such babies these days.

The only thing growing faster than these little dew drops…

is our love…

for them.

Savoring…

christmas 2009 021

A Sock 015

A moose 145

A moose 127

Christmas 2009 008

Christmas 2009 023

Christmas 2009 014

Oh, I do hope you are all sitting back somewhere, sipping warm cider and watching “Miracle on 34th Street” with those you love for the 100th time. I hope that you are hanging on tightly to the warm, tender feeling of the holidays so that the sparkle and glow will last just that much longer. We certainly are savoring it all at this house–what with twinkle lights in dimmed rooms, new toys scattered lovingly under the tree, 3 flavors of hot chocolate, and far, far too many sticky treats.

As always, we will pause here, in this season until the next joyful holiday entices us to loosen our hold and move forward. We could only be persuaded to trade our tree for fire crackers, fire crackers for pink hearts and pink hearts for painted eggs–because we know that it all comes back around again to the cider and the pine, the music and the mittens, the candles and the sweet baby in a manger bed.

So pardon us as we linger in the “happiest season of all.”

Join us, if you’d like.

We’re blessed to have you.

Christmas Magic

Christmas 138

Christmas 154

Christmas 205

Christmas 170

Christmas 198

Christmas 181

Christmas 156

Christmas 176

Christmas 169

Christmas 171

Christmas 163

Christmas 133

Wishing you all the Christmas magic your soul can hold along with the hope that your holiday season has been joyful, triumphant, merry and bright~

love, love, love,

The Gracious Rain Cheer-Meister Committee

&

Christmas Prayers

GetAttachment.aspx

Christmas Prayers

by J.K. “Trapper” Hatch

“I grew up during the Great Depression in the little town of Taylor, Arizona. In those days there were no jobs around Taylor, so when I was seventeen years old, a couple of friends and I decided we would hitchhike the 250 miles to Phoenix to find some kind of work.

It was the first week in December of 1933, and we rode part of the way in the back of a cattle truck. We had to get down between the cows to keep warm.

When we arrived in Phoenix, we found out that there was no work to be had. Many men were standing in lines waiting for the free soup the government was giving out to those in need. You could buy hotcakes for ten cents, but we didn’t have a dime; so after a while we joined the soup line.

We looked for work and somehow survived for two weeks; then Christmas drew near. One of my friends had a sister who lived not too far away, and he and my other friend decided to go to her house for Christmas. But I was determined to go home.

snow

Early the next morning, the day before Christmas, I started hitchhiking.

I didn’t get to Flagstaff until 5:00 in the afternoon. That was halfway home. The sky was steel gray and it was bitterly cold, with eight inches of snow on the ground. There were holes in both of my shoes, so I found some cardboard and cut pieces to fit inside to keep my feet a little drier. Then I started down the highway again, trying to get another ride.

Since it was Christmas Eve, there wasn’t much traffic. It grew darker and colder, and I became more and more dejected as the few cars swished by in the snow and the chill of the night penetrated my thin coat.

By 10:00 I had become so cold and numb that I began to wonder what it would be like to freeze to death. I was so tired that I knew I’d never make it unless someone stopped soon. Several more cars passed me by, and I had to talk to myself to keep going. “One more car,” I said. “If the next car doesn’t stop, I’ll lie down under a tree and let it happen. One more car.”

In a short while I could hear an engine in the distance. “This is it,” I told myself, taking a deep breath as I held out my thumb. Swish.

The car went by me. I closed my eyes and sank to my knees in total despair.

In my misery, everything was shut out of my mind for several seconds; but then I heard a sound. The car had stopped and was backing up! I struggled to my feet, heart pounding. In the car were two men from my hometown of Taylor.

They had recognized me as they passed.

At about 1:00 a.m. I was safely deposited at the front door of my home. I could see there was still a light on, and as I came quietly through the door, there sat Dad and Mom with their heads in their hands, praying. When I spoke I was greeted with joyful cries and tears. Mom told me they had been praying all evening and into the night for my well-being and safe return home.

There were no presents that Christmas. Dad killed an old rooster next morning, and that was our Christmas dinner. Yet I have never felt the spirit of Christmas more strongly than I did that day as I sat with Dad, Mom, and my brothers and sisters and felt the warmth and love of our family.”

Merry Christmas, My Boy…

Dane

Very soon—next week in fact, I’ll get to talk to my far away boy for Christmas. When people hear that he only has six months left they ALWAYS say, “Wow, the time has gone by so fast.”

Well, not to me…

He sent us these pictures and truthfully they remind me of so many things we have to be thankful for this holiday season.

C-mas tree 3

Here is the paper clip star on top of his tiny pretend Christmas tree.

Here he is with Elder Newman at a place called the Hill of Crosses. The people in Lithuania have left millions of crosses here for over 600 years in defiance of foreign invasion. Dane sent post cards from this monument as well. It is an amazing place.

C-mas tree 2

Here is the Barbie sized Christmas tree that sits on their table.

Dane game

He sent this one especially for me. This is a game we used to play on hot summer days. He’d actually lay on the floor and let me “try” to pour water directly in his mouth without nearly drowning him. Why he loved it I’ll never know–but apparently he’s carrying on without me.

Silly dude…

C-mas tree

Since the string of lights is bigger than his whole tree–he put it here with a picture of the Savior. Very pretty–I’d say.

IMG_0718

Here they are…The men in black–looking all brave and scary. But we know who they really are…

IMG_0721

Elder Porter, Elder Cook and my Daney-boy–in their true forms–crazy people in a foreign land. Please note the matching ties. Yikes…

Merry Christmas, son.

Be safe and warm. We miss you.