Family Trip to the Zoo

This is the second annual trip to the Louisville Zoo during Christmas Break.

We had a wonderful time, although the weather wasn't as nice as last year.

Mark and Betsy

Bats - love the bats

 Betsy wanted to take the family photo while at the zoo since it is such a fun thing for us to do.

Family photos

this one - or one like it is my favorite

beautiful sisters

adorable

another favorite

so cute

come here little ducky

Devon - last email of the year 2015

This week was cold out side.  My nose and fingers kept numbing but thanks to my coat it never felt to cold. 

We have an apartment place in our area that is for families that have lower income.  The apartments are filled with refugees from Africa, because Boise is a hub for refugees.  They all speak languages that I can’t speak like French, Swahili, etc.  Some of the men speak English but it is hard for them to understand us and for us to understand them, which makes it a little difficult to share our message on Christ.  The people are so humble that they invite us back even if they don’t understand us completely.  Since I am district leader I can go on exchanges with any Elder in my district.  There is an Elder from Quebec Canada that specks French and Elder Wood took 5 year of it in High school.  So they got to teach a family in French and we got an investigator from it.  The gift of interpretation of tongues is real. I was listening to them in French and somehow I could understand what they were saying.  It was really cool.  I heard a member that is a return missionary from a French specking Nation bare his testimony of the book of Mormon in French, and I felt the spirit bearing witness to me that what they were saying is true.

For New Year’s Eve … my companion fell asleep after planning so I got board quick and went to bed early as well.  I still have not made goals for the year yet.  I need to get on it.  Hope you guys have a great new year!!!  Remember Lot’s Wife … Luke 17:32.  Remember that Lot’s wife look long fully back at her old life and was turned into a pillar of salt.  We cannot look back on this last year longing for it.  We can’t look back on our life focusing on the past because if we do our progression physically and spiritually stops and becomes like a pillar of salt. 

Devon's Skype - Week 80

Devon Skyped just a little after 1:00 our time on Christmas day.  It was perfect timing.  Mark, Robert, Jessica, Tate and Marissa were just about to leave to go play basketball but were delayed - and that is exactly when Devon called.

We Skyped with him for an hour.  Everyone was there and we all talked to him at the same time.  It was so great to hear him talk and see his face, his smile, his laugh!!!

I was so happy!  This was the highlight of my Christmas this year.  I have really  missed knowing all that goes on in his life and I love him so much - it was wonderful to see him, hear him and express my love for him.

He said the closing prayer with us and it made us all cry - it was so heartfelt and the spirit was so strong.  He prayed for all of us by name.  He prayed with gratitude and love.

Christmas Day

First,  I really miss not having Devon here.  It is probably the most recognizable time of the year that I miss him so much.

Second, this was the first year we finally got everyone to sleep in - yay!!!

Christmas Eve

 What a beautiful day it was.  Betsy had to work in the morning, which actually ran a little longer than she thought because Steve had her do the last AP run of the year (was not on the calendar).

It was such a beautiful day that we decided to take Jessica and Tate and Marissa down to the walking bridge.  As you can see from the photos, we didn't even need coats the day before Christmas.  Robert had to work today, be he has the evening off.  

Christmas Eve is full of traditions.  Everything from what we eat, to where we eat and even to what we wear to eat.  Betsy makes a very special Christmas Eve dinner of un-leven bread, salmon, chicken kabobs, rice, Mediterranean vegetables, crab dip, (I can't even remember everything I made) but it was all delicious.  We ate on a blanket in a candle lit room dress in shepherd clothes and recounted the story of Jesus' birth.  We are so lucky to be Christian's and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We count our blessings every day!

After dinner we sing songs by the camp fire and sat around the tree to open our "one" Pre-Christmas Present.  This year the boys got red shirts and grey plaid fleece pajama bottoms and the girls got red and white striped tops with Red bottoms.  CUTE!!!

It's so fun having these love birds here