December Memories

A happy December at home in Oregon, 1982. All the children except our newborn baby.

Christmas Message

A Christmas card message from someone who has a real gift for heartfelt written expression.  And funny, too. Warms our hearts.

Merry Christmas!

     Wishing you many blessings, this Christmas and always - 

I like how this year's photo page turned out, and it's nice that we're "all on the same page."

Yesterday I was feeling blue, missing everybody, including my own mother, and thinking of Christmases past. But today I feel happy and grateful.  It's been a wonderful, blessed year. All the dear ones on this page, they are my treasures.

June 2016, with some of our dear grandchildren. What precious darlings, each of them. They have our hearts.

My Brother Ray

in Monte Carlo recently, photo by Urs

We are all very sad. Our brother Ray is really ill. So glad and thankful he had wonderful visits in Austria and southern France just a couple of months ago, thanks to Ursula's help. Glad for the happy time, and the wonderful memories and pictures.

He is upbeat and cheerful, as he has always, always been.
Michaela is in Alberta with him now. Glad for that, too.
I'm  thankful I was able to talk with him on the phone a week or so ago. "I love you, Ray", I said.
He said, "I love you too, Angie."


And this photo below is from last year, when Michaela and Ursula met up with Ray and some of his family in Edmonton.

Postcard from France

Postcard from southern France:

Bonjour! Having a great time! Hope all is well with you.   Love, moi

                                                                                                                Photographer: Simon

**********

On Saturday the 12th, we visited St. Guilhem-le-desert, a stunning medieval village and abbey not far away. Jeffrey came, too. 

Inside the ancient stone church I lit a votive candle, heaven knows our world needs more light, and whispered a little prayer for our country, and its governance. The election this week and the months leading up to it, have made me/many citizens sober and thoughtful. What can I do, to reach out?

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace on earth. Where there is hate, let me sow love; where there is doubt, faith in thee.   (from "The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi")

I was very impressed with an article on the last page of the BYU College of Humanities magazine, in 2016 sometime, I think. It's an excerpt from a talk originally given in Washington, DC on 11-13-2012.  I copied some of it out. It is entitled "The Act of At/one/ment - Reconciliation vs. Divide",     by Thomas Griffith:

"Notice Satan's tactic in the Garden of Eden story. Satan was trying to divide Adam and Eve from each other. Dividing people from each other has been Satan's signature through history. He divides us by gender, race, religion, nationality, wealth, and the list goes on. By contrast, the work of Christ is reconciliation, at-one-ment. 

Wherever we see efforts to bridge differences, we are likely seeing Christ at work." 

[Then he talks about learning the language, culture and world-view of another.]

"We are more comfortable when we are 'with our people'. But this is not the Lord's way.  The impulse of the disciple is not division, but at-one-ment."    etc. 

Wasn't it yesterday ...?

 December 1998                                                                                                                                                          

He was our first precious grandchild.

For his second birthday, I made him a little "book" - laminated photo pages on colored paper, and held together with a ring.

"I like to open and close doors", "I like to eat spaghetti", "I like to read", "I like to play the piano", "I like to talk on the phone," etc.

"But most of all, I like to smile".  Aber am liebsten tu ich lächeln.

Today is his birthday, and now he is eighteen years old. EIGHTEEN!  A bright, kind, already well-traveled young man, and a loving brother, son and grandson. We are so pleased and grateful for how well he has grown up. He has great parents and siblings.

                      HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICKY!  WITH MUCH LOVE.


P.S. When he was little, he loved Winnie the Poo. So we're sending him this book - a good little gift for the boy who is currently the #1 Latin champion of all the high schools in Canton Zurich.

************

       

For all of you who love the French language, including moi

French Words to the World

      The linguistic bequest to the world has been indispensable. What sort of romance could be conducted without a tête-a-tête, a rendezvous with the right ambiance, a frisson or two, some badinage, the odd nuance and some risqué repartee?
      What sort of war could anyone conduct without sabotage, maneuvers, many and frequent mêlées, bags of esprit de corps, a little espionage, liaison and ultimately détente?
      What sort of poise could anyone achieve without being suave and soigné? What sort of political excitement could there be without coups d'état, laisser-faire, fait accompli, volte-face and carte blanche?
      How could we show we were out of our milieu if we couldn't make gaffes and faux pas to show that we were thoroughly gauche?
      What would we eat in a restaurant, buffet or café without casseroles, fricassées, hors-d'oeuvres, soufflés, vols-au-vents, escalopes, consommés, pâtés, terrines, éclairs, croissants, omelettes, gâteaux, mousses, sauces ....?
      And wouldn't everything be passé were it not for the avant-garde?

 From "The Xenophobe's Guide to the French" by N. Yapp and M. Syrett

                                  

Guess Who's Nine Today?

A Swiss miss is nine years old today!
Nine is such a cute age. So sweet and innocent and excited about life.
She told us about each of her seven American Girl dolls, and about a new girl in her class who is Italian, and doesn't speak German yet.
Our birthday girl also told us her family sang Happy Birthday to her four times - in Latin, French, English and German.
How cute is that?

The picture below is from the summer when this girl turned five, and she started to read. It suddenly clicked, and every day she made huge progress. So exciting!

                           She was thrilled, as were we all.   (Do you know her family nickname?)

Family Bike Ride on Swamp Rabbit Trail

We visited this darling trio (actually 3 1/2) in S. Carolina over the weekend, and we all went on a family bike ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and had a delicious lunch at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe.

                                             And at home - pictures of PUPPIES!!

Opa and NouNou like each other.

             

4th of July Parade

This morning we went to the 4th of July parade in Provo. We had a good, shady spot at Center and 850 East, approximately across the street from Cracrofts' former home. The front spots on the street were reserved by large families who arrived much earlier than we did, but once the parade started, Grosspapa was able to find little spot right at the front for Anna, Abey and himself.

It was fun.
I enjoyed it. It was a hometown parade as only Provo could have. Lots of hometown cheer. Cosmo came, of course, on an old-fashioned coach. All the missionaries in the Provo mission walked and waved, along with their mission president and his wife. The two young elders and the senior missionary who were hurt in the Belgium bombing were the grand marshals this year, riding in an open car. Everybody applauded. As one of the young men was waving to the crowd, I saw he still has a pressure bandage on his hand and arm. And of course there were lots of marching bands and cheerleaders, from both Provo high schools and many other neighboring towns, including Springville (Go, Red Devils!)

There's Cosmo


 

Happy Fourth of July!

And of course we also went up to see the dear ones on Mohican Lane

Saturday in Provo

Wonderful day. The morning hike up the mountain to the Y went fine. The mountainside was in shade the whole hike up and longer, until we were ready to go down. The kids had fun climbing around on the Y.

on the way down, overlooking the campus and  town

Later we went to lunch for Steven's birthday (a couple of days late). He chose Terra Mia. We ate outside, shared salads and pizza, and pretended we were in Italy, like D and L & co! The food was beautiful and delicious, and the ambiance was great!

The End of a Perfect Day

                                 Jean remembered and liked this popular song from his childhood.

                                                      At the End of a Perfect Day

When you come to the end of a perfect day,
And you sit alone with your thoughts,
While the chimes ring out with a carol gay,
For the joy that the day has brought,
Do you think what the end of a perfect day
Can mean to a tired heart,
When the sun goes down with a flaming ray,
And the dear hearts have to part?

Well, this is the end of a perfect day,
Near the end of a journey, too,
But it leaves a song that is big and strong,
With a wish that is kind and true.
For meaning has painted this golden day
With colors that never fade,
And we find at the end of a perfect day,
The soul of a friend we've made.

Paris With Teens

We're really enjoying Liz's blog reports about the American Family in France's adventures in Paris. What fun. Wish I were there with you all!