Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Looking for photos of us since we've come home to put in our Christmas letter...
   When I got to Nov. 27-30 it became mostly photos from our Thanksgiving week with our posterity.

Here's one in the snow on November 13.  Can you tell we are freezing!
Here's a photo from that same day. Our shipment arrived from San Salvador, El Salvador.  A few boxes were put in the living room and the rest out in the storage room where there is no heat. Seems a daunting task to unpack them all!
Here's a photo from November 18 of our neighbor--Steve Ormond-- shoveling the icy, frozen snow off our driveway.
Here's a photo from November 22 with my sister, Janice and Jeff, when we were visiting in Utah.
Here's a photo from November 22...in the Corner Canyon High School bulletin board.  I saw it when we were there for Joshua's play "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat."
Here's a photo from November 22 of David and 
his little sister, Julie Beth.
In contrast to this photo from 1972 when they were ages 1 and 2.
Who knew they would grow up to be such good friends.
Here is a photo from November 23 - Sunday with Steven in Saratoga Springs.
Here's a photo from November 26, Wednesday -- the night before Thanksgiving with the traditional supper of stew and scones when the 42 are arriving for Thanksgiving.  That made all our family gathering together except for ten: Brian & Michelle and their four daughters--Emma, Taylor, Avery, and Elizabeth "Lizzy."
We also celebrated the November 21st birthday of Ashley's turning 14 years old.
We forgot to do one tradition -- measuring each grandchild.  The only measuring we got done was measuring Josh and Jerry, then Josh and Daniel. Josh is taller than either, and also taller than his father, David.
Here are photos from November 27, Thursday - Thanksgiving Day.
A special treat was having the two newest grandbabies together--Julie with Rigdon born September 4, 2014.  Grampa is holding Jen & Jerry's Anna born on October 1, 2014.
Maddie, 7, is sitting on the couch with them.
This photo on Thanksgiving morning is Jen and Jerry who were in charge of breakfast.  They cooked two breakfast casseroles, and waffles, bacon and other good stuff.  It was yummy!
Everyone helped rake leaves. We were so grateful for everyone's hard work and for warm weather to make it pleasant to be outside.  Here are Aimee and Katie doing the southwest corner of the back yard.
Here are Sam and Isaac doing their part.
Even little Adam, 2, put some leaves in the bags.
Most of the helpers stood behind the t 
47 huge bags full of leaves.
Rigdon will be big enough to help in a year or two.
Then it was off to Burley's Story Book Park for some play time.
See photos in post for Nov. 24-30.

Dodge Ball was enjoyed by youth and above at the Cultural Hall at the church from 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
(I wasn't there to take photos. I did see someone's photos of this, but can't remember where. 

After some went swimming it was time 
for the late night chat around the table.
Next day....Friday, Nov. 28....
Fishers cooked a great breakfast of biscuits 'n gravy, scrambled eggs, lots of bacon 'n other good stuff.
No one really had any Black Friday bargains to find early, so just a little shopping was done.
Some of the Jerry, Sarah, Steve & Nat's family, Grampa 'n Grama made it a White Friday by going to the Twin Falls Temple.
Here we are with Steve & Natalie, Kimble and Carter.
Here we are with Jerry and Sarah.
We had a soup bar lunch, including the stew.
Natalie made some delicious corn bread.

After lunch some chose to go shooting....well a lot chose to go shooting.
Then some chose to go to the late matinee:
16 to Disney's Big Hero 6
and 11 to The Hunger Games #3 Mockingjay Part 1
We got a photo of just a few of the family after.
Then it was back to Grampa 'n Grama's home for
the Gary & Abbey's hot chocolate tasting time.
 Then some had turkey 'n rolls, along with lively discussion.
Cleaning up by Steve and Gary.
And games...teenage and above in living room.
And kids in family room....well, can't find that photo, but here are some of the kids enjoying the hot chocolate taste testing.
Saturday, Nov. 29, was a spiritual time to bless baby Rigdon Jay Peterson.
Here is our entire family gathered for this sacred occassion.
Here are our individual families:
Janie & Shawn Fisher, 
Aimee, (Michael Mecham is at Air Force Officer Training) 
Daniel & Kelly, 
Katie & Parker Anderson, 
Heidi, Samuel, Ashley, Michael. 

Gary & Kathy, McKell, Abbey, Jacob, Isaac

Steve & Natalie, Kimble, Carter

David & Julie, Joshua, Anna, Sam, William

Julie & John, Jacee, Jackson, Maddie, Rigdon

Brian & Michelle Family
Emma, Taylor, Avery, Elizabeth "Lizzy"
This was taken September 1, 2012 when
we were visiting them in Tennessee.

Jen & Jerry Brewer Family
Seth, Sarah, Ben, Joshua, Elizabeth "Lizzy," Adam, Anna

Here are the two Grandfathers
John's father, Brent Peterson on the left,
Julie's father, Walter Petersen, on the right.

Julie and John served breakfast to about 80 family members from our family and from Brent & Vicki's family.
These four sisters from both sides helped with the cooking.
A view of the Cultural Hall of both families.
Then it was time for some of the families to head out to their homes.  First to leave were Jen & Jerry who had 20 hours to drive back to Rochester, Minnesota.
Here's Jerry loading up their 12-passenger van.
Jen gives one last hug to her Dad before getting in the van full of their 7 children...and a stow-a-way. (Jacee road with them a ways before rendezvousing with her Mom along the way.)
Here's Sarah hiding Jacee.
And there they go....
It's always so wonderful to be together,
then the saddnest starts when we have to disperse.
Steve loaded up Grama A's old couch to take to the D.I.
It was no longer user-friendly to sit on.
Some of the grandkids got to ride on it out to the main road.
I didn't get photos of these goodbyes...
Next to head out were Steve & Natalie, Kimble, Carter, and
cousins Sam and Michael Fisher went with them to
Rexburg where they were going to see Natalie's parents, and
their new nieces.  Lance and Jena had twins a week or so ago.
Then David & Julie, Joshua, Anna, Sam, and William headed back to their home in Draper, Utah.
Next Aimee, Heidi, and Ashley drove off for Rexburg.
Then Daniel & Kelly, Parker & Katie to the BYU-Idaho city.
It is exciting to welcome these great "in-law-grandchildren" to the family.  Each one has followed this great advice:
"Choose your love.
Love your choice!"
After John's nap with Rigdon, he and Julie went out to Springdale to spend time with his parents, sisters and their families before
they returned to Utah.
The remaining ones went over to Taco Bandido and brought lunch home.  They said there was a long line.  Sounds like everyone was tired of left-over turkey 'n fixins.
Gary and Abbey put up our blue Christmas lights outside.
I know I took two photos of them, but I can't find them in my computer. (Computers! Can't live with them or without them!!)
I just went out and took a photo now of the lights.
The white bright circle is the wreath we bought at the Festival of Trees...which has blinking lights.
Here are Gary & Kathy, McKell, Abbey, Jacob, and Isacc heading out to Saratoga Springs.  They were the last ones to leave on Saturday evening.
McKell and Abbey in the middle seat with Maggie.
Jacob and Isaac in the back.
Gary and Kathy in front. Kathy brought some fun games that many enjoyed.
Then Janie helped us get started on opening 
up more of the boxes out in the storage/tool room 
that came in our shipment from San Salvador.
Janie and Walt took a time out from opening boxes from our El Salvador shipment to have some of Eileen's homemade apple pie.
The we went for Chinese food at Shon Hing for supper.  Yummm...
(The waitress "took" a photo of us...but didn't do it correctly, so no photo.)

Sunday, November 30... We spoke in Sacrament Meeting about our calling in the San Salvador El Salvador Temple as President and Matron for three years...July 20, 2011 to October 30, 2014.

Janice's daughter Vickie and her husband Carl Hacking, Hailey and Hunter drove up from Lehi, Utah.  That was so nice of them to do on this Thanksgiving weekend.
Janie & Shawn, Julie & John, Jacee, Jackson, Maddie, and Rigdon also attended from our family.
Julie & John and family, below, are heading out to Saratoga Springs, Utah--a three and a half hour drive.
Janie & Shawn are ready to drive back to Rexburg--a two and a half hour drive.
What a blessing to be together with all our family--
We missed the three granddaughters, two grandsons-in-law, 
and Brian & Michelle's family.
Kelsey & Joshua Summers, Cortney, 
Michael Mecham, Mikayla, 
Brian & Michelle, Emma, Taylor, Avery, and Lizzy.
(Their family is flying out on Christmas Day to Idaho Falls to ski at Targhee for the week.  We will be with them all at the 
Fisher's Rockin' New Year's Eve Party and on New Year's Day.)

What a blessing for us to welcome 
two new precious grandchildren to the family-- 
Rigdon Jay Peterson - born 4Sep2014
and
Anna Sue Brewer - born 1Oct2014.
We are thankful to our children and their spouses for 
bringing 35 of Heavenly Father's spirit children 
to the Earth that He has created for us to live on
during our turn here in this probationary time.
 We are with Rigdon at his blessing Nov. 29.
Anna Sue at her blessing on Nov. 22.
We look forward to being a family together forever 
if we do our part in being faithful 
to our priesthood temple covenants.
We are THANKFUL for being together here
for these special occasions such as
Thanksgiving Time. 
We are thankful for everyone's help as they all worked
so hard so that we could enjoy so many being here 
at our home in Burley, Idaho, after our
absence of three years.
WE LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU WITH ALL OUR HEARTS!

1 comment:

Rebecca Vipperman said...

I've just spent the past hour catching up on all your doings since you've been home in Idaho. So glad to have you back and see you having fun with your wonderful family!