The Magic of Christmas

The magic of Christmas,
The joyful sounds, the happy sounds,
That meet you everywhere you go.
The Holly and the Mistletoe,
Hung with care, to add romance,
They add to the magic of christmas.


The magic of Christmas,
The lights are flashing merrily,
Their Christmas colors, red and green,
The Christmas bells are ringing clear,
Heralding the message joyfully around
They add to the magic of Christmas.


The magic of Christmas,
The children's eyes so round and bright,
When Santa comes to give delight.
The Christmas trees all glittery and bright,
As Jack Frost nips the frosty air,
They add to the magic of Christmas.


The magic of Christmas,
It started on one starry night,
In a lowly manger far away.
When a new born babe was praised,
by sheperds, Kings- when angels sang.
They add to the magic of Christmas.


The magic of Christmas,
The air is filled with peace and cheer,
As all around the hymns we hear.
They tell of one King of Kings,
The prince of peace and love.
They add to the magic of Christmas.


The magic of Christmas,
Everyone must certainly agree,
Is Santa, lights, and Christmas bells.
But most importantly of all,
Is a lowly birth in Bethlehem, born the King of Kings,
LOVE....is the magic of Christmas.

Pictures of Tyce

Rachel sent me these cute pictures of Tyce. I thought I would share them with all of you. He is really changing and is so cute.

He is Here!

Tyce Joseph Wagner
7# 12 oz.
19 inches long
Proud parents Cody and Rachel Wagner


Pictures to come later.

I know the Lord looks after My Family

Do you ever wonder if the Lord looks after you? I know he hears and answers my prayers every day. Danny is doing so wonderful here in Idaho, everyone is happy and full of life. Tanya's job is going well and Danny is in the process of looking for a job to help out with the finances. I know he will find one.


Rachel only has four days left until she has her new little boy here. I know the Lord has watched over her and he will continue to do so. Everything will go good for her delivery. I'm so excited to see this little boy. I'm excited that Coy and Dax will be spending a week with us. I've missed them so much.


Thursday night I saw another prayer answered. Matt was getting on the freeway by Spanish Fork. He lost control of his truck and rolled it. He totaled it out. How thankful I am that the Lord watched over him and kept him save.

I'm so grateful for the power of Prayer. I know Heavenly Father is there and he really cares. Sometimes he doesn't answer us the way we think he should, but he always listens and he always answers. We have to have the Faith to recognize the answer.

Thanks for the Prayers

Thanks to all of you that have been praying for Matthew. His court date turned out to be better than we thought it would. Heavenly Father answered all our Prayers.

Just a Little Update

I spent the month of July in Utah. We didn't get to any parades this year. I did get to the Bates Family Reunion again this year. It was a nice visit with everyone.

This is a picture of Danny and Tanya and their beautiful little family. It is their most recent one. I am waiting for Rachel to send me her most recent family picture so that I can post it on here. I am waiting for everyone else to get a family picture taken.

August has been full of Dr. appointments. My ankle and foot have been hurting me quite badly. I went to a surgeon but he tole me that there isn't anything that can be done about the pain. I just have to live with it. I sure know how Mom feels now. If I would have known I would have all this pain from an ankle fuse, I might not have done it. You just don't know what the future can bring you.

Everything is about the same for me. I hope to go back to Utah and help Rachel out some more before her baby gets here. I have to get new glasses. My last pair broke and I have gone the past 2 weeks half blind. I hope my new glasses get here fast.

I hope everyone has had a nice summer. School is back and the kids are glad for the most part, I am sure. See you on my next post. I'll try to make it sooner than later.

Happy Birthday Jenny

Today is Jenny's birthday. She is a wonderful daughter. I know I drive her crazy sometimes but I try not to. She is a good mother and is always on the run with her kids, her friends, and her church callings. I don't know how she keeps going. She is a good sister to her brothers and sisters. I know they all appreciate her too.

Happy , Happy birthday Jenny. I hope you have a good one.


Love,


Mom

Happy Birthday Matthew

It's your birthday. How does it feel to be 30? I hope you have a super great one. Sounds like Jamie is making you a delicious dinner. I'm glad you got a job, you will do great at it. What a nice birthday present that was.

Matthew , you are a good person, who is reliable, hard working, a good father and husband, a good son, a good brother. You sometimes have a temper but you can fix that. LOL.....


Keep up the good work. Enjoy your day.


Love,


Mom


P.S. Thanks for voting for Kris. He was a good choice. I had fun watching American Idol this season.

Another Birthday!

May 16th 1975 Makette Anne White joined our family. She has been quite the caracter in our family. Her and Kelsey could always find some kind of mischive to get into.

Makette, you are a wonderful mother, daughter, and friend. I appreciate your phone calls. I know you work hard during the day and that you are tired at night. Keep loving your husband, your kids, your brothers and sisters and your grandmothers. Grandma Bates always enjoys a call or a visit from you.

Happy Birthday dear Makette, Happy , Happy Birthday to you. And may you have many more to follow.

Love,

Mom

Mother's Day

This year Tim surprised me with a pretty plant to keep in my room. I hope I don't kill it. I have a hard time keeping them alive. Instead of having a dinner we took a drive to a canyon not to far from here and roasted hot dogs and had a picnic. We used campsite number 4 and we were by a river. The sound of the water was really pleasant.

Tim built a fire and he gathered all the wood. I don't know why the kids didn't help him get the wood. Samantha wasn't really happy about being in the mountains. I think she took her frustrations out by chopping some wood for the fire. Later she took her feelings out by beating on a rock with a big stick. She would have preferred roasting hot dogs in the back yard.

Scott, Megan, and Josh seemed to have a good time. Josh would have liked to stay later and do some snipe hunting in the dark, but it was a school night and we had to get back and get ready for the next day I enjoyed the drive, and being in the mountains even if it was just for a short time. Thanks, Tim, for the wonderful day.

My Princess

Matt and Jamie made a trip up here in March. Madison loves to dress up and Megan and her friend Jamie had a ball dressing her up and having her model. Here are some pictures of her modeling her pretty princess dress and her casual look. Courtney didn't get into the action but she got her picture taken anyway. I love her big blue eyes.

A Trip to Lagoon

I took this picture when we went to Lagoon for Halloween. We had lots of fun. It sure got cold at the end of the evening. I was wearing a really light jacket and I got cold. Look how young they all looked at Halloween time. Samantha, Daxton , Coy, Scott , Megan, and Josh.

Happy Birthday

Today is Rachel's birthday. She was my mother's day gift 32 yrs. ago. What a joy she has been to me. She is a good daughter, a good mother, a good granddaugter. I would put a picture of her on here, but I lost all my pictures when I moved from Washington. I will have to get busy and take more.

Rachel, I hope your day is filled with pleasant things and that you have a very wonderful birthday. You deserve it.

Love,

Mom

My Childhood Timeline

June 26, 1953.................I was born to James William and Ellen Bentley Bates.
1954.................I fell with a glass and cut my wrist open. It left a big scar and damaged a nerve.
1955..................My brother Bill joined the family.
1955..................My Dad starts at Utah State University and moves us to Logan, Utah.
1957..................My sister Carol joined the family.
1958...................I started Kindergarten at Logan Elementary.
1959..................I lost my first tooth. I thought I was going to die.
1959..................My sister Kelley joined the family.
1960..................My Dad gets a job with the State of Utah. We move to Parowan, Utah.
1960.................My Grandpa Bates passes away.
1960.................I start the second grade at Parowan Elementary.
1961.................Dad buys Shamrock and Rocco. Two of our horses.
1961................My sister Leslie joined the family.
2 Sep 1961.................I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by my Father.
30 June 1962................We went to the St. George Temple and were sealed as a family.
1962................Shamrock jumps the fence while I am saddeling her and hurts Leslie's back.
1962................Spot goes to the Rodeo with us. Sits between two men in the bleachers.
1962................Dad follows a UFO and scares me to death
1963................My brother Steven joined the family.
1963................Dad gets transferred with his job. We move back to Spring Glen, Utah.
1963.................Dad buys Apache. One of my very favorite horses.
1963................I joined a riding club. Cherill Marx was our instructor.
1963.................I start the fifth grade at Spring Glen Elementary. Miss Jaunita Rowley is my teacher.
1964................Helper Elementary burns down. I have to attend the sixth grade at Helper Jr. High.
1965...............I started Jr. High School at Helper Jr. High
1965..............I graduated from Primary and entered MIA as a Beehive.
1965..............I had to have my tonsils taken out. I woke up during the operation. It scared me.

My Introduction

Today is the 29th day of March 2009. I am Patty Lynne Bates. I am currently 55 years old. I was born the 26th day of June 1953 in Price, Carbon, Utah the eldest child of James William and Ellen Myrle Bentley Bates. I am white and a proud American.
I do everything with my right hand so I guess that makes me right handed. As a child my hair was a light golden brown and as I grew older my hair went to a dark brown. At the present time my hair is white unless I die it. I inherited my early white hair from the Hamilton's. My mothers side of the family. My eyes are hazel. I have worn glasses since the 10th grade and I have never tried contacts. My blood type is O+. I am 5 feet and 5 inches tall.

I have never had a profession. I have had many jobs over the years. I worked at the Artic Circle in Price for 3 years. I really enjoyed it. It felt good to earn my own money. As a young girl I did a lot of baby sitting, and I delivered newspapers. I worked at a Kress store for 6 months when I went to Salt Lake City to attend LDS Business College. I got a job with the LDS Church Offices. I worked for the Historians office for 6 months transferring LDS Church Membership records to the computer. We also did excommunications and Patriarticle Blessings. After that job ended I was transferred to the Genealogical Department where I submitted names to the Temples for Temple Work. I loved working for the Church Offices and wished that I could have worked there for the rest of my life. I have worked at 2 7 Elevens. One in Salt Lake and one in Price. I babysat for the State of Utah for a couple of years and I was a crossing guard for Price City for several years. Later in life I worked for K-Mart in Price and K-Mart in Chehalis, Washington.
I have lived many places in my lifetime. Logan, Utah was my home from 1956 to 1960. I remember the house very well. It was long and narrow. It had an upstairs with 2 bedrooms, and a bedroom on the main level was where I spent 10 days in bed and wearing sunglasses because I got the red measles. Logan was lots of fun in the winter. Dad would take us out to the Hardware Ranch where we would get on horse drawn wagons loaded with hay to feed the Elk. I was just 5 years old and I got to drive the horses. Oh what fun that was. Dad would also take us up to the University Hill where we would get on sleds and slide down the steep hill there. Logan was where I lost my first dog. His name was Rags. I can remember calling and calling him when he disappeared We never did find him. I felt so bad about it. Another fond memory I have of Logan is the Park that was right across the street from our house. I loved getting on the Merry Go Round, sliding down the slide and swinging in the swings. Dad would put me and Bill on one side of the teter totter and he would get on the other end and make us go up and down. I had my big first fight at church when I was four. Mom went to Relief Society and took me to the nursery. I had take a favorite doll with me one week and I forgot it when I went home. The next time I went to nursery another little girl had my doll. I was so mad and I tried to take it away from her. I ended up pulling her head off.
The next place that I lived was in Parowan, Utah. We lived there from 1960 to 1963. The things I remember most about Parowan are: My grandpa Bates passed away right after we moved there. I remember going to his funeral and how sad I was. In Parowan we lived a couple of blocks from a dairy. They made real curd there in great big bins. I love curd , it is so rubbery and chewy . Bill and I used to go get great big pieces of it as it was made. I remember the day that Dad sent Bill and I to school carrying Trantula spiders in small paper cups for show and tell. I was so scared and half way there I tripped and fell and my spider fell out and I had to scoop it up into the paper cup again. I was sure glad to get there and give that thing to my teacher. How I loved horses and Dad got us several of them when we lived there. Shamrock, Rocco, Sugar, Carmel, and Dusty. Shamrock was a big buckskin mare that I rode a lot. I also rode a little black horse that we borrowed. His name was Jimmy. I loved that little horse. We had a Springer Spaniel that we called Spot. He was such a fun dog and a very funny one. One time he went to a rodeo with us and sat up in the bleachers between two men. They asked my Dad if he had bought that dog a ticket. Spot just thought he could go anywhere with us. Another time he thought he would go to Church with us. One day he disappeared on us and never came back home. We sure did miss him. Mom got me started in my first 4-H classes while we lived there. She taught me and a few of my friends cooking. It was lots of fun. I had one very close and special friend there. Her name was Cindy Evans. We rode her big horse Blue all over the place. She got a Flintstones town set for Christmas one year and we played with it all the time.
The next place we lived was back in Spring Glen, Utah. Back to my home town. We moved back in 1963. The house wasn't finished so we had to live in it as Dad finished building it. All us kids had to sleep in one bedroom together. I went one year to Spring Glen Elementary. My teacher was Miss Jaunita Rowley. She was a fun teacher. My favorite thing to do at recess and lunch hour was to play marbles. I won a lot of marbles and I loved looking at them and polishing them. Helper Elementary burned down the next year so I had to go to Helper Jr. High for 6th grade. It turned out to be ok. During the 6th grade I read every Nancy Drew Mystery books. I loved them. When we moved from Parowan Dad had sold all the horses so I didn't have one. One day just after we had moved there he told me he was going to go look at a horse that he might buy. He came home without one and I was so disappointed. I went out and sat under the willow tree feeling really bad. While I was sitting there a boy came riding up on the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. He stopped in front of our house and asked me if I was Patty, I told him yes and he handed the rains to me and told me that this was my horse. I couldn't believe it. She was a brown and white paint, half Arabian Mare. Her name was Apache. I was so happy. Dad put me right on her to take a ride. I was on cloud nine to say the least.While I lived in Spring Glen, Mom got me started in 4-H again in sewing and cooking. She took us to 4-H camp several times.She also got me started in Tri-Chem painting. I loved doing that and I painted many things. While living in Spring Glen I joined a riding club, and took horsemanship in 4-H. Those are just some of the things that took place in Spring Glen, there is much more to tell.
In 1971 I moved to Salt Lake City to attend the LDS Business College. This was my first time away from home and on my own. I wasn't really excited about it because I was leaving my horses and my boyfriend behind. I lived in the dorms and had dorm parents. My roommate Doris Moore and I became good friends. I didn't like school and I got a job at Kress Department Store. My Dorm Parents let me stay in the Dorms even though I wasn't going to school any longer. I lived in Salt Lake until 1973. Many things happened while I lived there that I will go into later.
In 1973 I moved back to Carbon County and lived in my Dad's Apartment building. I lived in them until 1975. In 1975 I got to move into my very first house. I lived in Price until 1999. I have a lot of experiences to tell. In 1999 I moved to the State of Washington. I lived in Winlock, Washington. I lived there until the end of 2007. I am now living in Meridian, Idaho with my oldest daughter , Jenny. A divorce from my second husband has brought me to this place in my life. I have found out that life does continue after a divorce
My interests and hobbies are horses and dogs. Reading is a big thing for me. I find it very relaxing and rewarding. I like to collect little knick knacks. I really loved my cherished teddies collection but I lost them in my move from Washington to Idaho. I might take it up again. The sad thing about it is that the Nursery Rhyme Teddies have been retired and are no longer available. My biggest interest is in genealogy. I love looking for ancestors It's a wonderful feeling when you have a success. I went with Mom and Dad to the Main library in about 1978. Dad wanted to find his grandmother Victoria Parrish on a census with her father and mother. He told me that he had looked at the census film many times and hadn't been able to find her. He had me look at it again, I was so tired that I fell asleep while I was looking. Yes that is possible to do. I got to the end of the film not finding anything. I felt so guilty about falling asleep that I decided to go back through the film. I made three turns back through the film and there she was, listed with her parents. I was so excited about it. It sure woke me up. I didn't feel tired after that at all. Just that one find got me hooked on genealogy forever.

Spring

March is going out like a lion. Will April come in like a lamb? Today is a day full of rain and chilled air. It hardly seems like it is Spring. My favorite statement for this time of year is "April Showers bring May flowers."
I love Spring flowers, the daffodils, the tulips, and the crocus always bring a smile to my face and a lightness to my heart. The Hostas plant which starts to grow in the middle of Spring is another favorite. The beautiful green plant makes me feel good all summer and into the fall.
Another thing that I like about Spring is to see all the new baby animals that are born. The baby calves make me laugh . The baby lambs, romping around the field are a joy to watch. Any new baby foals that are born during the Spring are really enjoyed. When I was home with Mom and Dad, we had rabbits. I loved all the cute little bunnies that were born. They are so adorable.
Easter is my most favorite time of Spring. All the newness around me makes me think of the Savior and what he did for all of us. The resurrection of the Savior brings such hope to my life. Everything is made new through him. With all the fun of an Easter picnic, the greatest part of the celebration is to be able to go to Church and to partake of the Sacrament and renew my baptismal covenants with him. To think of him and to worship him and to never forget what price he paid to give us Eternal Life.
This is what Spring is to me. A time of new beginnings. A refreshing of all that has died through the winter, coming back to life. The refreshing of my soul.

Pay It Forward

The Rules

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!

2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on their post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along.Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!


SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!

Winning the War against Evil

"You were entrusted to come to the earth in these last days to do again what you did before---to once again choose good over evil."

This quote comes from Elder James J. Hamula talk in the general Priesthood meeting directed to the youth of the Church. Everyone should go and read his talk. It is on page 50 of the November Ensign.

If we as adults do not take a stand against evil, how can we expect our children to. We are quickly being taken over by evil. If we don't stand up and be counted on the Lords side then we are on the wrong side. This is not a time to be Lax. We are now in the closing hours of this great war. I hope you will all read this talk and I hope you will stand up for your children and choose the Lord's side.

A New Picture of Me.

I just thought that everyone would like to see an older picture of me. I'm not as young or trim as I used to be. I forgot that I had this picture and I found it the other day while I was looking for something else. Well here it is. Don't laugh to hard at me......

I can't wait until I get my youth back after we die. That will be so great.

25 Random Things about Me.

Sunday, February 8, 2009


1. I am the oldest child in my family.
2. I love horses. I was a member of a riding club when I was growing up. I performed in several rodeo's.
3. I rode bucking ponies in the Little Buckaroo Rodeo.
4. I loved Saturday mornings. All my favorite programs were on. My Friend Flicka, Fury,Sky King, Lassie, The Lone Ranger.
5. I love country music. My favorites are Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, Kenney Chesney and Kenney Rogers
.6. I graduated from Carbon High School.
7. I attended LDS Business Colledge.
8. I worked for the LDS Church Offices in Salt Lake City. (My favorite job)
9. I had a job in High School. I worked for the Artic Circle.
10. I was a big flirt. My Dad would always get mad at me because I flirted with so many boys.
11. I loved the wrestling matches. Dad brought them to Carbon County and I never missed them.
12. I was married at age 19.
13. I had all 5 of my kids by the time I was 30.
14. I love genealogy.
15. I helped run a Family History Center.
16. I've been to Disneyland twice. I would love to go again.
17. I've been married and Divorced 2 times.
18. I lived in the state of Washington 8 1/2 years
.19. I learned to sail. I sailed on the Pudget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. It was a blast.
20. I love dogs. Especially Beagles. I loved my Beagle, Johnny.
21. I've had several jobs, babysitting, paper routes, Artic Circle, Taco Time, 7-11, crossing guard, K-mart, Kress Variety Store, and LDS Church Offices.
22. I love to sleep.
23. I love to read. My favorite Authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anita Stansfield, Blaine Yorgensen, Patricia Cromwell, Victoria Holt, and Agatha Kristi.
24. I love Movies. My favorite movie of all time was Gone With the Wind.
25. I now live in Idaho with Jenny. I appreciate her very much.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Everyone have a very Happy Valentine's Day! I'll be thinking about you.

My New Calling

Today I started my new calling in the church. I'm back at it. I am now working in the Family History Center as a specialist. It is just a small FHC. It has 8 computers and 4 film readers and 1 microfiche reader. I hope the microfiche reader is a good one because I have a bunch of fiche coming to the center to read. I am really excited about looking for more of our ancestors. Have any of you in the younger generation that have Temple Recomends thought about going to the Temple and doing endowments for our new ancestors we have just found. It will be a great opportunity and will give you an idea about how important genealogy is.

We Found Him

We have found Thomas Jefferson Bates's father. His name is Zachariah Bates. He was born in 1781 in Virginia. Bill was the one who found him. Bill sent his DNA in and it matched with other DNA from this Bates line. He also found him on a census matching the ages of the sons that we knew about. This is a very exciting find and one we have wanted for many years. Bill has submitted some of the names for Temple Work. If any of you are interested in helping do this work contact Bill. I think he will do it sometime in March. This is a very wonderful opportunity so take advantage of it and do the work for our direct line ancestors.

Obama's Agenda

If you are interested in knowing what our new president has on his mind visit this website,
www.whitehouse.gov. It will surprise you what he has in mind for the future of this country.
He has already put into effect supporting international abortion clinics with our tax dollars.

It All Begins.......

November 20th arrived before I knew it. I found myself aboard a Southwest Flight going to Utah. What a hassel. Going through security is quite the thing. I didn't know my computer had to be out of it's bag to go through security by itself. I held up the line getting it out of the bag and then I forgot to take my shoes off , so that took a few more seconds. I survived the experience and I was relieved when Rachel, Coy, and Daxton found me at the baggage claim.

The next day was the big event of TWILIGHT. How much I had looked forward to that. We met Kelley and her family at Appleby's for lunch. Our group included Rachel, Makette, Makalie, Jamie, Makette's Sister-in-Law and her two girls. The movie was fantastic. I enjoyed it very much and I look forward to the next movie.

Thanksgiving was our next big event. We had Thanksgiving at Rachel's house. I bought us our Thanksgiving dinner and cooked the Turkey. Danny and Tanya and their family joined us for the big feast. Matt and Jamie dropped by later that day and we played some games. It was a fun day. Rachel made homemade pies for the dinner and they turned out really good. I especially liked the cocanut cream pie.

The next day everyone got together to go shopping. I babysat all the kids with the help of Joshua and Megan, and Beverlie. I don't think I would have survived the day without them.
Everyone had a great time shopping. I think this will be a family tradition every year.

The next thing I did was to take Matt and Jamie shopping for their Christmas present. I bought everyone food storage this year. I hope that was ok with everyone. I got Rachel a water barrel for her food storage. I spent a couple of days with Matt and Jamie. I really enjoyed myself. They even let me listen to Coast to Coast.

The next thing I did was go to Price and spend some time with Makette and Danny. I stayed at Makette's. I had lots of fun with the kids. Thanks for all the checker's we played and thanks for watching movies with me. Thanks Makette for letting me stay. I babysat for Danny on
Friday morning, while Tanya went to a meeting. Ryan was a little afraid of me so he went with his mom. Trevor slept the whole time, so it was easy for me to babysit.

I spent Friday Night with grandma and Carol. I had a nice visit with mom and enjoyed watching the home video. The next day was our Christmas Dinner with mom and her kids. Bill and
Steven didn't make it because of the weather. We missed them. We went to the Red Lobster and had some very good meals. It was nice and enjoyable to have each others company and not have a big mess to clean up. I hope we will keep this tradition up. It's Bills turn for the family parties next year.

My next activity was to go to the THIS IS THE PLACE, Heritage Park. It was so cold but so enjoyable. They had a lot of neat things there. I especially enjoyed the live Nativity.
Daxton seemed to like the puppet show the best. Marshall and Coy really liked the train. When the train dropped us off to see Santa, Coy ran after it yelling for it to come back. It was so funny.
Madison wouldn't keep her mittens on so I think her hands got a little cold. We had warm apple cider at Brigham Youngs house, the kids wrote letters to Santa and then we went to the Barn to see the old man himself. There were live Reindeer, terrific Cristmas Caroliers, and Santa was wonderful. The whole thing was a wonderful experience. After the park I rode home with Matt and Jamie. We stopped and had dinner at the Cracker Barrel. It was very good. I enjoyed my ride home with them. Rachel had to work that night so she picked me up on her way home. It was really snowing that early morning.

Christmas Eve came sooner than I could believe. Our Christmas dinner turned out good. I cooked a prime rib for us and it turned out really good. I think everyone enjoyed it. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves. They were really excited about opening a present that night. They all got new pj's. All to soon it was time to go to bed and wait for Santa to make his appearance.

Christmas morning was lots of fun. I enjoyed myself very much. I'm so grateful that Rachel and
Cody would let me share their Christmas. Matt came and got me later in the Day so I got to spend Christmas with them too. Madison was so cute with her pretty princess doll. It is taller than she is. I read all their little books to them. Marshall and Madison took turns sitting on my lap while I read.

We celebrated Marshall's birthday this month also. Jamie gave him a really fun birthday party.
Coy wanted to take the incredible Hulk home with him after the party. We had to explain to him that it was Marshall's birthday present and Coy would have to play with it when he went to Marshalls house.

On the last Sunday of the month Rachel, Cody, the boys and I went to Price to visit. We met Chris, Makette, Brandon, Makalie, Kyle, and Amie for lunch. We had invited Danny and his family too, but they didn't make it. After our lunch we went to grandma's to visit. Rachel and Cody went to see a friend and Cody's grandparents. We all had a nice visit. Later that night I went over to Matt and Jamie's to sleep. I didn't get my two nights in because Tim and Jenny had come to take me back to Idaho. We did go to a movie before we left. Matt didn't make it because he was working. Jenny and I went with Matt and Jamie to look at houses. I hope they can get one soon. They need more living space and storage space.

I hope all of you have a very happy and great New Year in 2009.