B+C+B+C+B+C: Last weekend's Christmas activities

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Last weekend's Christmas activities

I made this photo collage fleece blanket for Grandpa McKell. It has pictures of his son Kent's family (Brian's family) with several shots of him and his grandkids and great-grandkids. We hung it up on the wall at the family party last weekend in Spanish Fork so he could see it when he came in. And - honestly - so I could show it off to everyone.

The photo doesn't do it justice because the bottom third of the blanket is cut off.

We spent the entire day in Utah County, and I was reminded of the reasons I don't miss it: POLLUTION and TRAFFIC. The holiday shopping frenzy was insane - it took me nearly an hour to get from the mall in Orem to Spanish Fork (usually 25 min drive). It didn't help that my vision was impaired by the nasty gray sky (I believe it's called inversion). The radio people were asking everyone to stay home and avoid driving or being outside. I'm pretty sure my hour-long run outside was equivalent to smoking a pack. Buuuuut... I did enjoy hitting a few favorite stores that we do not have in

Cedar. And seeing most of Brian's relatives. So it was an enjoyable trip (besides the 6 hours of driving part... thank goodness for those rumble strips on the side of the road to save me from my drowsy driving)!

7 comments:

Carolyn Quebe Williams said...: The real question is, could YOU be any cuter?! That blanket is so cool! It's such a good way to show off pictures. I love it. Merry Christmas!; December 25, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Debbie said...: That is an AMAZING gift to Grandpa M. You get a little older and it is the family memories that mean so much. VERY wonderful Chel. Casca bellies casca bellies fa la la la la la!; December 25, 2009 at 3:59 PM
Marilyn said...: Dad absolutely loved the blanket. There couldn't have been a better present for him. How thoughtful of you (and creative too) to make this gift.; December 26, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Marilyn said...: One more thing. If you think the pollution is bad in Utah Valley, come on up to SLC and see our pollution. Some days we are sitting above it, and we can see it just hanging gray and brown over the city. Yuck!!; December 26, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Unknown said...: Did you use the iron on transfer sheets for the pictures? I really love that blanket!; December 28, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Unknown said...: I was wondering about the pictures too. That is really neat and thoughtful! What a clever girl you are!; December 30, 2009 at 9:11 PM
Jules AF said...: I don't miss Utah county at ALL after reading this post. Thanks for reminding me of that HORRENDOUS traffic near University mall. ugh.; January 1, 2010 at 1:24 PM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Last weekend's Christmas activities

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