March Madness 2021

 

March blew in with Snow and winds and is ending with high winds and cold clear days!  We love the mountain that we live on and the beautiful Murdock Trail behind our home.  Our days have been filled with obtaining building permits, purchasing furniture, lights, flooring, meeting with contractors, planning, working hard and many trips to the local home improvement stores!  We were told it would take 2-3 weeks to get the permit from the city and we had a great surprise and received an email that it was ready after only 10 days.  We move a few steps forward and then have setbacks, but we are making progress.  

A few pictures to show the progress:

This is the before kitchenette.  They just painted over the wood cabinets and there was only a sink.  We took out all of the cabinets and sink and got ready for the new cabinets to arrive.  It is really good that we took out the old cabinets as we found mold behind one section from an old leak in the refrigerator line from the upstairs kitchen.  We were able to remove it and repair and then paint.  

We then removed the carpet that had been installed.  Not sure why they put in new carpet in the kitchen, but now it is gone!  We replaced it with waterproof vinyl laminate and I love it.  It really changes the look and it is starting to look like a kitchen.  

New cabinets in white Shaker style.  They turned out really nice and I love the slow close doors and drawers.  I have had a 50 year old home and these new cabinets are great!  The countertops will be installed along with the farmhouse sink next week.  The refrigerator can't be moved in until the new walkout basement door is installed - it is too big to fit down the inside stairs.  

It is a work in progress.  What were we thinking!  Actually it will be really nice when we are completed with this project and ready for the next.  Lights are next to be installed.  

The bathroom is a much bigger renovation than we thought - mostly finding contractors.  

We rented a jackhammer and removed the cement for the new plumbing pipe to be installed.  That will be done on Wednesday this week and then we will replace the cement and be ready for the next step.  We will have the closet/shower wall built and then have the shower pan installed.  Then we get to start the tile process.  

We found a beautiful big wood door that will be our new front door.  We have been refinishing it and just waiting for the weather to warm up to apply the stain.  Update - warm day today - put on first coat of stain and it is so rich and beautiful.  I can't wait to get the other side done - pictures next month.

Twenty-six years ago my employer purchased an old home to house the new Arlington Texas Institute.  I was fortunate to be a part of the meetings and was given a few things from the old home.  One of my favorite things is the mantle and hearth from the home.  I have had it in my home for the past 26 years.  My neighbor built this cabinet and it fit perfectly inside the hearth.  I used it for storing food and had a black fabric in front of it to make it look like a real working hearth.  When we sold our home the inspector asked if it was a gas or wood fireplace!  

With the limited space we have here, I decided to paint the cabinet black and use it to display some of my things.  It is filled with Easter now and I look forward to filling it with Nativities in December.  It is the only place in my home that has a little organization and beauty amid all of the renovations,  

Our goal is to have it completed by May 1 and then we will be ready for visitors and gatherings.  That will be just in time to start working on the outside.  

What a year it has been.  I still can't believe all that has happened in our life this past year.  

We were released as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a year ago this week.  Russ was recovering from a stroke two weeks before and we were in isolation in Wichita, Kansas because of Covid-19.  At that time we really did not know what our future looked like or what was in store for us.  Those events gave us a new perspective on life and we started making some new plans.  It was very difficult coming home to no in-person Church, no visitors, no family gatherings and acclimating back into life.  I would never have dreamed that we would sell our home and move to Utah.  We have been so blessed and know that we are where we are supposed to be.  We still can't believe we were able to sell our homes and purchase our new home in 1 months time.  The market is crazy in Utah and we know it took a miracle for us to be here.  I am still waiting for the day I don't have to do anything and can just enjoy myself.  That is not really how my life works, but I can dream.

We have both had our vaccines for Covid.  I had my second one yesterday and it hit me hard.  The first shot I did not have any reaction so I was hopeful the second shot would be the same.  I have had a fever, chills, body aches and just lousy feeling.  I know this too shall pass and I am grateful to have it.  I am ready for the future.

I never tire of the view up the street seeing the Moon come over the mountain and seeing the snowcapped mountain.  I have had several experiences with "light" this past month and I am so grateful for the Light of Jesus Christ in my life.

I was driving down the freeway and a car behind me did not have their lights on.  I was concerned that they were hard to see and how was I going to let them know they needed to turn on their lights.  She passed me but was in another lane and I was not able to do anything about it.  I came to my exit and realized that it was dark and that I only had my running lights on and did not have my headlights on.  What a wakeup call for me.  So many thoughts went through my mind.  I immediately realized that I cannot share "light' that I do not have.  I was so concerned about someone else that I was not aware of my own needs.  It led me to think about the fact that we cannot share what we do not have.  I could not even flash my headlights because they were not on.  When I turned on my lights, I could see so much better.  Not just physically, but spiritually I was learning from this experience.  I also thought about the other driver speeding down the freeway.  Someone needs to want the "light" or to change before they will.  I can't change it for them.  I can warn and teach, but each person has to choose for themselves.   Pres. Russell M. Nelson said, "Imagine how our prayers for our missionaries - and for our own efforts to gather Israel -could change with this concept in mind.  We often pray that we and the missionaries will be led to those who are prepared to receive the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  I wonder, to whom will we be led when we plead to find those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives?"

March blew in and is gone.  I look forward to April and the beauty of Spring in Utah and completing some of our projects.  Easter is one of my favorite holidays - a great way to begin the month of April.  

May the coming days be filled with a love and remembrance of Jesus Christ - Holy Days - as you prepare for Easter and remember "It is not about the Bunny - it's about the Lamb. "  

Much Love, 

The Grimmett's

February - Goodbye Texas, Hello Utah

Good-bye Texas

Hello Utah

So much has happened in our lives the past 30 days.  There is a lot of story to tell between these two pictures.  We left behind 42 years of memories, friends, and family to return where our story began in Utah County 46 years ago.  

To have 30 days to list and sell our home and make all of the arrangements to move and to downsize our belongings to fit on one truck was a mountain of a task for us.  We thought we had downsized two years ago and were amazed at all of the THINGS we still had and had to get rid of.  We were so blessed as we began the process and had good weather on the days we needed it and willing people to help us.  

Entertainment Center

About 9 years ago we purchased this Entertainment center from a Hotel sale.  It is 7 feet tall and weighs about 400 pounds.  It took 6 strong young men to get it into our house - finding after many tries it would only fit through our back sliding glass door.  We said, it will never leave this house again.  Thinking we would never leave Texas.  Russ had the great idea we would just leave it in the house for the new owners.  After posting on Marketplace and not one person interested we looked for places that would take it.  They said it was too big for donations and that most people had bigger TV's than the space would allow.  We had one man reach out and say we could pay him to haul it off.  How were we going to get it out of the house?  Missionaries to the rescue.  8 strong missionaries came and this time we knew what door it had to go out and they made it look like an easy move.  A tender mercy for sure.  When the young man came to pick it up, I was grateful he was hauling it off - even at a price.  He came with his wife and small baby and they thanked us for giving them the job and providing food for them that week.  It is interesting how the efforts of the missionaries allowed us to help someone else along the way.  

We sold most of our furniture and gave a lot more away.  I met some wonderful people along the way.  One lady sent me the picture of the refinished piece of furniture she had purchased from me.  She drove 90 minutes from Pilot Point Texas to pick it up and lives in a historic home built in the 1890's.  It is fun to see what other people can create and repurpose.  

We had an amazing neighbor, Jose' who offered his roofing truck for us to fill and haul off to the landfill.  We filled the truck two times!!!!

We spent a week cleaning out the greenhouse, shed and yard.  Why did we keep so much wood, tile and old yard equipment?  It was so nice to get it all cleaned out while the weather was good.  We were also glad to have it done two weeks before we actually had to load the truck with our belongings.  We had no idea what was heading to Texas at that time.

We had the sandbags for "a rainy day" in Texas.  We left them for the new owners - just in case.  It was interesting to me to try and give away our stored wheat and water barrels.  For me, they were security for one of those "rainy" days.  I ended up throwing away about 200 pounds of wheat and finally found someone to take my two 33 gallon buckets and the six 25 gallon water barrels.  I even had canning jars that just months before were like gold and no one could get them that I had a hard time giving away.  I had a feeling that they were important to someone and that they would be needed in the future.

I finally put these water barrels from the Dept. of Defense that had stored my wheat for over 45 years on marketplace for free.  Within minutes I had several requests from survivalists that saw the value in them.  It says on the barrels they are to be used for water storage and then to re-use as a commode.  Again, who knew what was coming to Texas in the coming week.  I was sad people I knew and who were aware of the need for preparedness were not interested in these items.  I hope they were useful to those who took them.

Russ and I worked diligently to pack everything in boxes and totes.  It was so good when the last items were sold or given away and the garage was filled with boxes and totes ready to be loaded on the truck.

We closed on our house on February 9.  A great Day!  

We started the day at the Arlington Sports Complex with Russ getting his second Covid-19 shot.  I did not qualify for two more days.  He was very anxious to get his last shot before we started on our travels to Kansas and Utah.  

We closed on our home and then got to meet the new owners.  That was really a nice experience as we got to see their excitement for their first home and being able to share some of our special memories of the house and neighborhood.  Sometimes we get caught up in the details of the sale and it became more real as we got to talk with them and share.  

We had our last home cooked meal as I had cleaned out the freezer and given most of the food away.  We made it a special night with pork schnitzel, spetzle (German pasta), salad and apples with caramel sauce.  This was a favorite dish while we were in Germany.  Great way to bid farewell.

Brian arrived on my birthday, Febraury 11, to help us load the truck.  It was one of the big birthday's - 65 years!  Medicare, qualify for Covid shots, discounts at venues, etc.  

Pies have always been my favorite birthday treat and my daughter-in-law Julie brought dinner - our last Fuzzy's Taco Shop and delicious Pies.  It was fun being together with family.

We were now ready for Friday and the loading of the truck.  We knew there was cold weather forecast and we were hoping to get the truck loaded before it hit.  We had been so blessed all month long as we needed good weather for all that we needed to get done.

Once again, the volunteer army of missionaries from The Fort Worth Texas Mission came to our aid.  We also had several friends that came and helped us load the truck.  It was the game of Tetris at it's finest.  Everyone worked together to make it happen and to fit everything except my two front porch gliders on the truck.  AMAZING!  It was 25* outside and we were racing the weather clock but they all made it happen.  We fed everyone Pizza and said some emotional good-byes to special friends.  Russ, Brian and I finished up the final cleaning of the kitchen and floors and headed to the Hotel for a good nights rest.  We knew we needed to be on the road early and drive to Wichita Kansas before the storm hit at the predicted 6:00 pm time.  

We wanted to see Josh and family one last time and to take pictures at our house and leave the keys.  What a surprise when we got in the car and tried to drive from the Hotel to Josh's house.  It was pure ice on the roads and we could only go about 20 mph and saw 3 accidents on the way.  We were not looking forward to the 6 hour drive ahead.  Luckily, once we were out of Arlington and on the highways it was clear roads.  Russ posted on his Facebook page that "it was going to be a cold day in hell before he would leave Texas".  Well - it happened!

We were so blessed to leave exactly when we did and were able to drive on dry roads the whole way to Wichita Kansas.  We had decided to stay there until the storm blew over and we could drive in better weather to Utah.  Our Hearts and Prayers were with everyone in Texas.  Oh how I wish I could have helped those who were so cold and without water.  We started to realize all of the things we did not have or had given away for just such times.  72 hour kits suddenly became real important.  We were grateful to be in a warm home with water, even with a frozen hot water pipe for two days.  We were much better off than everyone in Texas.  

We had two cases of bottled water in our car and ice chests with food.  The water froze in our car and burst - it went all over the car.  It was good it was just mineral water and not sugar drinks.  It just snowed inside the car.  We had a wonderful week with Brian, Beth, William and Nora.  It was truly a haven from the storm and a place to rest and get ready for the coming days.  

We finally got the call that we were scheduled to close on our new home.  We watched the weather and decided it was time to head to Utah.  The kids gave us a great good-bye and we were off for the new adventure.  Day one across Kansas to Denver was a great drive.  Clear roads and one of the most flat and straight drives in the country.  We stayed in Evergreen Colorado and looked forward to the shorter drive on Sunday.  We woke up to a light snow overnight and a beautiful day.  We started over the pass and it quickly went to completely different conditions.  There was no snow falling, but the roads were heavily sanded and only the two lanes open with no median on the sides.  The road conditions were OK, but we did not expect what happened next.  With 12* temperatures the windshield fluid from Texas was not adequate for the freezing weather.  It had frozen and would not come out to clean off the windshield.  Things were getting serious as I could not see to drive.  Because there was not moisture to help clean off all of the sand and dirt coming from the cars, it was like mud being thrown on the window and then freezing as it hit.  I could not pull off because there was no shoulder with the snow.  Finally a break and a car had pulled off to clean their window and I followed.  I was able to clean it off with water and towels and thought if we can just make it to Veil about 20 miles away to the nearest gas station we could get new fluid and be OK.  I have driven through many snow storms and whiteouts and this was one of the worst driving conditions I have ever been in.  At one point I had to just pray that I was on the road and would not hit another car.  When we arrived in Veil at the first gas station, every car that pulled in purchased windshield washer fluid.  I told Russ to expect to pay $10 for a gallon jug and was surprised that it was only $3.  It was nice to see they saw it as a necessity and made it available.  It took about thirty minutes for it to work through the ice in our car dispenser and then the fluid worked.  

Analogy:

When I was a young girl my father was an Insurance Rep and Real Estate Agent.  He was always attending Sales meetings and Positive Mental Attitude Seminars.  He applied his learning in our family life.  One of my favorite talks he shared with us was a lecture by Pat Boone and Art Linkletter.  This story will really date me.  Back in the day when you went to the gas station and it was full service and they would fill your tank and wash your windshield for 29 cent a gallon gas.  They told the story of a man who came to the gas station and the young man station attendant asked the man "Clean Your Windshield, Sir?"  Sometimes in life we need to "clean our windshields" of life.  We need to wipe away the dirt, bad feelings, negative thoughts, judgements, etc. and see the bright side of life.  That story has played a huge part of my thought process for the rest of my life.  When things have been hard or something brought me down, I always think of that little story and ask myself, "Clean your windshield, Sir."  For those 80 miles I thought of that saying in a much deeper way.  I had never had my "windshield" that dirty and needing to be cleaned so desperately.  I felt like I had been in Hell and had a few moments of seeing the light that kept me going.  Oh, so many thoughts going through my mind.  I was so grateful for the knowledge I have of Jesus Christ and his Atonement.  In D&C 18:10-13 it says:

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.  And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!  In the Lord's own words he describes his suffering, D&C 19:18 "Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore and to suffer both body and spirit - and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink- Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men."

For anyone struggling with life in any aspect, you can know that no matter how low you get, or how much pain you feel, or whatever, Jesus Christ atoned for you and can wipe away your sins, sorrows, pains, fears, weakness, etc and help you see the light.  I have witnessed that in my life spiritually and physically.  I will always be grateful for that simple phrase, "Clean your Windshield, Sir."

From what started as a beautiful day and quickly the conditions changed on the road, just like they do in life, we have to be grounded to a firm belief and foundation.  We continued on our journey and 2 hours later we were driving on dry roads and a sunny day and enjoying the drive when we came upon an accident.  We were completely stopped for 45 minutes.  At that point we could not complain - we were grateful for the calm after the storm and were so grateful to be safe and just sitting on the highway waiting.  The past week has truly been a week full of many emotions.  There have been moments of Joy - seeing family and the beauty of the Majestic Mountains and Sunsets.  The frustrations of delays in closing and many days in a hotel.  The Joys of moving in our new home, meeting new people and the generous help of so many people.  So much to be grateful for.

View from our new Home of Utah Lake

Logan seeing the house for the first time and so excited
for his new room.

Officially Closed and keys in hand.

Cutting the ribbon

  Friday we unloaded the truck with the help of 10 former missionaries from the Alpine German Speaking mission that we served in.  We put the work out and many came to help.  It was an amazing reunion - the beginning of many more times together.  We could not have done it without their help.  John Homer was an office Senior missionary over housing on the mission and was the go to man for all things apartments.  He continued to be the leader and was a work horse that made it all happen.  It brought back lots of memories  - even down to having to climb up and down many stairs.  Our mission nurse, Lynnette Bunker also came and helped and it was so fun to catch up and to know we live close to each other and can see each other again soon.  We look forward to getting settled and starting Sunday dinners with these young people and game nights and food.  

We attended Church for the first time in our new Ward and we were warmly welcomed.  We even knew a few people and made mission connections with a couple that served in Scotland at the same time we were in Germany and were in the MTC with our good friends The Blanchards.  It is really a small world.  

And so, we cherish our time in Texas - the best place to raise a family - and we look forward to returning where we began our family and renewing friendships and being closer to our extended family.  We hope to see our friends that are here and hope that if any of you are ever in Utah you will come and see us and know that our doors are always open for you to stay or find refuge with a good meal.  

Much Love,

The Grimmett's

New Address:

1064 East 140 North

Lindon, UT 84042

Phone:

817-422-8676

January 2021 GET IT DONE IN TWENTY ONE!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Every year my Dad and I would pick a theme for the new year.  It was something we did every New Years Eve.  Last year for 2020 he was no longer with us and he was missed.  I want to keep the tradition going and so in Haney fashion I came up with a new slogan for the year:  GET IT DONE IN 21!  Our themes related to our Business adventures, life, family and Church.  Little did I know what that would really mean for me in the coming days.  

We have been planning to move to Utah for the past 8 months.  We were going to build a home with our daughter, Emily in Lehi, Utah.  They had purchased the land the year before with the intent to build.  We had plans drawn up and Engineer approved.  We had a contractor and bids and were going through the process.  With Covid, lumber shortages and fires that have affected the cement industry, building prices have escalated.  We thought we would break ground in the Fall and then hopes of January.  The contractor came back with a new bid for $70,000 more and a timeline of 1 year or more to build with all of the shortages.  Over Christmas we decided to look at homes available on the market that would fit our needs.  We found a home in Lindon, Utah and our whole life turned upside down immediately.  We had two homes to sell and to purchase a new home.  By January 5th we had our homes on the market and had signed a contract for our new home.  Both homes sold by January 9th and we have not stopped working since that time.  We have had to have "mountains" moved and we have witnessed many tender mercies and blessings.  

Pictures of our home in Texas just for the memories:

Office

Sun Room/ Dining

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Kitchen

Dining Room

Living Room

We have been packing most of the month.  Oh, the memories.

I made a trip to Utah to finally see the home that we had purchased via ZOOM with the Realtor.

We started the process to plan for a few renovations that will need to be done to accommodate both of our families.  I helped Emily as she had some medical procedures that she was having done.  It was a whirlwind 4 days but we accomplished a lot.  I flew home and welcomed Jaime, Abby and Emma who came to have a final visit to our home in Texas.  Emma also celebrated her 12 Birthday with us.  She was born in Texas and moved to Minnesota when she was just a baby.  She had not been back to Texas in Ten years.  I could not believe she had not been to grandmas house at least that she could remember.  We just always go up there to see them.  We had a great time for the week they were here.  They were a tremendous help to us.  We emptied our attic - over 40 storage bins and other things.  We narrowed it down to about 15 and donated and threw away the rest.  

Abby is now 18 and she wanted all things Texas.  We spent a whole day visiting boot shops and found the perfect pair for her.  

Emma left with a Pioneer Woman (Oklahoma) Cowgirl hat, and fun T-shirts.

Jaime drove their Suburban so they would have a more enjoyable drive and she made sure it did not go home empty.  It was filled to the roof with food, furniture, clothes, memories and her Texas wall star she had to leave behind 10 years ago when she moved to Minnesota.  We loved having them visit.

It is not a trip to Texas without a visit to Braums, Shipleys Donuts and a drive to Waco.  

Jaime's Banana Split from Braums.  There are just good memories of girls night outs at Braum's that my girls love to go back and visit.  

The real reason you go to Waco is to go to WEST and the Kolache Bakery.
We stopped on our way down and again on the way back.  
This is a favorite tradition for many years and it was fun to share it with the girls.

Nutella and Chocolate Cream Cheese.

Family has come and gone since December.  We have had plumbers, electricians, Inspectors, Foundation Inspectors, Appraisers and people buying furniture pieces non-stop for the past two weeks.  The house is mostly packed and we are just tying up loose ends.  Still have a few pieces of furniture to sell or give away and we will be ready to close on our home, February 9.  

We were asked to speak in Church last Sunday and we were grateful for that opportunity.  It has been 9 months since we gave our homecoming talks, but we were not meeting at Church and did them over YouTube.  It is still very different with only 40 people in Church and many still listening over the Internet.  We feel like it has been 3 years since we have seen most of our friends in Arlington and we will miss not being able to say good-bye to many of them.  

We have been so blessed this past year.  So many friends and family have had Covid-19 and so many recently.  We continue to be vigilant in trying to protect ourselves.  Russ had his first vaccination and will be getting the second dose on Feb. 9.  I don't qualify until February so I will have to wait until we get to Utah.  I talked in my talk about all of the safety measures we take to protect us from Covid and other diseases and then reflected on what are we doing to protect our spiritual well being.  

I have written a lot about this subject this year.  I continue to be grateful for the time I have had to BE STILL and to study, ponder, pray and to serve others in new ways.  When you are serving a mission, you just serve and don't ask questions or wonder, "am I too busy to do this".  You just trust the Lord and do what is asked.  It is hard to explain being totally consecrated to service with not many other distractions.  Coming home, we sometimes let "things" get in our way.  I have been blessed to be a Ministering Sister to a Sister in our Ward that has a lot of needs.  I have had to trust in the Lord and seek His guidance many times as I have served her.  It has been a special experience for me as I have watched the hand of the Lord in my life and acted upon the impressions I have received.  When we act in faith and in behalf of Jesus Christ, miracles happen and we grow to love those we serve.  The Lord directs us in paths we don't always understand and sometimes for just a small season and then we move on to learn and experience other lessons.  I am so grateful for all of the experiences for growth that I have had the past 42 years in Texas.  We were given opportunities to serve at very young ages.  Because of the people the Lord put in our paths with more experience and wisdom, we were able to serve where we were asked and learn and grow from those experiences.  We know there will be many more opportunities for service,  just in another part of the Lord's vineyard .

We ended the month with a drive to Temple Texas to visit our dear mission friends, Claudia and Randy Bretzing.  They currently live in Mesa, Arizona and closed Thursday on a new home in Belton Texas.  We were so excited that we were going to both be in Texas and then - things changed.  We were able to see their new home and spend a wonderful day together.  We took them some West, Texas Kolaches and introduced them to our tradition and things they need to see and do in their area.  We will always have a part of our hearts in Texas and will be back to visit.  

So we are only at the end of January and we are GETTING IT DONE IN 21.  I am not sure what else is in store, but it is starting out to be an exciting year.  If we thought 2020 was memorable, I don't think we have seen nothing yet.  

A few pictures of our new home in Utah:

View from the front yard of the mountains and neighbors.

Our entrance to the house on the side.  We will have our own entrance and garage.  We are on the mountain so the back yard has lots of trees and a hill.  We have a paved trail behind our fence that goes all the way to Provo Canyon.  We are looking forward to some great walks and hikes.  

More photos next month after we move in.


From Deep in the Heart of Texas we send our love,
The Grimmett's

December 2020 Light The World

Russ, Faye Landham, Linda

December, the Most Wonderful Time of Year!  It has been a month of non-stop Joy and blessings as we have prepared our home, served others, and received so many cards from family and friends that connect us together.  We participated with the #LightTheWorld initiative this month and it truly helped us to focus on hope and brighter days ahead.  "When Jesus Christ was born, angels proclaimed, 'Peace on earth, good will to men.' This December, the promise remains the same.  As we serve others the way Jesus served, we can end 2020 on a hopeful note."  I will share a few of the highlights from this experience.

We started December with Giving Tuesday.  We donated to It's For Africa, a non-profit for friends who served a mission in Africa and have continued helping the people with water solutions.  It has helped so many people to have access to water - Not only is Jesus Christ the living water, but they are also helping the people with a necessity of life.

Signs of Christmas.  Lift others like Jesus did.  Decorate a neighbor's door with Christmas greetings.  This was a special activity to do.  We had fun deciding who we would select and how we would decorate the door,  One of our trees in our house is decorated with the different names of Christ.  We decided to create a paper tree and put paper ornaments on it with the names of Christ that are found in the scriptures.  I looked up all of the scripture references and then selected the ones I wanted to use.  On the back side of the ornament I put the scripture reference and then either some of the scripture or a brief description of the name.  We selected our neighbor whose husband passed away last year and we have not been able to see her very much with 

the current conditions.

I attached it to her front door and left.  I know it brightened her day and brought a little of the Christmas Spirit into her home.  I missed looking across the street and seeing her home lit up.  Her husband always waited until he saw Russ put up our lights and he would come out and put up his lights.  This year her house was dark and I hope we brought a little light into her life.

Treats times two was a fun day in the kitchen for me.  I was inspired to make some authentic German cookies by Sarah Penner, one of the Sister missionaries we served with. She sent me a recipe and it got me started and I just kept going.  I made shortbread cookies in a few varieties, Butterplatzchen and then Zimtsterne, a cinnamon cookie made from ground almonds, egg whites and cinnamon,  I rounded out the plate with one of our favorite Lebkuchen, a chocolate covered ginger cookie.  I got them at Aldi just like the ones I would get at Aldi in Germany.  It took a lot of thought and prayer to decide who to give them to.  That may sound funny, but we wanted to share with someone who would enjoy the cookies and also who would share the second plate with someone else.  We think we found the perfect family and we enjoyed making the delivery.

I was asked to participate in a Worldwide Virtual Nativity Display this year since many would not be able to have displays this year.  I submitted about 20 photos and about 10 of them made the Video.  It was beautifully done and DVD's were made and available for purchase.  I purchased some and then we delivered some of them to a local nursing home for their residents to be able to watch and enjoy.  

It is available on Youtube.com through Dec. 31

One of our Christmas traditions has been to go see or listen to The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean.  This year the play was made into a movie and was available to purchase.  If you have not watched it you need to take the time to view it.  It has many wonderful memories for me.  I love the music and the message.  He also wrote a Childrens Book version of the play.  It is a favorite of a few of my grandchildren.  They came to visit and we were able to read it together and sing the songs.  That was a special time with Will and Nora.

Another day was The Christ Child.  Jesus's birth brought hope.  Watch The Christ Child a Christmas message video on LDS.org. I had an amazing journey with this one.  My friend, Faye commented to me that she had received a new Nativity this year and she really liked it because it had a shepherd that was a girl.  I had studied a little about the Shepherds and had not followed that idea.  So I began a journey of a study of the Shepherds.  One of the sources was the video mentioned above.  I watched a video on the making of the video and it talked about the shepherdess that was in the movie and her connection with Mary when they arrived at the stable.  Now I was really interested to find out more.  A really good read is Why Shepherds Were Invited to Witness Christ's Birth - and Not Somebody Else.  LDS Living, Dec. 19, 2016 by Eric. D. Huntsman

He tells that there is a tendency to romanticize the shepherds, making them in our imagination good, gentle, humble figures.  In actuality, shepherds at the time were often looked upon as unclean and outside the law, sometimes even as dishonest, because they often grazed their flocks on other people's lands.  These particular Shepherds that the Angels visited on the night of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:9) were the ones who tended the flocks that were intended for temple sacrifices in Jerusalem.  Jesus came as the LAMB OF GOD, to die for the sins of the world, and it was perhaps to the keepers of temple flocks that his birth was first announced.  It was the priests' job to make sure the lambs were without blemish and completely unharmed before being sacrificed.  The was an actual tower (Migdal Eder) just outside town and within the Temple priests' fields.,  It was a kind of lookout tower.  It was the priest's job to stay in the Migdal Eder all night.  So, with the tower being very tall, the shepherd was "watching over the flock by night" while the other shepherds were on the ground also keeping watch.   

A Shepherd is symbolically, a person who cares for the Lord's children.  The Bible has many references of women Shepherds or Shepherdess.  Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherd is found in Genesis 29:10. Moses' wife was also a Shepherdess.  I read that many shepherds were men who were not married.  Many families had one member that would be assigned to tend to the flock.  Many times there would be no sons and the daughters would have that responsibility.  It was not a glamorous job and was difficult.  As a mother (Shepherdess) we teach our children that He wants to be their personal Savior and Shepherd.  We watch over and take care of our flock.  

Nancy Campbell in Above Rubies states:  "It means befriending with an intimate relationship, binding and bandaging up the hurt and broken, bravely fighting off all enemies, bringing back the straying and wandering ones, carrying the lambs close to your heart, comforting, encouraging the weary, eliminating fear in the dark and anxious times, feeding, . . .protecting, providing, rescuing when they turn to by-paths, ...searching and seeking the lost ones, strengthening the weak and tenderly folding your flock.  My, what an amazing mission you have a s a shepherdess.  Embrace this beautiful role.  It is not insignificant. "

So then I watched The Christ Child video and was touched by the young shepherdess and her connection with Mary.  I had always understood the modern day application of being a "Shepherd" to someone, but just had not equated that with the Shepherd's in the fields.  I am so grateful for a dear friend who made a simple comment that led me on a journey of study and learning.  

A final experience from this month - Goodwill to Family.  Jesus cared for His loved ones.  Go around the dinner table tonight and tell each person why he or she is loved.  

We had Emily, Ian, Logan and Preslee with us for Christmas.  Our Night in Bethlehem is a tradition that everyone looks forward to.  It is a simple meal that we eat from a table that is only 6 inch off the floor and we sit on the floor in candlelight and enjoy the atmosphere all around.  We watch the Nativity Video to set the tone and then everyone is given chocolate money to pay their taxes.  It is always a favorite event for what child gets to be the tax collector.  Logan was excited to be chosen for that job this year.  The nice part is that the tax collector gives out the money instead of taking it from the people.  Then this year we went around the table and each person said why the person to their right was loved.  It was a highlight of the evening.  With kids you never know how it will go and it was very special.  It was no coincidence who we chose to sit by without knowing this activity was going to happen.  I was grateful to be able to tell Logan why he is loved.  We then ate an amazing meal of grilled chicken in pita bread.  One of the traditions is to go to the Middle Eastern Store in the afternoon and buy fresh pita hot out of the oven, olives, the best ever dates and Baklava for dessert.  We also have cheese cubes, olives, roasted potatoes, dried fruit, dates, nuts, grapes and oranges.  We end with fruit breads like pumpkin, zucchini, banana and the Baklava.  The kids even ate the food and enjoyed it because it was so festive.  We love bringing the simplicity of this tradition into our home and enjoying the spirit that it brings.  

Next stop is with Santa at the Johnson home.  We have been going to their home on Christmas Eve for over 30 years.  We love the annual pictures we have standing with Santa.  We just stop by to have our picture taken and leave a Christmas wish and then we are on our way to see the Christmas lights around the city.  

We have pictures when our kids were young and now we have started collecting memories with our grandchildren.  These pictures really tell a story of their own as we look back on them over the years.  Grateful Max, who is 85 is still putting out his lights and letting us continue to make memories.

 

Another tradition is to make homemade Salsa and deliver to neighbors and other friends.  I thought this year would be a smaller list with Covid, but we still ended up delivering 16 containers of Salsa.  Our little street of 16 homes has changed in the past two years while we were gone.  We have had 2 neighbors pass away, 1 moved and a few were gone for the Holiday.  It is usually a really fun day as we walk the street and deliver chips and Salsa to each neighbor but this year we did not get to visit and catch up - just a quick delivery at their doors.  

Brain and Beth and their two kids came for a quick visit the week before Christmas.  We packed the days they were with us with lots of activities and fun times with the grandchildren.

We put a puzzle together - new challenge of a round puzzle.  We made gingerbread houses.  William is dreaming of all the candy he gets to eat in the picture!  

We did the Dinosaur drive through tour that was in Arlington.  The kids loved it and learned a lot as we listened to the audio tour and saw the different dinosaur statues.  I would have like it in a more parklike setting than in a parking lot but it was an enjoyable drive.

Emily and Ian arrived on Saturday night after a two day drive from Utah.  

They brought their dog, Chip and Brian has a new dog, Bailey.  So the Dog Cousins met for the first time.  It was so cute to see their reactions and after just a few minutes they were friends.  

We were grateful to have about 5 hours with both families together.  We went to Church for the Christmas service together.  I volunteered to play a piano solo and then I accompanied two sisters singing.  I choose to play an Austrian Christmas Hymn, Still, Still, Still.  It took our thoughts back to Christmas last year in Vienna.

We then had a Sunday Dinner together before Brian and family had to hit the road and return to Wichita, Kansas.  So glad to have the cousins see each other after two years and to be able to get a few pictures.  

Brian, Beth, Emily, Ian, Will, Nora and Preslee

Monday, December 21 was an historic night.  I hope all of you were able to see the planets align for the Christmas Star event.  

We went out to Lake Arlington to view the event.  It was the most beautiful evening and a majestic sunset over the water.  It was a perfect place.  Preslee learned how to skip rocks while we were waiting.  As the sun began to set, we walked out on the pier and watched as the night sky appeared.  We did not have a telescope or a very good camera, but it was still an amazing experience.  It was fun to see so many people that were there watching and listening to their excitement of the view.  

We knew we could have had a better view of the planets at home watching it on TV, but there was nothing better than being out seeing the sunset and the night sky appear.  The picture below is from a professional telescope and you can see how it truly resembled a Christmas Star.  Light is so interesting and I have enjoyed my spiritual journey this year experiencing "Light" in many ways.  I am so grateful for the Light of Christ that leads and guides me every day of my life.  I am grateful for that guiding Star in my life.

Preslee's favorite activity with Grandma is making cinnamon rolls.  She was so happy when she got to help make the dough and roll it out.  She is a great helper and is learning how to bake.  We then delivered them to a few friends.  She helped me deliver them to the doors and she had so much fun dressed as a little elf.

Logan took a few minutes away from his games and made a ginger bread collection - it never made it into a house.  He was just glad to frost it, top it with candy and eat it!  

He was ready for Christmas and his face tells it all.  

After a very long day of preparations and wonderful family time it was time to settle in for a Hallmark Christmas movie and a delicious cup of Hot Chocolate.  The Best Chocolate Ever!

Lindt Truffle Hot Chocolate

1 cup of Hot Milk

3 Lindt Truffles - Chocolate with Peppermint are a favorite

Stir until melted.  Can top with Cream and grated Chocolate

I just want to end this month with my experience of serving my dear friend Faye Landham in Granbury, Texas at the AWAY IN A MANGER NATIVITY DISPLAY.  Russ and I have made this a big part of our Christmas experience for the past 26 years.  We were not sure about this year with so many reasons not to gather.  The Mayor asked Faye to still have the event as everything else had been cancelled.  We took a lot of precautions and took three days to set out her 1300 Nativity Sets.

It is amazing to see so many different depictions of The Nativity from so many different countries.  We asked the young Missionaries from Granbury to come and help us set up.  They came and helped for a few hours and it was so good to serve with them.  They loved it and took lots of pictures.  They came back when it was open to the public and brought people with them.  They then came back when we took down and did all of the loading of the truck with the bins of Nativities.  I am go grateful for their help and service.  

I enjoy this Cowboy scene as it depicts the family on the farm in the scene.

Top picture is a Willow Tree design.  

A large Mexico set.  Notice the variety of animals and the colors.

Beautiful Belgium Lace

The Bears are always one of the favorites of the visitors.  She has penguins, dogs, cats, snowmen and just about anything you can imagine depicting the Nativity.

PERU

PHILIPPINES from 
Drift Wood

Jemez Indian from New Mexico

Alaska

Cypress Knees from Louisiana

Chili - made from marbles

Israel and Jerusalem Olive Wood

Oh, what an amazing gift to the community that Faye has given.  She had about 700 people visit the display over the 10 days that it was open.  It was a very different year for us as we had very few people helping - most of the time just 5 of us - social distancing and not eating at our favorite places in Granbury.  We took most of our food and ate at our Hotel.  Part of the fun every year is the food, visiting with the other helpers and enjoying all that Granbury has to offer.  This year, it was all about The Nativity and that was special in its own way.  This year has given us a lot to ponder on and reflect more on Jesus Christ.

As we end this year of 2020 and this wonderful Christmas Season, I would like to share a scripture that brings hope, peace, light and Joy:

". . .I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12

Four years ago my son, Josh made a Nativity for me.  You cannot tell what it is in the daylight.  When it is dark, the light inside comes on and illuminates the picture and then you can see what it is.  It has had significant meaning to me this year as I look at what the light within each one of us can do for not only ourselves but others.  

The Light Within

I have been blessed with peace, hope and love as I have invited this Light of Jesus Christ into my life this year.  I truly "Stand All Amazed at the Love Jesus offers me."  

We are so grateful to all of the people in our lives - YOU - who bring light into our lives.  

We know the future is bright we just need to have patience, hope and a resolve to learn from this time in our lives.  2020 will definitely go down in the history books.  We look forward to 2021 with the hope that we will get to see our friends and family, gather at Church, and enjoy whatever is in store for us on this great journey of life.

The Grimmett's