CHRISTMAS IN A BIG FAMILY

Dear Family,

We had a great family celebration on Christmas Eve. That is our big family get together with a festive meal, Nativity reenactment, and a visit from Santa Claus. Not everyone came but we did have eight of our sixteen kids with their spouses and 32 Grandchildren; 50 all told which is just short of half the family. Mary was back from Michigan, Suz from Arizona before they move to Mexico, John from Florida, Bina from California; Al, Doug, Mike and Emily from Utah. And oh yes, Cookiedough the pet rat, and Tallula the red parrot.

It was a gala event! We had a meal and that gang went through a 15 pound rib eye roast, mounds of mashed potatoes, salads of all kinds and pies everywhere. It was pretty festive.

We had a mammoth Family Home Evening and sang carols. There were comments from Opa, Al and Paul's kids enacted the Book of Mormon predictions of the coming of Christ with Samuel the Lamanite up on the wall calling everyone to repentance. James memorized big blocks of scripture so we did not have to read; William and Peter were the Lamanites and William had his Nerf cross bow and they threw balled up paper rocks. Last year, William nailed Samuel the Lamanite right between the eyes. We told him he was suppose to miss. "I practiced missing Opa". He missed Samuel but managed to shoot several things off the piano.

We have always tried to act out the Nativity in our family as the children grew up which is now getting to be quite a production. I had Doug act as stage manager organizing the rather large flock of sheep with many Shepards. He gave them their cues and I read from Luke 2. It is just a wonderful happy time.

Santa then made his appearance and passes out gifts to all who will not be there Xmas morning. That was wild as well and luckily Mary picked up some things for the grand kids while we were in China. The guys got ties.

When we lived in Michigan, Christmas morning was a big thing. It was the only time of the year we bought boxed cereal in the store and each one got their own big individual box of Fruit Loops or Cocoa Pops. We are not doing that now as most have Christmas with their families but we do a little Christmas gift giving with those who are staying in our home for the Holiday. It is a great time of the year and there is wall to wall joy.

Speaking of joy, here is my 15 year old Grandaughter's reaction (Natalie, Emily's daughter) to getting her new cell phone for Christmas.

It was grand, it was fun and it was family wall to wall. Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr wuenschen wir Allen. Always wanted to say that.

Love, Opa

THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT

Dear Family,

I just received the best Christmas Gift... a normal heart rhythm!

Ever since my open heart surgery almost eight years ago, I have been plagued by an abnormal heart rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation. This is where the heart beats irregularly, the effect of which interferes with normal heart chamber filling. The symptoms include a total sense of weakness and being washed out. It is like having one giant case of the flu with little strength, energy, or ambition.

Cardioversion is one treatment. That is where they put on the conductive pads on your chest, knock you out, connect you to an electrical voltage supply and turn on the juice and most of the time you can convert to a normal sinus rhythm which is a regular steady heart beat.

At first this did not work at all for me. Finally after a while it did work but did not last very long. It was the reason I was released from my first mission call. Finally I had a stable year and was sent to Germany for three years. The longest period or regular rhythm I experienced was while we were serving in Germany.

What I found sets it off was great joy or mild aggravation and after returning home, there was a bit of both and I would go in for electroshock cardioversion and it would last a few months and have to be repeated. Oral antirhythmatics did not work.

I was ok going to China in October but on the way home, I could feel it kick back to Atrial Fibrillation. I tried to live with this as many do but was totally drained and finally after being unable to bowl in Jon and Karen H. new bowling facility decided to go in for another cardioversion.

This was going on during the deaths in our family and extended family. I was successfully cardioverted but the rhythm was not entirely normal with many premature atrial beats. You feel much better but not entirely normal. They wanted to keep me and try a new medication but with two funerals and a wedding in the single's ward, I waited two weeks.

I did not know that Cardiologist were so specialized. Now there is a specialty of Cardiac Electrophysiology. The only cardiologists allowed to prescribe this new medication, TIKOSYN, had to be certified and licensed cardiac electrophysiologists. It has to be given in a hospital, in a monitored cardiac step down unit where your EKG is continuosly monitored for three days and renal function is closely watched as well. One has to do this for three entire days so the dose can be determined by changes on the EKG.

So last week I went in and they hooked me up to the cardiac telemetry and I received the first dose. After 20 minutes, I stood up and feeling quite good wondered what I was doing there. I went over to the EKG monitor and to my amazement, I had a normal sinus rhythm without any premature atrial beats for the first time in eight years and I felt great!

They did 12 lead electrocardiograms two hours after each dose twice a day. The medication prolongs the QT interval on the EKG and if allowed to get too long, you can get a ventricular arrhythmia and of course die so the level is important. They got the dose right and I was rock stable and could not believe I could walk around the step down unit without problems. I pushed it and there were no changes!

I have been home for a few days and have been able to do our work in the missionary department and in the Temple without dragging myself around. It is such great blessing and I am so thankful for such an advance.

I am now prepared for the gathering of families on Christmas Eve night. Bring on the Nativity Players, I am prepared and ready and can handle all chaos!

Alles Gute, Dad

P.S. I am grateful for this great Christmas Gift

SUNDAYS MAY NOT BE SO BUSY

My three year stint on the University Single Student Stake High Council has come to an end and I was released on Sunday. I will miss the ward I was assigned to. The Bishop was my son in law, Paul H. It was great because I also got to see Cheryl and her 8 children each Sunday.

It is amazing how these young people grow on you. This ward was very active. There were a great number of returned missionaries, Elders and Sisters and they were wonderful. The activity was impressive. They would run 89% attendance at sacrament meeting. 90% of those who been through the Temple qualified for an active recommend and I would see them there. That would also tell you something about the percentage of full tithe payers.

Their Relief Society meetings were the best. (I got to sneak in there to see what was going on). The Sisters had a great spirit and were so well prepared.

We went to a temple marriage of one of the couples on Friday and to their reception last night. I would on occasion fill in for Cheryl teaching the Marriage Prep and Temple Prep class. I will sorely miss these young, vibrant and faithful members.

I went to our home ward with Mom and sat there with Al's kids which is also a treat. I went to our own Priesthood group and I am one of the younger members. Reality is sometimes just not fair.

Nice to be home

Alles Gute, Dad

EARLY XMAS FESTIVITIES

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Cheryl and Paul and their eight kids are going to Hawaii for Christmas so we began some family activities early. Madeline and Annabelle take ballet and qualified this year again for the Nutcracker ballet. Cheryl had to organize her driving to get them to the Capital Theater for practices for several weeks.



We were to meet at Siegfried's (that used to be a German restaurant) for a dinner before the start of the ballet. We ordered and then looked around for German Christmas treats which included Kindereier, Marzipan figures and of course Lebkuchen

I do not believe the people there are from Germany. I ordered a Schweinehaxen which was always a treat for new missionaries arriving in Germany. When they brought it out, it looked like a five pound pork roast. In Germany, the Schweinehaxen are smoked and small, but here it was roasted and huge. I could only manage a few slices and took this huge hunk of meat home. The kids all had Nuerenber Wuertzli and Spaetzeli.

We had he best seats in the house for the ballet; middle section of the balcony, front row. I was tickled with Annabelle and Madeline. Both came on in the first act. Annabelle was the girl in the blue dress and danced across the stage with the other children dancers for a very long time.

Then came Madeline who was the lead toy soldier and assuming a proper stance, was the soldier who shot the rat.

She is a very graceful dancer. Her movements were as the toy puppet soldier, angular and sharp. After the first act, they came up to the seats and received their bouquet of flowers. The second act was also very professional if you could get past the sprayed on tights of the male dancers. It was great.

The next morning, it was Xmas Breakfast with Santa Klaus at the Grand American Hotel. You have to sign up for this in October and cheryl and Paul invited us to go with their family. It was a spread on the order of the Laschinskyhof in Salzburg. What a spread and what a fun tradition. I am gradually warming up to the Spirit of Christmas and now to get our Xmas card out.

Alles guteDad

MY BROTHER RALPH'S FUNERAL

We had another funeral in the family. My brother, Ralph, who lived in Virginia, became ill there and his son drove back and brought him and his mother Laura back to Spanish, Utah. He was placed immediately into a hospital where studies showed he had suffered a large stroke from which he did not recover. This came on the same day that Elder Wirthlin died.

His kids came into town and we had the funeral last Tuesday. His two sons spoke and gave tender tributes to their father.

Ralph had served as a missionary in the Cook Islands years ago. He learned to speak Mauri and developed a love for the people and their traditions. He kept his language up and also contact with members from the Islands.

A Samoan chorus was there and sang several songs and it was touching. I spoke and talked about his missionary work and about his stint as an ordinance worker in the Washington Temple. I also told some tales from our childhood.

As they were wheeling the casket out of the chapel, a member of he Samoan chorus broke out a Ukulele and the group sang "Goodbye Dear Friend" which is a song they used to sing to missionaries going home. That pretty well emptied the lachrymal glands of the family.

He had spent many years on the army Reserve and apparently, that qualified him for a military burial as well and there was a military ceremony at the grave site including a four gun salute.

It is tough to see a younger brother go but in his case, it was a release. I recited this little poem:

After the clouds, the sunshine,

after the winter, the spring,

after the shower, the rainbow,

for life is a changeable thing.

After the night, the morning,

bidding all darkness cease,

after life's cares and sorrows,

the comfort and sweetness of peace.

I will remember him as a missionary and as a faithful temple worker and all the good times our families had together.

Alles Gute, Dad

ELDER WIRTHLIN'S FUNERAL

Dear Family,

We just got back from Elder Wirthlin's funeral at the Tabernacle on Temple Square.(http://www.lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference&event=178&lang=english&articleid=091)

It was one of the finest funerals I have ever been to. When an Apostle of the Church passes away, there are very special arrangements made. First of all, it is held in the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Choir is in full voice. It is planned by a committee of the 12 and we were invited to participate with the family.

There was a viewing yesterday, one a 4 PM for family, one at 5:00Pm for the General Authorities and then one at 6 PM for the public. We went at four and it was moving. There was Elder Wirthlin in his casket when only last week we paid him a visit.

On the day of that visit, he had gone to the cemetery to see the graves of all the family. We caught him late in the evening and had the best visit that I described in my last post. I was surprised when we received the call that he had passed away.

He went to bed and simply died in his sleep. He died with a smile on his face that was there as he lay in the casket. There were at least 100 family members there and they all looked alike. Some of his grandchildren looked like some of my children....Cathy and John have doubles among Elder Wirthlin's grandchildren. I was moved and realized that my old dear friend and Cousin had passed.

Today, we were invited to the Family Prayer gathering. There were more of his family there and the families of his brothers and sisters. There must have been over a hundred in that room. More greetings from old friends. President Monson and some of the 12 came in and President Monson conducted and Dave Wirthlin gave a sweet family prayer.

We were part of the courtage and we made our way to our car and proceeded with the long line of cars to the Tabernacle. We all drove through the gates at Temple Square and parked right outside of the Tabernacle on Temple Square grounds. Aunt Barbara, Uncle Gordon and my Uncle Meeks were with us in the car.

The casket was brought in and we followed the family into the Tabernacle. There was a gauntlet of General Authorities on each side paying respect as the casket came by. Members of the Twelve flanked both sides and the First Presidency was there as well. I nodded to those whom I knew, shook hands with a few and then as I walked past President Monson, he reached out his hand and shook mine and as I walked past, he jabbed me on the shoulder. So many emotions walking past that group.

The meeting was conducted by President Monson who had been a good friend of Elder Wirthlin for years and they had worked together on many projects in many places. He was moved at this passing.

The Tabernacle Choir sang, Joe Jr. gave a wonderful talk and there were talks from Elder Nelson who had also worked closely with Cousin Joe for years. There was a talk by Elder Packard and then President Monson gave closing remarks. All touched on his humility, example and Christlike life. It was the best funeral ever.

We followed the casket out and again walked passed this gauntlet of the Twelve and I shook hands with a few others. President Uchtdorf whispered, "Alles Gute". I was pretty tender at that moment, shook hands with Elder Perry and I walked passed President Monson without seeing him when I heard this voice, "Hey Doc!" I turned and President Monson grabbed my hand and said, "Thanks for all you have done for us over the years!" I melted and I was caught on TV dabbing my eyes.

We then went in the caravan to the grave site. President Monson conducted again and Joe Jr. dedicated the grave. It was wonderful and moving and we were so grateful to be part of it. Elder Wirthlin was my Cousin but he was also my dear friend and Confident for the last 40 years and I will sorely miss him.

I wondered if our Great Grandfather and Grandmother were permitted to look down and see something they started 150 years ago as they gave up their country, traditions and joined the church and came to the west with other pioneers. Elder Wirthlin leaves a great legacy and will never be forgotten.

Alles Gute, Dad

ELDER WIRTHLIN PASSES AWAY, OUR LAST VISIT

We received a call about midnight that Elder Wirthlin quietly passed away as he went to bed.

I was surprised because we had just visited him before Thanksgiving. He was well without any acute illness.

Mom and I had had finished our temple assignment at 8 PM (they call that 'Early Release'). We called his home and said we had a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and could we come by and drop it off. We have tried to visit him every week or two since his wife passed away and those visits were dear.

When we arrived, he got up out of his chair himself and took steps across the room without any support. He hugged Mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek and warmly shook my hand.

I was impressed as to how well he looked. He was so alive. His eyes sparkled and we had the best visit ever. I told him he looked great and that was a clinical, not a social opinion. "Thanks Doctor, that was the best Christmas gift I could receive!"

Our conversations were always about the same things. We would talk about Austria where we both had served as missionaries. We would speak of our Pioneer Great grandfather and great grandmother and their resolute faith. We would speak of football and he would always say how he used to go up to the U as a young man and watch my Father run track and play varsity football. We would talk about the strength of our young members of the Church. It was always so great to visit him.

When we left he got up out of his chair again and took a few steps and invited us back soon. I had never seen him look so well in two years and this visit was the best.

We will have more to say about him. I will miss him. I had adopted him as an older brother years ago and he has been so close to our family. He was the kindest and most Christlike man I had ever known.. he will be missed by the entire church. Sorry to bear this news..

Love, Dad

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

There are always great things happening around Thanksgiving. It is the offical time to start preparing for Xmas. Cheryl already has her tree up and has the home beautifully decorate with all her Xmas decorations.

Things start happening on Temple Square. The Square is lit up and the Xmas music starts. It is very hard to get tickets to these events unless you know someone. Saturday night, Dave and Ann Wirthlin invited us to go to the Tabernacle where they had the Symphony Choir perform. Temple Square was packed. It has been at least fifty years since I have been in the Tabernacle and I hd forgotten how exquisite the sound was. You could hear the plucking of each harp string. They sang one of my favorite hymns that I know only in German.."Komm du Quelle jedes Segen" and it was beautiful. On the way out a Temple Square Sister Missionary recognized me and came up. She was German from the Augsburg ward and we had a great chat.

Jon and Karen H. put in a bowling alley in their basement. This is a regular four lanes with automatic pin setters. It is quite a deal. We went up there and we had not bowled in 50 years. Mom did pretty good. This will be the highlight of the neighborhood.

We were invited to give a presentation in the Federal Heights ward on Dr. Nathan Smith. There was an interesting group there. Several people knew us from Boston. Several had gone to the U with Mom. Elder Dellenbach was there. He had been a Mission President in Munich and we had a good chat about that. We then went to Paul's ward and little Emilie Eva sat on my lap up front. We had turkey at Cheryl's and Family Home Evening. It was another great Sunday.

Love, Dad

THANKSGIVING FUN

Thanksgiving was always a great treat in our family. We have always had a large group over for Thanksgiving even when we lived in Boston or Michigan and it has always been a time of friendship and joy.

This year we had about 30 come; a smaller group than two years ago when we had 54 over for Thanksgiving. Last year we had a turkey cooking competition among the guys with regular turkey, deep friend turkey and brined and smoked turkey. The smoked turkey won the contest.

This year we had two turkeys, one roasted and the other brinded and smoked. the latter takes two days with a 20 hour brine and a 10 hour roast in the smoker. The larger Turkey was injected with a lemon butter marinade and was the best.

We would always take a day or two in preparing Thanksgiving. Making some things in advance like Indian pudding and the oyster dressing. One time we all sat around the table in Michigan and Rick took out his digital chronograph watch and timed how long it took to devour the goodies and it was about 23 minutes usually.

We had four daughters over with their families, Emily, Cheryl, Al and Cathy. I did the turkeys and the oyster dressing and the girls brought everything else... scrumptious salads. mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, buns, pies and desserts and it was another feast. It took about the same time for total consumption before everyone headed for a couch, floor or bed for the traditional Thanksgiving nap.

We had a great family night as everyone came back in two hours for the dessert and program. We all sat around and mentioned one thing that we were thankful for. I started with being Thankful for your Mom and then everyone said, "I am thanksful what what has been said plus....".

Al's family put on a skit of Pilgrims and Indians with costumes and a Tepee. James did an explanation of the first Thanksgiving and pointed out that the Indians came and saw that there was not enough food, went out and brought in about five deer and they also had venison.

I was tempted to serve some venison but that is against family tradition.

Then they all had dessert.

This is little Joseph with his plate piled high with pies and whipped cream.

We were all thankfull for many things; The Gospel, our Church and activity and the bounteous blessings of Heaven. It was another great Thanksgiving.

Love, Dad