ITS LOOKING A LOT MORE LIKE XMAS

Dear Family,

We have been busy so I have delayed in writing.  Well the Xmas tree is up and our Salzburg Creche is in the front hall and it looks like Xmas is coming. We have yet to try and get out the cards.

Our Christmas is ongoing much like the German variety.  Something is going on daily and there is joy in the air.  We get Christmas presents constantly, early and it is great.  Jeff sent down six fresh Maine Lobsters and we had lobster rolls, lobster salads, and steamed lobsters and it was great.

 Cheryl gave us an early Xmas ;present with two tickets on the second row to the West Ballet performance of the Nutcracker. It is a professional ballet company but uses students as well in their performances.  We had four granddaughters in that performance.  Cheryl had Annabelle, Mary Clare, Lauren, and Olivia performing.  Here is a Ballet West photo showing two of them.  Olivia was the youngest child and she is such a dynamic performer, smiling dancing, cocking her head and just enjoying herself.  She and Lauren were onstage for almost the entire first act. Mary Clare was the red mouse and the first child out under the skirt and Annabelle was one of the servants bringing in the cake.  It was a great performance.

We had visits from Michigan.  Bryan came back to visit clients of his business and Becca came up (who is his comptroller) and Sandpointe Consulting had a business meeting in the dining room.

Paul F. works for a Salt Lake firm but lives in central Michigan. He came back for end of year end meetings and they all stayed over.  Here is a picture of all of us with Mom and Dad wearing their new Michigan vests. It is so great to have these ongoing reunions.

We started out the month celebrating John's 30th birthday. It hardly seems like 30 years have gone by since Mom came home from the hospital with the twins, John and Julie  That was such a great event and I thought of my sitting in the waiting oom at Beaumont Hospital.  They did not let fathers in the OR in those days and I walked the room getting concerned over how long it was taking and hoped there was not a problem..  Mom got very large during that pregnancy but the obstetrician assured me he only heard one heart sound and he did not believe in ultrasound.  So the nurse came in breathless and said, "Follow me!" and we hurried to the newborn nursery and she said, "Here is your new daughter and turning to a second bassinet, and here is your new son!".  It is hard to believe nowadays that twins were not expected.;  So we wish John a happy birthday and remember that great day.

I was also tied up over the weekend.  I was having a bit of chest discomfort and went into the emergency ward on Friday.  Doug paved the way and had some of his office there as well to make things a bit easier.and lined up the cardiologist.  The EKG showed changes so on Saturday, I was whisked up to the cath lab and had a coronary cauterization. Three of the five bypasses that were put in ten years ago were open but one was stenotic so they placed a stent to open the narrowing.  So I got out of giving the Priesthood lesson on Sunday, got better and they let me go home the next day.  I am home taking it a bit easy.  I guess the best Xmas gift I could get is a continuance of life and for that we are grateful.  Will be back in the swing of things by the weekend as we speak in a Single Adult Ward on Sunday.

Next big event will be the traditional Christmas Eve gathering/dinner and celebration.

Love you all at this special season.

Mom and Dad