IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYWHERE I LOOK AROUND HERE PEOPLE STILL HAVE THEIR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS UP. THE REASON FOR THAT IS OF COURSE ALL THE SNOW. MOST OF US CAN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SIDES OF THE HOUSE TO REACH UP, LET ALONE HAVE ROOM TO SET UP A LADDER.BUT LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, WE'RE ALREADY AHEAD FOR NEXT YEAR, AND WE CAN JUST TURN THEM ON FOR EASTER, MEMORIAL DAY, 4TH OF JULY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING, ETC.
The sheperds were watching on that glorious night We just got home from Boise (again) where Dee saw his surgeon. Actually, we saw him for less than 5 minutes, he took out one stitch, pronounced the incision in a great state of healing, and said have a good life. Keep up the walking for 6 more weeks.
We are so grateful to him and all the other people at St. Luke's hospital for the wonderful care , and to Medicare and Lifewise for covering the entire bill of $10,430.00 except$ 5.62 which we have to pay.
Going to Boise is always fun because it includes time with Elaine's family.Nicole and Kelsey are home from college in Logan, Krista is delighted to have a vacation from school, and kindergarten is a new adventure for Colton. Thanks also to David who drives us through thick and thin, clear roads and snow. We got home to about 4 new inches, on top of what we already had, so it's a white Christmas for us.
Boy, do I remember lots of cold Christmases. We used to wake up at the crack of dawn, or before, and it would be HOURS before you'd hear anyone downstairs move. I could never understand why parents could sleep in on Christmas Day
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One of the kids would hop up and run down stairs to see if we could get up (we knew they'd say no, and they did.)
"Wait until I get the fire made , it's too cold" my Dad always said, Boy, as if we cared!
I just can't resist posting this photo that a friend sent me last year. So tired!
Seems as if winter has finally arrived her in Oregon, and boy is it cold. 14"s and counting. Since we haven't decided if we are going to put up a tree this year, I went back and found a few of Colton and I finding our Christmas tree in 2006. He was so cute, just like a kid in a candy store.
I wonder if Christmas will ever arrive? Daniel! Are you awake?
PEACE ON EARTH TIME You know, Jacob tipped over the Christmas tree it happens at least once a year If we didn't have little problems like that we wouldn't know Christmas is near
and when that tree fell, we said, oh, well and set it up straight 'cause this is the season we all love,we don't ever hate, all through December days we sing God's praise
The feeling's divine.... We listen to hear the angels sing, it's peace on earth time.You know, when we're out shopping the bell ringers ring the sound makes our hearts open wide
We reach in our pockets and get out our change, and we feel God's love deep inside...It's a feeling called Christmas, when children just can't wait
to look for the reindeer "can we please stay up late on Christmas eve?"Our hearts are full of love, the feeling's divine, we listen to hear the angels sing
it's peace on earth time
Happy Sunday! Every day gets better and better here. Dee felt good yesterday, thanks to a phone call from Mark and a letter from Karen. The best part of family is keeping in touch, as you all know
A note from the Petersons says they are still working their way through Marge's illness from the stroke in 2007. Everything just takes too long, especially after she had a fall, but with Lyle there tending, like Dee and I illness brings you closer, and you remember how grateful you are to have each other.
Today is fast Sunday and I'll miss giving my testimony, but if I did I'd say how grateful I am for Heavenly Father's care. I belong to the greatest and truest church in the world today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Love to everyone, have a nice day.
Besides the thousands of lights all over the grounds, we had a great program every night in the visitors center. One year there were many, many trees all decorated by different wards which the large crowds loved. The next year the display included nativity scenes from all over the world. Dee and I got to work in the center some nights, greeting the people, and just mingling, taking in the joy of the season.Outside was a living manger scene, using local missionaries. Wonderful season!
It was just such a privilege for us to serve a mission there, and be in the temple every day.
Especially for me, working as secretary on the 6th floor was my favorite thing. Being around all those great men who were sealers, and scheduling marriage sealings, and just being there to feel the spirit. One of the best parts was watching the little children come up all dressed in white, ready to become a part of an eternal family. We loved that mission.
December 5th, 2008
Just look at him! He's so handsome and looks so good!Grandpa Dee is just recovering beautifully. He'll be good as new by Christmas, so come on over and visit.
December 6th
It seems to me that everyone now days uses the computer or some other machine to communicate with each other. I for one like a real letter, on paper, I need something to hold in my hand, and re-read later on, especially on a day when I don't get any other mail. My Dad used to say, "It's just as good to get out an old letter and re-read it. A real thing, that you can feel, then store away for another day, when you're feeling alone." I'm afraid that our thoughts, our inner thoughts that we don't say out loud, but only write down, will be lost to future generations. That will be a sad thing.
SURGERY SUCCESS!!!
Dee was only in surgery for 3 hours, and things went really well. Dr. said his heart is great, just the valve was bad. Five days in the hospital, a few days at Elaine's in Boise, where we also celebrated Thanksgiving with the Rudds, the Brian Fullers, and the Hill family from Idaho Falls. 
Here we have Dee showing Colton how the breathing instrument works, to keep the lungs clear. On the back of the couch is Sir. Koff-a-lot, his bear friend to hold to his chest when he coughed, to protect the incision. I was going to show you that, but Dee vetoed that one.
This of course was our first glimpse of Dee after the surgery, in the ICU So many machines !
This is Karen's family, plus David and us. It was really nice that Today is Thursday the 20th of November. Dad had his surgery yesterday in Boise, and is doing well. He is still in the cardio ICU and will probably be there for another day. He was awake and had the air tube out within about four hours after the surgery. We were told that we were only allowed to have one visitor at a time every hour for 10 minutes. Today Mom and David went to the Hospital and were told they could stay as long as they wanted. So of course mom did. I am sure that is where she is supposed to be. More later!
Elaine
PARABLE OF THE POPCORN
"Behold, at the time of the harvest, the ears of corn did bring forth kernals which were dried and prepared for the popper's hand. And then it was that the popper did take the kernals, all of which appeared alike unto him, and did apply the oil and the heat. And it came to pass that when the heat was on, some did explode with promise and did magnify themselves an hundred fold, and some did burst forth with whiteness which did both gladden the eye and satisfy the taste of the popper. And likewise, some others did pop, but not too much"
"But lo, there were some that did just lie there and even though the popper's heat was alike unto all, they did bask in the warmth of the oil and kept everything they had for themselves. And so it came to pass that those which had given of themselves did bring joy and delight to many munchers, but those which kept of the warmth and did not burst forth were fit only to be cast out into the pail and were thought of with hardness and disgust"
"And thus we see that in the beginning all appear alike, but when the heat is on, some come forth and give their all, while others fail to pop and become as chaff to be discarded and forgotten."
Each day we find ourselves faced with the decision of how well we will perform. Our superiors apply the "heat" of the assignment and expect us to yield our best. We can choose to give our all and bring satisfactory results. We can hold back some of what we should give and feel regrets and lack of fulfillment. Or we can choose to do little or nothing and eventually be thrown out.
The choice is ours each day. How you "pop" determines where you end up in the bowl.
If other people can't come out with me, I'll just have to bring this wonderful autumn day in to them. I walked out toward the burn barrel, and scuffed my way through the piles of dry crackly leaves clustered under the tree, out by the weathered picnic table David make for us in years past.
Piles of leaves, and suddenly childhood settles in on me again. I loved walking to school in Baker. Two and a half blocks and I was there. No long drives or bus rides like now.
This is probably just about the best feeling October day in my life. I'm not sure there haven't been a lot of days just like this, but I've never felt one like I feel this one. The sky is pure blue---not a whisp of cloud anywhere, with just a ripple of wind, just enough to jar a few more leaves free. I watch them settle in around me.
How I liked to build leaf-houses when I was young. We had no TV to watch. No lessons to go to. Not even piano lessons yet. No little league or other sports, after school was over. The rest of the day after school was all mine.
My sisters and I would push the leaves with our feet, or maybe a rake, and build walls in our pretend house---a bedroom here, the kitchen there. A break in the leaves made a door you could walk through and you didn't even have to close it, because it wasn't even there.
A big pile of leaves, all squared off, was just right. A bed of leaves to plop ourselves down in was prickly, as the dry leaf stems poked through our blouses, and we could lie there and look up and see the world. No ceiling, no walls to hold us in. Just us, and the world, and our imagination
The orchard today is a myriad of color....greens, orange, golds, reds. Every tree wears its own dress, with some leaves hanging on. They look like long rows of lovely ladies, all in their colored ball gowns, but with nowhere to go. But I can go anywhere I want, in my mind.
I'm in the white lawn chair. The sun is warm on my back. It's that wonderful warm kind of warm, that soaks inside, where it feels so good. I wonder if I'm too old to build a leaf house? we've had a lot of bees this year and wasps and some still buzz around me now.
I love it when Dee picks a pear and munches into it, the juice dripping from his chin. Carlo just came over to get a hug. All he need is a light pet on the head and now he's settled in. It's so good to just sit and feel, to feel how good the day feels, and how good I feel just being here.
In all of creation, I think where I am right now is best. Every day is beautiful, but some days are just more beautiful than other, and this is one of those.
I have to soak in all these last days of summer, so I'll have some warm in winter when it's cold. As I move my feet, shifting my position, I am surprised at the rustling sound. I guess nothing else in the world sounds like dry leaves on the ground, or in the tree over my head. Some of them are barely hanging on. In fact, there, some just lost their grip and floated down to join the others.
Tomorrow Dee and I are heading off for a few days at Seaside 
A nice weekend. Brian and Bobbi, James and Jessica came over to watch conference. We also had a fun trip to cut wood, even though there was a slight drizzle. So we brought our chicken picnic home to eat. Conference was really good! as always
I stole these nice photos from daughter Elaine's blog. Nicole and Kelsey were home from college, and it was time to update the family pictures for the scrapbook. She is amazing with a camera. Great looking family. 
CURT AND ELAINE
In my garden are many flowers, perennials planted there.THE LITTLE BOY
by Helen E. Buckley
Once a little boy went to school
He was quite a little boy
And it was quite a big school
But when the little boy
found that he could go to his room
by walking right in from the door outside
He was happy. And the school did not seem
quite so big any more .
One morning,
when the little boy had been in school awhile
the teacher said:
"Today we are going to make a picture"
"Good!" thought the little boy.
He liked to make pictures.
He could make all kinds:
Lions and tigers, chickens and cows trains and boats
And then he took out his box of crayons
and began to draw.
But the teacher said: "Wait!It is not time to begin"
and she waited until everyone looked ready.
"Now" said the teacher,
"We are going to make flowers"
"Good!" thought the little boy.
He liked to make flowers,
and he began to make beautiful ones
with his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said, "Wait
and I will show you how"
and she drew a flower on the blackboard.
It was red, with a green stem
"There" said the teacher. "Now you may begin"
The little boy looked at the teacher's flower
Then he looked at his own flower
He liked HIS flower better than the teacher's flower.
but he did not say this
He just turned his paper over and made a flower like the teacher's
It was red with a green stem
On another day when the little boy had opened
the door from outside all by himself, the teacher said:
"Today we are going to make something with clay"
"Good" thought the littleboy. He liked clay
He could make all kinds of things with clay
Snakes and snowmen, elephants and mice, cars and trucks
and he began to pull and pinch his ball of clay.
But the teacher said, "Wait! It's not time to begin!"
then theteacher said: "We are going to make a dish"
"Good!" thought the little boy, and he began to
make some that were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said, "Wait! and I will show you how"
And she showed everyone how to make one deep dish.
"There, Now you may begin"
The little boy looked at the teacher's dish, then his own.
He liked HIS dish better than theteacher's but he
did not say this.
Pretty soon the little boy learned to wait and to watch
and to make things like the teacher
and pretty soon he didn't make things
of his own anymore.
Now it happened that the little boy and his family
moved to another house, in another city
and the little boy went to another school
This school was even Bigger than the other one
and there was no door from the outside into his room
And the very first day he was there, the teacher said:
"Today we are going to make a picture"
"Good!" thought the little boy, and he waited
for the teacher to tell him what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room
When she came to the little boy she said,
"Don't you want to make a picture?"
"Yes" the little boy said
"What are we going to make?"
"I don't know until you make it"
"How shall I make it? asked the little boy
"Why any way and color you like" she said
"If everyone made the same picture,
and used the same colors
How would I know who made what,
and which was which "
"I don't know," said the little boy
and he began to make pink and orange
and blue flowers.
He liked his new school
Even if it didn't have a door.
Right in from the outside!
