My First Christmas in Heaven

My First Christmas in Heaven I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below, with tiny lights, like heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow. The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tears, for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear, but the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here. I have no words to tell you, the joy the voices bring, for it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heard, but I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart. So be happy for me dear ones, you know I hold you dear, and be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I send you each a special gift from my heavenly home above. I send you each a memory of my undying love. After all, “LOVE” is a gift more precious than pure gold, it was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do, for I can’t count the blessings of love He has for each of you. So have a Merry Christmas and whip away that tear. Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.


This poem was sent to my family in a christmas card this year from a good friend of the family. It's perfect for Jessie

Christmas at the Salt Lake Temple

Lisa and I decided to pay a visit to Temple Square and take in the beautiful lights before I left for Oregon. We headed out of the apartment around 6pm to catch the train up there. May I just say there are the strangest people in the world that ride on Trax. We were sitting there being good girls and doing our people watching, mostly being irritated by a small group of teenagers that most would consider loud and would be willing to kick them a little. It was interesting to take in their lifestyle from more adult eyes....and then the laugh happened. Oh my goodness!!!! this girl had the most interesting laugh in the world. At first we coudln't place what it sounded like....after a few moments of laughing at the strange sounding laugh.... it hit us! She sounded like a Dodo Bird when she laughed. You wouldn't believe it....even we couldn't believe it was possible to laugh in such a manner. (Don't ask us to mimic it because we have tried with no success) LOL.


Now onto the temple......I will say it was as beautiful as ever. It was like a trip around the world for a small part of it. They had a few international manger scenes that we of course took pictures of. There were also little lights in the bags along the pathway. Each one said Merry Christmas in a different language. My favorite part was the floating manger scene on the Reflection Pond. It was a beautiful white statue and the pond had many floating candles surrounding it. If you get a chance this season everyone should go up there and see it.

A Hermiston Halloween

Anessa is toooo cute!



I just had to put up these pictures that my mom finally sent me from Halloween this year. Nessy is dressed up as Alice and Megan the Queen and Mike a Card. They are just too cute for words


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Year Recap of Fun

I had no idea how many concerts and activities Lisa and I went to this year till I started to think about them all. I'm sure I may have even forgotten a few. What can I say, I have a pathetic memory. Let's see if I can at least list them.....

Augustana, HelloGoodbye, and Shiny Toy Guns
Grizzlies Games
Blaze Games
Reincarnation of Peeve (our pet fish)
Menopause the Musical
Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey
The Cab, Dashboard Confessional, Plain White T's and Panic at the Disco
New Kids on the Block w/ Lady Gaga and Natasha Beddingfield
Carrie Underwood w/ Little Big Town
Movies Galore!

I'd say it's a pretty good year for little activities.
What can I say except girls just wanna have fun!

As for the stuff I did with persons other than Lisa....

Auto Show with Rick
Monster Truck Show with Kim
Hike to Timpanogos Cave with M&M and Anessa
Oregon Coast Cline Family Vacation! I love the coast...and I really love Silver Falls.

(pictures to come)

Fashion Place Christmas Party

Saturday was my company Christmas party. It turns out it is in my job description as the SSA of the branch to plan the party. What kind of party do you do for a bunch of bankers you ask... well you do the kind I did of course. It was quite the success. We had 33 people show up for the little gathering at Von's house this year. That's a ton better than last year when we had just over a dozen.
As per expected, the girls of the office stuck together and the guys did their thing in their little part of the world during the dinner portion of the evening. (Note to self: must get the recipe for the chicken noodle soup from Von's wife Dena.) It was great as always. We had many good laughs at the table Lisa and I sat with Lisa, Tracy, Alyssa, Kelly, Carrie and Rob mocking a certain individuals overly tight shirt among other things. So much love in my office. It's so great to work with people who are so great and have the kind of sense of humor that I have. Even Lisa seemed to fit in really well.
After dinner we had our White Elephant Yankee Swap game to bring everyone together. Great gifts this year... we had a few movies show up in the mix (Christmas with the Kranks, Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa!) as well as a few games like Kerplunk and Battle of the Sexes and a lovely Hannah Montana gift set was found in the mix. The kids seem to be the bosses when it came to what the parents picked for gifts. At least we now know who is in charge in each household.
After the presents came the wonderful game of Pictionary! Let me tell you the stick figures were amazing. I think the best drawing by far however was Rob's when he had the word rock and was drawing big mountains thinking we would somehow get the word from that. My manager Mark sat in the middle of the kids near the front. If you knew his personality you would know why he fit in so well with the kids.
It was a lot of fun and everyone really enjoyed themselves. We'll call this one a success!