Dallin's Pictures - December 29

Christmas Eve.  So this was our skit.  I'm in the black shirt.

 

 

Then I sat with Elder Clawson.  It's always fun to be with him.

 

 

Then we had dinner at Momichelas on Christmas Eve, and paneton and hot chocolate Christmas night.

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas week!

 

It wouldn't be Christmas without our visit to the senior home.

After handing out cards and candy canes, Josh played some of his Christmas arrangements.

 

 

The owner of the home expressed his gratitude for our service over the last 17 years.  He said he wished he had invited us to have dinner with the seniors that night.  He wanted to do something--so he gave us dessert--yummy chocolate chip cookies.  So kind.

 

Our Christmas Eve began with lunch at Bourbon Brothers.

They even had a lot of gluten-free options for Jayna!

 

Back to the house for The Muppet Christmas Carol movie and brownies with peppermint ice cream!

 

After the movie we all made a Christmas Eve snack.

Jayna made muddy buddies.

 

We ate our snacks while playing some games.

 

 

Dad gave us a Christmas movie trivia quiz.

We learned that Rudolph's dad is Donder--who knew?!

 Dad also had us put paper plates on our heads.  Then he directed to us draw a Christmas tree with ornaments and a star--and a fireplace with a stocking!

 

We got points for certain things!  It was hilarious!

 

We then began our Christmas Eve program--beginning with music.

Josh played some of his Christmas arrangements.

 

Jayna and Elizabeth sang Silent Night.

Then Jayna sang When Mary Sings a Lullaby.

 

And, of course, we played carols on the chimes!

 

Dad thought he would be funny and ran out to get gloves so he could be like the official bell ringers.

 

Then we retired to the family room.  Since we didn't think it would work well acting out the nativity with just the five of us, we watched the record-breaking nativity on YouTube where over 1,000 people participated--including The Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  It was wonderful!  If you haven't seen it, here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLoWt2tfqg

Then Mom read a story from Elder Holland about when his father passed away during Christmas.  Then we watched our Christmas Eve DVD about Christ.  And then we all shared our favorite story of Christ.

 

Then we went back to the living room where Dad read our final Christmas story--a Twenty-Nine Cent Christmas, and we listened to Silent Night by Mannheim Steamrollers.  Very peaceful.

 

Then it was time to open PJ packages!

 

And finally, the traditional reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas by Dad.

 

Christmas morning!!!

 

Santa came!!!

 

Jayna got a sleeping bag--which she couldn't get out of its case!

So Elizabeth helped her.

 

 

 

Christmas breakfast.
We all helped out--Jayna made gluten-free waffles.

 

 Opening presents under the tree.

Jayna got some interesting--but valuable, jewelry from Ty.

 

Some of the highlights of the day were talking with family.

We got to Facetime with Michelle, Ty, Afton, and Eliza . . . a couple of times!

 

And we got to Skype with Dallin!!!

 

He is really doing great!

His new companion speaks English--and we got to talk to him for a little bit, too.  He had wonderful things to say about Dallin!

The only sad part was that Dallin never received our Christmas package.  Hopefully it will still make it there eventually.

 

And finally, our Christmas Day dinner.

 

Christmas was wonderful--because it was filled with faith and family.

I am so very grateful for my knowledge of our Heavenly Father's Plan and for the Atonement of my Savior.  Without this knowledge, Christmas would be meaningless for me.  That tiny baby, laid away in a manger with no crib for a bed, makes all the difference in the world. . .  all the difference in time and eternity.

Dallin's Pictures - December 22

I found Elder Clawson at the transfers!

 

This truck came with a lot of gifts and hot chocolate for the kids. Everyone just ran screaming run! haha

Great week this week!

 

Last Sunday I started doing the 12 days of Christmas . . . for Dad!  Everything I have been giving him has had something to do with our dating, engagement, or marriage.

This is Dad opening his present on day three. 

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . 3 decades of marriage."

The gift was a candy jar filled with 30 pieces of candy--one for each sweet year of marriage.

 

 

 

Our cabinets are almost done!  All the doors are on.  Josh put on all the handles on Saturday.  The only thing we have left to do is stain some oak panels to put on the sides of the cabinets.

 

 

 

Saturday evening we had a Bishopric party at our home.  It was a lot of fun.

The Calls, Roys, Trents, Lynches, Walsmans, and Mitchells.

And in the middle of the party Jayna got home!!!

 

 

 

Today at dinner, Josh went to lick some food off his lips and said,

"My tongue discovered I have mustache!"

 

 

 

Tonight we put together cookie plates for the bishopric to take to all the single sisters in our ward.

 

Only four more sleeps til Christmas!!!

 

Dallin's Pictures - December 15th

Last Monday we had a rama thing and we played volleyball and soccer and Esto es Guerra which is a big tv show here, it's kinda like MXC.  (Dallin's in the bright green/yellow shirt with "Press" on the back.)

 

 

 

So this is my favorite meal here! Its called aji de gallina and its just like chicken cream and we had strawberry juice, lo maximo!

 

 

This is a moto.  Not sure if I mentioned these, but there's pretty much only these and the combis [mini buses] that are here.

 

 

 

This is Oscar.  He is the one that I teach to practice teaching in Spanish haha!  He's cool.

 

 

We said goodbye to Hermana Santos, who leaves tonight to go back to Arizona. She kinda reminds me of Flank [Jayna] so she became a good friend.

 

 

This was from the end of the last transfer with Elder Nielson when he left and we had a cake, egg, shoe shine, and flour fight.