A Happy New Year 2023 to all!

Christmas Eve at my daughter-in-law's parents' home: always a beautiful feast! Gil, Erick (brother) and fiancee Makayla, Simon, Nick, Ed (brother), Marc, Fernanda, Sandra

We went to visit Hilda Martins. With some of her many great grand-children. Four generations: Hannah, Fernanda, Hilda, Sandra

         Makayla made headbands for her future in-laws (the girls)

Simon (13) beautifully accompanied their ward choir (Marc singing on right) for the Christmas morning service.

Nick will spend the next two Christmases in the Baltimore (Spanish-speaking) mission. He goes to the Provo MTC on February 6.

I gave my 17 grandchildren Christmas socks (9 girls, white), (8 boys (blue) for these chilly days. It keeps snowing and raining on and off.

I was so pleased to have a visit from my friends from Ecuador, the Vallejo family. He was the recorder at the Guayaquil Temple when I served there. Maria arranged some of my travels. They served (2016-9) as mission leaders in La Paz, Bolivia. Daniel is a BYU engineering student. Sister Alejandra works and studies in SLC, and younger brother Matteo is serving a mission in Barranquilla, Colombia. 

Two days later my Venezuelan friends, Kelly and Andres, refugees in Ecuador, he a missionary and she to whom I taught English, brought their baby over to visit. They now live in Utah.

A lively, sweet group of missionaries about to leave the training center for their missions. Sebastian (bottom right), from Ecuador, is an interpreter. It is a joy to associate with the 100's of missionaries who spend 2-12 weeks there, depending on the difficulty of their language assignment. After the Tuesday evening Devotional (taught by a different general authority and spouse each week) missionaries meet to "review" the messages and to bear testimonies in English. I was privileged to interpret (English-French) for a lovely young woman from Tahiti. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just 2 years ago. I always feel inspired by their faith, energy, courage and efforts.

Sister Enkhtuya from Mongolia, is starting her mission on Temple Square in SLC. She pulled up a photo on her phone of my friend and zoom English student Khongorzul, (married recently)who was on her way to be sealed in the temple in Japan, but not able to travel there (soon I hope). It's a small world. I love all the connections!

Elder McConkie (young missionary there, and more recently mission president in Prague) was the devotional speaker on Tuesday. He told stories of miracles which brought about the reorganization of the LDS Church in Czechoslovakia after 1990. The country split into Czech Republic (where missionaries were permitted) and Slovakia (where 20,000 signatures were needed). 30 missionaries, who spoke no Slovak, serving in CR, were sent and within a few days they got the signatures. They couldn't really communicate, but just by testifying that they believed in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost did the trick! Light and love, shared simply, by individuals, converts and brings miracles! He admonished the young missionaries to keep the positive momentum going all their lives if they wish to see miracles.

Another dear family, the Parkers, also came to dinner this week. Jena, one of my many renters, lived at my house in California when she was engaged to Jason. So fun to reconnect, and get to know the girls! 

I finally was brave enough to do the above Metropolitan Museum puzzle given to me for Christmas 2021,. The one below wasn't quite so hard! Something I reserve for Christmas vacation! So satisfying to see things in life (and puzzles) come together. I believe that things in our chaotic, violent, despotic, divided world will eventually be made right. God is in charge, and though he is only the source of good, he will not always interfere with human frailty and our free agency. Life is not always birds and flowers and sunshine, but from my limited experience, I know that through our faith and small and simple efforts to befriend, help, and offer compassionate service to others, we can feel inner peace, at least. Thank you for your friendship and support.

    May 2023 be a better year for all. Let's stick together, get to know those who are different from us, and serve, even in very small ways, wherever we can. A smile and kindness can turn a life around.

I hope you are all watching the wonderful life of Christ and his disciples in The Chosen (on Netflix and other channels)

                       It's Almost Christmas!

                      Moon  rise from the mission training center

Julie's mission friend gave a fabulous piano concert with a friend on the cello. It was wonderful to see her Geneva, Switzerland mission President Larry Kacher, now a general authority Seventy . He and his wife recently returned from their assignment in West Africa (Ghana is area center). The concert was a benefit for Lifting Hands International

A delightful evening of BYU German, Swiss and Austrian Christmas music which also included Alpenhorns and old instruments.  There was audience participation of favorites such as "O du Froehliche," "Stille Nacht," O, Tannenbaum" and others.

We have had very heavy snow the last few days. It is still cold, but the sun is out! Brigham Young has a snowy cape and cap.

Grandson Andrew (far left, top row) is in a select choir in his middle school. His basketball buddies came to support him! All students are required to either sing or play an instrument.

                     It's true! Santa still comes to the malls!

Saturday, December 17, was a very busy day: my annual holiday open house (begun exactly 50 years ago, interrupted only by missions and the Pandemic). Above with Emma Wilson, below, with dear old friends Athelia Woolley, Ellen Holsinger (we all met at Stanford LDS married ward in 1969) and Sharon Hack (we met in high school). Unfortunately I was too busy to take more photos of so many friends, many from Palo Alto. It's wonderful to have new and old friends and family in my home.

A wonderful celebration of the almost 99 year life of our dear friend Nettie Wise. Three of her children told funny, fun and inspiring stories of Nettie, perhaps the most cheerful, optimistic and friendly, non-judgmental person one could ever meet. When Nettie asked what was happening to her and when Janet said, "Mom, you're dying!" Nettie responded "I'm dying after all I've done for you?" and "Don't call 911, call the mortuary!"Almost at the end she was singing her Sequoia HS fight song, a military hymn and silly kids' songs. Photo: Nicole Ricks, Paul Gilman, Tom and Katy Taylor, Ann and Brad Taylor, Amy Ringer, Sara Gilman, Dawne Hollis, Marian Taylor, Miriam, Janet Wise Bice, Kevin and Marlene Meshinski, Rob Wise. 

       We caught Jeff Wise and Nancy Wise Low for another photo

Almost all have moved to Utah. Below is Nettie at my 2021 open house. She's always been the life of the party!

My house with Mount Timpanogos. Below, View of Mount Timpanogos from Steve Young's horse ranch across the street from me

My twin granddaughters Elise and Stephanie danced in the final numbers of the wonderful Jenny Oaks Baker and family concert (Here with twin brothers Luke and John and mom Julie after the performance

Look up Jenny Oaks Baker if you haven't heard their wonderful music.

We celebrated our family Christmas on Sunday, December 18, as the Taylors family would be traveling. Unfortunately Anne and Neil are in England, so we didn't have them. We enjoy singing, performing, and eating 

     and especially exchanging white elephant gifts

Best wishes for a joyous holiday with family and friends. May your days be merry and bright! May your heart be filled with love and gratitude for that tiny babe born in Bethlehem so long ago, whose teachings and sacrifice for us, be your most precious gift.

          And may 2023 be a healthier and more peaceful year.

Thanksgiving and early December 2022

So many fun and happy events! This 9-girl BYU group, "Noteworthy" sang a variety of genres and  was fabulous!

It was great to visit with freshman Chase Miner, called to serve a       mission in Hanoi, but reassigned to LA, thanks to the pandemic.

I rode with Marc and family to San Diego where my kids, grand kids (we all made the 12+ hour drive) and other family met at my sister Irene's in Carlsbad for a wild, fun Thanksgiving.Solar farms above.

We enjoyed Old Town (was once part of Mexico before California became a state in 1850). I love the brightly painted alebrijes. 

The origin of the Alebrijes can be traced to Pedro Linares, an artist who lived in Mexico City in the 1930s. Linares said that in 1936 he was very ill and then became unconscious. While in a state of unconsciousness, he began to hallucinate and see visions of a forest with strange animals.

                Nick, Evie, Simon and Hannah in sombreros

Before dinner on Thanksgiving we made our traditional vegetable creatures and played old heirloom games like Bagatelle (I played on this same marble board when I was about 5! I was surprised that it captured so much interest, enough to have competitions!

Ming Lu & Ben bought second-hand matching shirts for the occasion!

                      Kelly and Ming with their potato creations

    The obligatory San Diego and Utah group photo before dinner. 

    After dinner we gathered for singing and music (poor photos)

    Simon, Luke, Ming, Elise, and Kelly performed. Usually more!

Oh, the beautiful 79 degree sunny weather at Carlsbad's Beach Friday!

(Like father, like son) Marc and Nick, Peter, Hannah, Simon, and others really enjoyed surfing. Everyone enjoyed boogie-boarding, body surfing, digging, shell-collecting, swimming, walking, watching, and enjoying the sun. What a treat after cold Utah temperatures!

                     Borrowed wet suits didn't fit too well

A happy crowd! Aaron our creature collector, drew a crowd with the octopus he found and safely returned to the sea. Did you know an octopus has blue blood, three hearts and a doughnut shaped brain?

    We walked at the lagoon where there were as many dogs as people

On the way home we stopped at the beautiful San Diego LDS Temple to perform proxy baptisms (for ancestors who have died and did not have the chance while alive to perform their own).

And stopped to get a photo at beautiful Del Mar beach. On through Las Vegas before spending the night in Saint George, Utah.

  

It is always good to get home after a very long drive, even if it means snow, shoveling, school, work, etc. 

In the last few days I heard Kelly's wonderful BYU chorale, heard George's amazing HS Madrigal group perform at our church annual Christmas party, and Aaron's perfect cello performance, which brought tears to my grandmother's eyes. Emily, proud mom of Aaron!

A true highlight each year is BYU's "Christmas around the World," a truly spectacular program of dances from Serbia, Macedonia, USA, Philippines, India, Denmark, Romania, Mexico, and Ukraine. The costumes, choreography, and dancing  are indescribable, as is the music provided by BYU's Mountain Strings. The smaller select ensemble performed in festivals in Europe this past summer, offering messages of international peace and understanding. A large number of other wonderful dancers joined them for these breath-taking performances in the Marriott Center.

It was a true joy to hear the beautiful blessing of Andrew Suarez, given by his father Andres. Andres was serving a mission in Guayaquil, Ecuador, when I was serving as a temple missionary there in 2014-5. We all met at the same time. I taught English to Ken (now married, with his own baby Rosalie) Kenelly, and Kelly when they arrived in Ecuador from Venezuela. So great to see them all living in Utah now.

If you can, tune in to a wonderful program at 6 PM Sunday (today) MST :

 https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/event/2022-first-presidency-s-christmas-devotional

And please put it on your calendar if you are in the Provo area:

Miriam's annual Holiday Open House

Saturday, December 17, from 5-8 PM

4016 N Edgewood Drive, Provo, Utah 84604

friends and family welcome

No need to RSVP

Until then, enjoy this wonderful season which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ who brought joy, peace, and second chances to all of us.