Happy New Year 2025!!

The Taylor family and 2 mission friends sang "How Great thou Art" in Swahili as part of Kelly's homecoming talk in church December 29, 2024

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                     Our New Year's white elephant exchange

                 Luke was not happy with his puzzle so I got it!

                                   Toasting to a good 2025

      I had a sleepover for the younger girl cousins and went to the                Provo Recreation Center pools. Winter fun!

   I loved the Vienna philharmonic and Vienna ballet program on PBS

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Waiting at SLC airport for Elder Nick de Schweinitz' return after 2 years from Baltimore Spanish-speaking mission. Other arrivals were entertained by our signs and enthusiasm.

                                             Nick with parents, Marc and Fernanda 

   
Traditionally there is a reception at home after a missionary gives his homecoming talk in church. Admission companion, Elder Diestra (who returned 2 months ago) and Nick's friend Chris Williams (childhood friends in Ann Arbor, Michigan) came to welcome him home, along with lots of family and friends.

We celebrated the birthdays of my 3 children born in January: Julie, the 10th, Peter, the 15th, and Marc, the 18th. All are wonderful adults & parents!

                                                                       Marc and Marty

     Oldest granddaughter, Kelly, and youngest, Phoebe are buddies

During and after birthday dinner at Sundance Foundry

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The wedding reception for Chase Miner (third son of Todd and Andrea Miner) and Juliette Sorensen from Santa Barbara, CA, was held in the beautiful Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City on January 11.

It was a chance to see many friends, including Sara and Paul Gilman, Jim and Deanne Welch (just returned from their short but very busy, fun mission assignment to put on a huge, 45-day long creche exhibit, in Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Luke and Sunny Hsiao, and Chase's peers from Palo Alto: Nicholas Chiang, Lindsay Aldous, Miranda Wiener, Brandon Jacobsen, wife and baby, Maren and Camille Jacobsen, and many many others.

           This 1000 piece puzzle of Positano, Italy was tough!

Thank you to all who have sent me holiday cards and greetings. I treasure my friends around the world and close at home.

We are at the crossroads between the outgoing Biden administration and the Trump presidency. The world is fraught with horrific wildfires in California, a tenuous first phase of peace between Israel and Palestine, a continuing devastating war in Ukraine, recovery hopes for Lebanon and Syria, political divisions, famines, floods, and the  displacement of thousands/millions of people throughout the world. I was touched by a small part of a poem written by amazing 22 year old poet Amanda Gorman:

We have been so touched by the tremendous tribute paid to former US President Jimmy Carter, his remarkable career as our 39th president, his 40 years of humanitarian service after his presidency, and his  character: so honest, compassionate, the very embodiment of integrity and goodwill to all people throughout the world during his 100 years of life. I have been amazed by how many friends have had personal experiences with his programs, one of which is Habitat for Humanity.

I watched a poignant documentary entitled "The Lakota Nation vs. the  United States." We have much work to do here in our country and the world to rectify so much prejudice, ignorance, injustice, division, and destruction. It is easy to get discouraged, but if we each can be better informed, kinder, more compassionate and inclusive, a small measure of peace can go a long way.