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.

                          Friends, Family, Food and Fall Fun!

 First snowfall of the season, on Edgewood looking towards my house

   BYU is almost down the street and gives me easy access to many   wonderful concerts.

The Baroque Ensemble They played a Bach and a Telemann horn piece" at the Art Museum entitled Bach and Bloch (the artist who painted his 1883 "Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda.") The Gospel of John tells of a man afflicted with a malady for 38 years. Lying in wait by the pool in Jerusalem, he longed to benefit from its legendary healing powers. Christ in his compassion and through our faith can heal us of many things. 

Most of the de Schweinitz family on a Sunday afternoon at my house

  Julie, Fernanda, Marc and Peter ; Simon, Kelly, Ryan, Emily& Peter

It was such fun to visit Andres, Kelly Chinchilla Suarez, and new baby Andrew in their apartment in Lindon. Andres was serving a mission in Guayaquil and Kelly and family were recent refugees in Ecuador from Venezuela

   It's been so cold that Mount Timpanogos and most of the             mountains are still cloaked in snow.  North on University Avenue.

             Still some fall colors at the Provo Temple and at BYU

Timpview High School put on an absolutely amazing performance of Les Miserables. So much talent!

Cordelia with her dad Peter and Grammy after ward Primary program

Emily's Taylor in-laws included me in an early Thanksgiving dinner. 

Once a month some of the ladies of our ward enjoy a brunch ("cocoa chat"). I love all these new friends! Many are from California/Oregon 

Cordelia's Wasatch school musical performance, with songs from Moana, Coco, Peanuts, Zootopia, Polar Express, Monsters, Inc.

    Cordelia (in Mandarin Immersion)with mom Rebecca de Schweinitz

Fabulous BYU performance of Bizet's Carmen Suite, Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and Hofhein's Rejoice. Sara Gilman from Provo/Palo Alto came with me.

I wish you each a wonderful Thanksgiving! Despite the tragedies and uncertainties of our world, I believe that God looks upon us each with love and compassion, and all that is wrong today will be healed. Somehow He knows you and me by name and loves us each unconditionally. I have just finished reading The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser.

What a struggle about brave people who loved God, but who also made mistakes, sometimes very serious ones, but who sought peace and independence in their very difficult new lives. I hope we can continue to follow our convictions as they did, work together, and feel gratitude for this land of plenty. Despite our human trials most of us are indeed blessed. Germany does not have an official Thanksgiving, but I was impressed with the spirit of gratitude presented in churches.