'Tis The Season

It's the time of year when we reflect on our blessings and it all begins as we approach Thanksgiving...and really it's something we think about all year long. We are so fortunate to live in this great Country...to enjoy the freedoms...to enjoy the modern conveniences...just to be alive. I continue to be grateful for family and friends and the love and support I feel from each one of you.

As missionaries, we always seem to be involved with meetings and activities. It was wonderful to be able to meet and be instructed by James J. Hamula of the Seventy. We even had a wonderful FHE with all the Seniors of the mission. We had a lovely dinner and then a lesson by Elder Hamula.

Our table, Eaton Family and Milam Family

Crabtrees, Employment Sisters, Elder H, S Henderson, Bryants

Sisters Harrison, Rex, Nowlins, President McKinney on end

Me (looking like a deer in the headlights) Elder Hamula and S. Henderson

Missionaries plus Bishop performing at Ward Variety Show

Marshallese doing the "Stick Dance" at the Variety Show

Olympic Branch YW at their Basketball game...fun to see them again

The mother of 8 gets some snuggle time with one of the Marshallese babies

Sister Verhoef at the missionary Thanksgiving activity

Pres Eaton with a couple of missionaries "boggling it up"

Proof the I can still play Boggle, but haven't gotten better with age

Sharing a Thanksgiving meal: S. Henderson, Mitchells, Welches (Bishop)and Young sisters

Max Welch enjoying a little bit of pie with his whipped cream

My family was able to gather together at Thanksgiving in Arizona. They celebrated my son Rob's 40th birthday, complete with a performance by the Peterson Family Band. They even managed to get a couple of pictures of the whole group. I love seeing them together!

Top Row, L to R (Zach and Sue Andelin, Jana and Mike Maughan, Burke P, Joseph P, Kate M, Anders O, Delaney M, JaneAnne Peterson and David Olsen, Alisa, Next row, John, Kiefer A, Davis M, Stuart M, Anna P, Leif O, Rob; Next row, Julie, Berit O, Emily P, Liv P, Merit M, and Tamsen; front: Hewitt P, August A and Tosh P

Top Row: Burke, Joseph, Kate, Anders and Delaney; Next: Kiefer, Davis, Stuart, Anna, and Leif; Next row down: Berit, Emily, Liv and Merit; Fromt row: Heritt, August and Tosh

The missing grandchild: Jacob serving a mission in Africa, but home in January

We had our first snowstorm...blizzarding here

Another view off our deck

But then blue skies...beautiful

The next day I was out walking and came across this scene:

Good hunting on a little catch basin or a popular resort for ducks!

We love our missionaries and love getting together with them.

Clark Lake Ward Missionaries: Me and S. H, Elders Graham, John, Ludlow, Wilcox and S. Verhoef and Sonasi

Kent Zone November 2014

 We were able to go to the temple with one of our recent converts who joined the church a year ago.

Patty with her two special missionaries, S Hale and S Kartchner

Patty and Me...her enthusiasm is infectious

Just a few of the many friends that joined in for the wonderful experience

Afterwards, we were able to go to the Festival of Nativities in the Bellevue Stake Center. What a beautiful display it was of hundreds of nativities.

A live nativity

This was unusual; they are covered in hundreds of little beads, I think from a Central American country

Lots of lighted trees and lights to illuminate the nativities

S, Henderson and S. O'Neill (our Relief Society President) enjoying the children's nativities

A Western-themed Nativity

They also had a "Life of Christ" display

More nativities

The Prince of Peace

Even though we're far from our families, we try to bring the Spirit of Christmas into our little apartment. We were able to get a live tree to decorate. The smell of the tree is wonderful and it warms our hearts.

Before

After

I'm so grateful for this time of year, that we can remember our Savior, whose birth we celebrate. He is the ultimate Gift. As it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Because of his birth and atonement, we will be able to live with God again. What a wonderful gift! There is a wonderful DVD, He is the Gift. Discover the gift for yourself, embrace the gift and share the gift. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Fall Back 2014

It's wonderful here in the Northwest in the Fall. The changing colors of the trees are a beautiful backdrop in which to live and serve. Skies are a little grayer more often and the liquid sunshine is more frequently with us, but we're continuing to enjoy the missionary experiences here in Kent, Washington. A few pictures from this month's activities.

Beautiful colors of fall

Trees across street from church

Clark Lake Ward Building in Kent

Condos near our apartment complex

So much rain that a couple of ducks took up occupancy in the grass

Relief Society sisters putting together a "friendship" soup

Katie Johnson, our instructor on photography at our RS meeting

Zone District, October 2014

Last harvest of the season, lots of BLT's yet to come!!!

Clark Lake District, Oct 2014

Halloween Party Goers, Chris, Michelle, Austin

Elders Graham, Ludlow, Wilcox,and John on Halloween, 2014

Neba and her children, Guy and Brother Smith

Sarge Jack and Brother Smith

My companion waiting for a heart procedure...never a dull moment here!

This is the month of Thanksgiving and daily I give thanks for good health, a wonderful family, friends and the goodness of a loving Heavenly Father who has been so kind to me. As I've heard said many times, "My cup runneth over".