It's a New Year! 2016

It's a New Year, 2016! There are great blessings and promises to be had in this coming year! I pray that all of you will be partakers and enjoy this coming year. I always like the thought that what we have or receive is our gift from God and how we use what we've been given, is then, our gift to God.

Before the New Year came, however, there were a couple of moments that I wanted to remember, one involving friends and the other family.

It was a cold, and somewhat stormy night, but one of my "walking" friends had extra tickets to a fun Bar J concert at UVU. You may remember that last fall I attend a Bar J barbecue in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The group was on it's winter tour. It's nice to have a friend who thinks of others, single and widowed to include in activities. Thanks, Verla!

Blurry performers from Bar J

Me, Verla, Joyce, Gloria and Marian

I re-connected with a couple of missionaries from the Federal Way Mission when I attended Sia Sonasi's homecoming during December. The picture is one when we were on the mission and Sister Sonasi would rather take the photos than be in one. Jordyn Verhoef is the one to the right! Fun sisters!

Sister Sonasi and Sister Verhoef in front

 I was able to spend my Christmas in Provo, the first one in a couple of years, and joined the Maughan family for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day activities.

Me and the Maughan family with Mike's parents, Bob and Trudy Norton on Christmas Eve

The traditional line-up, youngest to oldest waiting to see Santa's surprises

Fun surprises in my stocking, including an ORANGE!

I would consider my family to be among the choicest of blessing that I've been given. This past December and into the New Year, we gathered as a family in Arizona. It was so wonderful to have all six of my children (or should I say 11 as in-laws are like my kids), and all of my grandchildren together. We added one boyfriend and one fiance to the group...so it was really such fun! We had a great time making great memories!

We had a great time making great memories! Hiking, visiting the Phoenix Zoo, seeing the Mesa Temple lights, bowling, having a granddaughter's baptism in the hot tub, hearing from the Peterson Family band, playing games, puzzling, a ping pong tournament and a kick ball game, playing mission, eating lots of good food and snacking even more, kept us all entertained.

Game playing can be a very serious business!

Hiking the Gold Mine trail with Kiefer, August, and Stu

We made it to the top! What a nice view and some yodeling, too!

Yodeling to those down below

A selfie of our group at the top of the mountain we were hiking

Mesa Temple and the beautiful lights celebrating Christ's birth

Grandchildren enjoying the lights at the Mesa Temple

So beautiful!

Bowling was lots of fun!

I liked the giraffes about best of all

And so did Hewitt, Anna and Stuart

These grandchildren loved this old jeep at the Zoo

Jana, JaneAnne, Sue and Tamsen (top) and most of the rest of the zoo goers (below)

Jana, me, August and Kenzie puzzling

Finished product and most of the puzzlers who helped put the pieces together

John helping Emily play kickball

Trying to run to first base...not so good with clogs

Joseph helping Emily move between bases

Lots of delicious food was prepared and eaten...Joseph, a great eater!

Anders, JaneAnne, David, Berit, Leif prior to baptism

Berit after being baptized by her cousin, Jake

Peterson children: Sue, John, JaneAnne, Alisa, Jana and Rob

Dancin' to the music

JaneAnne, Alisa, Sue and Jana, my sweet daughters

Two of my many beautiful granddaughters, Anna and Emily

JaneAnne and Merit

Julie, Jacob, Joseph, John, Kenzie, Anna and Emily

Stuart, Kate, Delaney, Davis, Jana, Merit and Mike Maughan

Truman, Rob, Hewitt, Tamsen, Burke, Liv and Tosh Peterson

Josef Akebrand & Alisa Peterson

Kiefer, Zach, August and Sue Andelin

The stripes are where it's at: Delaney and Kate are beautiful teenagers

The Peterson Family + a fiance and a boyfriend. Aren't they beautiful?

All my grandchildren, ages 23 to less than one, 7 granddaughters, 12 grandsons and one almost in-law

Since the reunion ended, I opted to spend some additional time in the warmer climes of Arizona. I've had fun playing games with grandchildren, going to watch their soccer matches, walking in the neighborhood, going to the temple with friends who are also visiting in Arizona, and just generally enjoying being around family and interacting with them.

A pineapple palm observed as I walked the neighborhood

Gilbert Temple with Carl and Joanne Byers

Another view from the temple grounds

This is how Truman and Rob watched one soccer game

August and Kiefer trying to hide in the pillars of the Post Office

Kiefer getting ready for his descent on the biking trail

Juicing the oranges from off our tree, delicious!

Arizona has beautiful sunsets! What a grand way to end a day!