Thanksgiving 2015

This Thanksgiving week was all about spending time with some of those who I am most thankful for.  Roy went down to Utah County on Tuesday night and visited with Denise Rasband and all her kids.  They were all in town for the holiday.  I had a previous book club commitment, so I didn't go with him.  After dad visited with Denise, he went and saw his mom in rehab, and then helped his dad hang Christmas lights.  Wednesday the holiday weekend began.  Jieun, Caitlyn and I took Hyeji, Doyeon, Gunnar and Ollie ice skating.  They all did a really good job and we had a great time.  Afterwards, Jieun took all the kids to McDonalds to warm up and get something to eat.  Caitlyn and I went home and I had a great afternoon shopping with Roy.  We went to World Market, TJ Max, and the new health food store in Bountiful that recently opened.  That evening we watched "The Cokeville Miracle" with Eric and Lonette Anderson and their son Derrick (their daughter Annika went with our daughter to The Hunger Games).  This replaced his normal home teaching visit and was a lot more fun.  After they left, we spent  a couple  of hours getting food ready for Thanksgiving dinner.  I made my mom's shrimp cocktail drink recipe (one sip and you can't help thinking about her), and our traditional pomegranate salad.  Dad worked on the turkey and the dressing.  We finally got to bed at about 11:30. 

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We started out the day with a nice hike up the Kenny Creek trail.  Dan and Jieun and Caitlyn came with us.  Nick didn't see the invite text until we were halfway up the trail, and Adrienne and her family were already skiing at Snow Basin.  I'm really glad we got a hike in because that was the warmest it was all weekend, and it wasn't exactly warm.  It was a great way to start the day. 

We definitely felt an emptiness during the day on Thanksgiving, because for most of the last 16 years, since we moved to Utah, my dad was with us (my mom, too before 2004).  We will also really miss him on Christmas Eve (and we'll never forget the time he cracked open his crab leg and sent it flying onto Lisa Green's plate).  We had everyone in the family for dinner except Elise, Andy and Max and we also really missed them.  We had one extra guest.  Nick's friend John.  Dad invited him when he was at our house last week and he was a little vague in his answer, but he showed up and I think he had a nice time.

Elise had Thanksgiving dinner with her mother and father-in-law and Andy's grandmother.

Friday, we went ice skating again.  It's fun to share my hobby with my grandkids.  They all did great and we got everyone on ice skates except Ruby and Finn. (and Nick, Sara, and Ori because they weren't there).  It's nice that the Rec center allows strollers.  I was glad we went skating again because the first time I didn't get any pictures.  The most amazing ice skater was Yuna.  She's not even 2 and she progressed to where she could go at least 10 feet before falling on her bottom.  You could see her start to get wobbly and she'd catch herself and rebalance.  That's pretty amazing for a child that age.

  

After ice skating, we went home for Thanksgiving leftovers, and then we went downtown and shared Roy's hobby with the grandkids--the annual trip to the Train Shoppe.  The trains on display were even more amazing this year.  They'd redone the large train and set it on a terraced terrain with real water running through it.  They had Santa (a creepy one, according to Adrienne), and a new little shooting gallery as well as a horse and wagon for the kids to ride (they loved it).  All the kids and several of the adults got a ride on the 1 1/2 inch scale electric powered steam engine.  Ori loved it so much she asked for another ride, so all the grandchildren got to go again.

Crista treated us to homemade pizza Friday evening, then Matt and Roy spent the rest of the evening helping Nick get his new oversized couch into their home.  It wouldn't have taken so long, but it required a lot of ingenuity to get it into the house--since Nick didn't think to measure the door frame.   Crista and I enjoyed playing the violin and the piano together.  Sara made Ricotta pancakes for Crista and Matt and Dan and his kids Saturday as a thank you for the help.  Dad and I were invited but we stayed home with Ruby so she could nap. 

It barely fits in his house let alone through the door :)

Saturday night was wonderful.  We had Messiah tickets for those who expressed an interest in going (Nick and Sara).  We had dinner first and then proceeded to the Sing Along.  It is hard music and a lot of fun following along and trying to sing the choruses.  It's also a great way to begin the Holiday season, with music completely focused on the Savior.   Crista and Matt ate with us before they headed back to Logan so they could be home for church Sunday. 

To end the week, Jieun accompanied Caitlyn and I in our ward as we played, "I know that my Redeemer Lives."  It's a lot of fun to play music with my family and to have the opportunity to perform it.   Roy and I admittedly didn't get a lot out of the talks, since we were a little distracted by four of our granddaughters. 

Right now, Roy and I are on our way down to visit grandma and grandpa.  We stopped for a half hour at the Care Center in Salt Lake to see Noel.  He has a good attitude, but is still in pretty rough shape.  He can't put any weight on his leg and though he has his turtle shell off, he has to be really careful and can't bend, twist or lift.  Lori was there visiting with him when we arrived.  She says she is pretty lonely with him in the care center all the time. 

We gave her a dog so she won't be so lonely.  One that won't make any messes!

We're leaving Thursday morning to go and spend a little time with Elise, Andy and Max.  Andy will probably be spending a lot of time studying, but it will be nice to see them.

                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                           

Signs of the times

Last Saturday I mentioned that we went out to lunch with Dan.  What I didn't mention was that at the Brigham Young park on the corner of State Street and 100 North were swarms of people.  We wondered what was going on, knowing that it would be very unusual for a concert to be held in the middle of the day.  Today (Wednesday--Nov. 18) I read in (Sunday's) paper that the people at the park that day were resigning their memberships in the Church.  I am including this in my blog/journal because it seems an interesting historical event.  We know that as we get closer to the last days, there will be a great sifting of the wheat and the tares.  Most of the people at the park that day were inactive members, non-members, or members who had long ago renounced their memberships, but there was a handful of people who said that they went to church every week.  What this says to me is that their testimonies were weak and they had been "carried about by every wind of doctrine." (see Ephesians 4:14).  Though it's always been important to have our own testimony, the days where you can just ride along on the backs of other church members are gone.  Now it is imperative to have your own testimony.
(question: which general authority said that the number of people leaving the church is really very small?)
 I am reading a book that was written nearly 20 years ago by S. Michael Wilcox.  He talks of the actions that lead to a society being in the fulness of iniquity.  These are Wilcox' examples (very briefly):  The generation of the flood--Violence; The Jaredites--Secret Combinations; The Nephites of Mormon's Time--Without Civilization; Sodom and Gomorrah--Perversion of the Procreative Gift; The Cannanites--Fascination with Evil; The Israelites'--Worship of False Gods (worshiping materialism and military might), Then he adds oppression of the poor, and finally rejection of the Good and the refusal to repent, (Ammonihah and Zarahemla).  On this rejection, Wilcox writes, "The rejection of the righteous involves more than rejecting people or stoning prophets; it encompasses the rejection of principles, commandments, values, and ethics.  A fulness-of-iniquity society fights to destroy the very laws and morals the inspire the righteous..."
He adds, "It is often suggested by the opponents of spiritual truth that a people can flourish in a moral society devoid of religious convictions, but history has proven otherwise.  No people have been able to create a moral climate independent of a religious base.  The scriptures especially testify to this truth."
As we read the news lately, we can see that our society has definitely become more violent.  Just in the past few days there have been bombings in France, a hostage situation in French owned Mali, another shooting in New Orleans...Unfortunately, I could go on.  I could probably give examples of each of the above categories but I'm sure you can come up with your own.
My plea to my family is that you will continually study and read the scriptures.  They are true.  Say prayers daily--pray that you may hold fast to the iron rod because "Satan desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat." (See Luke 22:31).

This week was rather uneventful.  Tuesday night was Caitlyn's Young Women in Excellence.  Wednesday and Thursday, Roy was out of town for business.  Friday, we went up to Logan to visit Crista, and Saturday, with the help of Nick, Dan, and Jieun, we got out the Christmas stuff--train boards and all.  Thanks for your help you guys.  We got it out a little early because #1, the train needs to be out longer because it's so much work, and #2, we will be gone the first week of December and have parties at our home right when we get back.  Also, it was good to get it ALL out while we had help :)

Sunday night Nick fixed dinner at our home for all of us as well as a couple of his friends.  He did it all because his good friend Toby was in town.  However, Toby's kids were sick so he ended up coming alone and only for a few minutes.  Ollie got sick, too, so Adrienne and her family stayed home. Nick had a couple of other friends there that he knew from college.   Thanks for a nice dinner Nick.

After everyone else had gone home except Nick, Sara and their friends, Roy and Jennie had a chance to read to Ori.

I didn't take many pictures this week, but Elise sent us a couple of Max

Happy Thanksgiving coming up!  It's a great time to be extra mindful of our many blessings, though of course, we know we should have gratitude always for all that the Lord has given us.  I am so grateful for so many things.  The gospel and my family are at the top of the list.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on this blog, but I had my violin tuned up--restrung with handpicked strings, a new soundpost put in, and a new bridge put on.  I have been practicing quite a bit and having a lot of fun with the accompaniments on Youtube.  One of the pieces I'm working on is Mozart, Concerto in G for violin and piano.  If I'd had Youtube when I was young I'd probably be a much better violinist today because it makes it so fun to practice!

9 Tidbits of news

News for this week:

1) On Friday, Grandma and Grandpa Rasband went to Heber City for some sort of reception.  As they were walking through the line, grandma fell and broke her arm.  Grandpa took her to the hospital there, and they said they couldn't admit her because they didn't accept Medicare.  He then took her to Provo hospital, and though she's been there many times, and we don't really know why, they turned them away also.  Grandpa took her home, and on the way into their house, grandma fell again.  They went back to the hospital, where she was finally admitted.  At first they thought she had also broken her hip, but determined later that it was only bruised.  Dad went down Friday night and sat with her so grandpa could go home and rest.  The two of us went down again last night, and dad went down there again tonight with Jennie and Caitlyn.  She has a CNA assigned to her 24/7 because she is a fall risk. Grandma had surgery yesterday and they put a plate and screws in her arm.  She seems to be doing all right, at least physically.  Dad will continue to go down for a few nights as he is needed.  Nan Theobald gets back in town on Tuesday and will be able to help, then.  Al is coming for Thanksgiving.  Grandma will go to a rehab center for at least 30 days when she's released from the hospital.

This is an x-ray of her upper arm, thoroughly plated.

2)  Doyeon, at the age of 4, has had an orthodontic appliance put in her mouth to push her lower jaw back (I may have that wrong, but she has an under-bite that they're trying to fix). Dan and Jieun took dad and I to lunch on Saturday.  Poor Doyeon hasn't had much to eat since they put the appliance in place.  Before we went to lunch Dan and Jieun bought her a Jamba Juice.  She wanted purple, and the only purple one had peanut butter in it. (No wonder she wouldn't eat it :)  

3) Adrienne had a hard week because Ollie is suffering from another ear infection and will likely need to have his tubes re-inserted.  Gunnar lost a filling from his tooth and was in a lot of pain.  Adrienne, overburdened with all of this, backed her car out of her driveway into a neighbor's car.  Se la vie.  When  you have several children, the odds are that you will have weeks like this.  I tended the boys on Thursday for a couple of hours, so at least she had a little break. Ollie kept asking me where Hyeji and Doyeon were (aren't they always at my house?).  We Face-timed them to make Ollie happy, and soon they were at our house, too.  Jieun helped me with Finn when he got super tired and unhappy.  Adrienne had made chicken] lasagna for our dinner that night (I guess she feels like she has to pay me :)  We all ate together.  I left at 7:00 for our Stake Relief Society night, and they all went home to bed.   

4) I taught 3 water aerobics classes-Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.  I haven't done that in a while.  I was actually pretty sore and tired on Saturday.  That may be partly because I had to be at staff meeting at 6:30 a.m.  I work extra hard as the teacher because I'm responsible to try and give everyone a good workout.  

5) Sometime during this past week, Bean, one of Nick's cute little bunnies, died.  Sorry, Nick.

6) Crista sent me a picture of Ruby with the caption, "Those Cheeks.  It is such a cute picture that I made it my wallpaper on my phone (I switch out pictures of the grandchildren occasionally).

7) Elise had sent me a cute picture of Max a couple of weeks ago that I missed.  He was helping his daddy with the fence.  We Face-timed for a little bit today.  Elise is looking pretty and pregnant.   Andy is fully involved in tithing settlement as a counselor in the Bishopbric.  That made them late getting home from church.  Max looked pretty sleepy.  

8) Adrienne and I played the duet "How Great Thou Art" in her ward.  We have now done it in various combinations of violinists at Uncle Bill Berry's funeral, in my home ward, Dan's ward, Crista's ward, and Adrienne's ward.  We're on to the next piece.  "I know that my Redeemer lives."  Cailtyn and I will be playing that the Sunday after Thanksgiving in our ward.

9)  Dad and I have tickets to Houston Texas for the first week in December (I may need a little help with Caitlyn that week--hint hint).