*Our White Christmas*

It's been quite some time since my last post-- but we've been busy doing lots of good things;)
We weren't able to go home for Thanksgiving so we just celebrated it with a few of our friends, it ended up being about 4 couples. We all made sure that our favorite dishes were there. . . needless to say, we had way too much food! We all made several desserts which almost ='d about a pie per person ;) We experienced our first black Friday ever that night--- it was amazing! We kinda went a lil crazy but found some awesome deals-- so worth staying up all night for;)

I experienced my first holiday season in retail--wow that's when all the scaries come out! I loved all the holiday decorations, shipments of new clothes for my department on almost a daily basis, increase in sales-- I dare say I quite liked it;) However, I don't miss working the long holiday schedules, that and seeing the scrooges come out in people- must just be the stress that inevitably comes with that time of year.

We were invited to our first ever Hanukkah party this year.



We have a friend in our ward whom Fuzz has actually been shadowing for physical therapy, who's mother was raised Jewish, but then they were converted to Christianity and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. However, they continued to celebrate the tradition of Hanukkah ever since. I've never known much about this holiday, but it was one of the neatest parties ever! We were invited to bring a Jewish dish, so we googled "Jewish recipe's" and found this yummy looking apple crumb cake--- I took advantage of this great opportunity as a awesome excuse for me to splurge on a funnel pan ;)

We had their potato pancakes, essentially glorified hashbrowns--which tasted amazing! And then homemade applesauce, some challah bread---oh I'm so in love!, some soda, chocolate money, and of course our apple crumb cake. We played games, no not dradle;) read the story of Hanukkah and even got a present because that's part of their tradition. Fuzz got a way rad pocket knife which was awesome because his just got stolen when his truck got broken into, and I, ironically for my Hanukkah gift got a beautiful nativity set;) so neat! Super cool experience, we've already rsvp'd for next years party.

We made our very first gingerbread house this year! Super fun;)



We had the opportunity to help out with the Stake's Nativity event. I had no idea what exactly to expect, but it was incredible! It's an exhibit of about 400 Nativity sets that people within the stake donate for this special week. There's a children's room, and an international room and then the main cultural hall with all of the others! It took about a week to decorate for it-- and all year to plan. It's an interfaith event where we invite other choirs etc. to perform at it, and invite everyone we know to come and view it. I was a part of the decorating committee and was just floored at how incredible it all turned out! I was asked to perform with my friend Shelly from my ward, we both play harp;) we were able to perform for about 45 min one night just as background music, and then on Sunday just one song for the sing along, Silent Night. Fuzz filmed us when we were back ground music, here's a little clip:



We were stoked to wake up Christmas morning to a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!! Never before have we been so fortunate;)





And Santa found us!






It was our very first Christmas just together, not with any of our family. However, Grandpa Sevy had suffered a severe stroke just about a week and a half prior to Christmas, and consequently, Christmas Eve right as they had just locked up M & S-- his business-- for the day, they received word that he'd passed. He truly was home for Christmas, he had a white Christmas too, but I'm sure it was even so much better than ours. Because of this, we were now able to go home just after Christmas, as I was given 6 days to go home for the funeral.

I know that Grandpa knew what he was doing, He just wanted us all together for the holidays, and that's what he got. My cousin flew in from Afghanistan, another from Japan, and for the week and a half that he lie in his hospital bed, my family all sat together and sang and performed and played their instruments together. What a tremendous blessing that was for them, and for Grandma to be encircled by her loved ones standing by her through that trial. Grandma was a rock, I couldn't believe her strength. What an example to me she is of such courage and endurance.

Plane tickets were insane-- almost quadruple what they'd normally be, so we made the 15 hour drive home. I knew our families were praying for us to have a safe drive and especially for us to stay awake-- just as it was starting to get late, out of nowhere I told Fuzz I was totally going to puke! No-- I'm not pregnant. I couldn't even get anything to come out of me but I felt awful! It was that horrible feeling we've all felt at some point in our life, where ya know you'll feel better if you can just puke your guts out. . . but it won't come out! Oh, I just felt soooo sick, I kept moaning, and whining, and crying. . . but oh what a blessing that was, because now me and Fuzz were SO awake-- eventually it came, and I litterally puked my guts outs-- and felt better for a second then just sick again--- we eventually found a hotel parking lot and fell asleep in our truck for a couple hours-- I felt too sick to sleep, but eventually surrendered. I woke up and Fuzz was just beginning the rest of our drive home, the sleep had worked wonders on my upset stomach-- I felt a trillion times better. As much as I complained about how horrible I had felt-- I knew that it really was one of those blessings in disguise;) We safely made it home early December 28th, Mckenna's 11th Birthday! We were there for her Birthday breakfast-- and we even got to watch her open her birthday present that we'd sent about a month prior in the mail with all the Christmas presents. It was a dress;) and I'm pretty sure she loved it-- it looked ADORABLE on her! We were so happy we were able to be there to share that special day with her. That night was Grandpa's viewing. It was bittersweet-- I looked at him in the casket-- it wasn't him, just his body, without his spirit his body was just a body-- that wasn't my grandpa. It was so neat to see all of my cousins and their new little familes there! It was a special time for us to all be together and catch up on our lives.Viewings and funerals can be so sad, it's sad to know that it will probably be a while before we see our loved ones again, but I know that someday we will! And I take so much comfort in knowing that. I know that I'll see Grandpa again! I know that he's probably riding around in heaven with his race horses, for sure with Whinney-mick. He's been blind for about the past 5-10 years gradually getting worse, but now I know that he can see again! He's wanted to so badly for so long. I use to work for his eye doctor, and I saw sooo many eyes, but his macular degeneration was sooo bad. I just about died when I had to pull up his pictures I'd taken of his macula and whitness the actual bleeding and scar tissue, I knew that there was no treatment available to fix it. He's seen so many doctors, and tried so many different treatments, but just continued to suffer. Whenever I get sad thinking about him, I just remember that now, finally, he can see again!
I was asked to play a beautiful arrangement of I Stand All Amazed with Tara and Tiffany at the funeral, it was actually written for voice and piano, and we changed it into a harp, violin, and viola ensemble. It was beautiful. While playing we were all so overcome with emotion we had to just play through our tears, but I know Grandpa liked it. He has always been so supportive of us and our music. I know that I wouldn't be where I am with my music today without his help. At the funeral, my cousin Melissa read all of our favorite memories of Grandpa, what a beautiful celebration of his life! I would have liked to added one of mine, and that is simply that grandpa always called me princess, and made me feel like I was one. He always made us all feel so special, and that he was proud of us.



We met over at the grave site and were all astonished to see what spot had been selected, it was right near the corrals where all the horses were. This was the most perfect place for Grandpa.

Here's Mylee with her second cousin Ryden--they love spending time together.

It was so good to be home with my sisters, and my cousins, funerals can be so sad, but we were so grateful to be together and to cherish the relationships within our family.

My cousin Ryan who films for the Amazing Race-- among other things, has been working on this documentary for the past few years. It's called Goolds Gold-- this has been entered in film festivals all over the United States, and we were fortunate enough to be in UT when his premier in Zion National Park took place. It was on the IMAX screen which is like 6 or 7 stories high! It was awesome! We were so excited for him and that we were fortunate enough to be there for such a neat event!

Here's me with Ryan my cousin, and his sister Melissa and his wife, Jenny.
We got our autographed posters, and free CD's from the band that played in it-- super sweet!

We were so blessed to be able to go home for so many days! We enjoyed eating, shopping, and just hanging out together! We spent New years with all of our family, Fuzz's first, then mine.

Santa found Mylee-- even at Grandma's house, and while he left most of her presents at her house in Indiana, she was thrilled at the few he left in St. George--- she loves Hello Kitty!

The best thing about our trip home is always spending time with our family! Especially our brand new lil Ellsie and Kai-- they'd already grown so much since we were home in September!!! They've got the most adorable little personalities, and so know and just love their uncle Fuzz and aunt Channing! Oh, we just love them SOOOO MUCH!!!