IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR !

Years ago on the last day of every year, I would open my journal and write this heading at the top of the page after the last entry for the year.  IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR.  Then I would list all the good things that had happened to me and to the family during the previous 12 months.

Then on the next page I would write IT WAS A VERY BAD YEAR and proceed to list a few of the mishaps that had occurred.  Nothing REALLY bad.  Ran out of gas on the way to signing the papers for the house.  Harold and Brice were jumping on the bunkbeds and they collapsed.  Brice's front tooth took a hit and the nerve died.    That kind of stuff.

The last time I made those entries was year-end 1987.  I was able to list all the positive negatives about Jeremy's death for the VERY GOOD part, but for the VERY BAD part I only listed two things:  Jeremy died and Cathy Callahan walked away from our friendship. 

 

Everything else paled in comparison.

But the other night I began thinking that this year was worthy of an "IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR" entry because the family had THREE milestone events.  (Forget the IT WAS A VERY BAD YEAR for 2019....the list is endless with United experiences for practically every single day.  No need to dredge all that up for a recall.)

So, here's what would be my journal entry on December 31, 2019--if I still kept a personal journal. 

1--Savannah Nichols married Jake Hatfield in the Payson Utah Temple in March.

2--Chardonnay Rozyc married Caleb Jones in Buena Vista, Colorado, in September.

3--Caleb Jones was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Orion George in December.

Three great entries that make 2019 a very special year.  Life is good!  

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR !

Savannah and Jake Hatfield

Married March 9, 2019  

Payson Utah Temple

Happy Nichols Family

Celebrating Savannah's wedding

in front of the Payson Temple

L-R  Momma G, Papa Lou, Uncle Harold, Uncle Brice, Aunt Burgandy, 

Aunt Brittany, cousin Pippa, and cousin Cheyenne in the background

Bride and Groom--

Caleb and Chardonnay with Caleb's siblings

Wedding guests belonging to the Bride's extended family

Buena Vista, Colorado  

September 19, 2019

Orion and Caleb after the baptism  December 28, 2019

Westminster Colorado Stake Center

Happy Family posing with Caleb

L-R Orion and Briggs George

Chardonnay and Caleb Jones

Momma G and Papa Lou

Jason (Daddy Too) and Lynette George

LIGHT THE WORLD!

Today is Christmas Day!

In all the years I have worked for United Airlines, I have only had just a couple of Christmas Days that I was at home.  The rest of the time I was flying by myself, or Louis was able to come with me.  We've had some good times doing that.  But when I have been by myself, it hardly seems like Christmas Day at all.

When I got my schedule for December this year and saw that I had BOTH Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day off, I decided I would keep what I had been assigned, even though it meant no holiday pay.  I really looked forward to having a "normal" Christmas.  The only trouble is....I don't know what a normal Christmas is anymore with no kids at home to plan for and prepare with all the fun--and sometimes stressful--activities we used to have while they were growing up.  And, I didn't put up my Nativity collection this year and invite friends and neighbors to an open house to share in that very special feeling of Christ's birth.  So, there wasn't that to keep me grounded.

Add to that a whole different set of Christmas "rules" in Louis' family than I had in mine.  There was bound to be some clashes over how we opened presents, planned the day, what we had to eat, etc.

It so happened on this Christmas Day Burgandy and her two teenaged boys were with us.  Most of the presents under the tree were for their own Christmas with a couple of presents for me and Louis from my kids, our Ministering brother and his wife, and a friend at my work.

Then we had a "different" dinner.   That wasn't like Christmas either.

But...we had a great activity to fill the afternoon which really made up for a day that seemed just a little bit off-kilter to begin with.  We drove to Writer's Square in downtown Denver to "buy" some charity at the LIGHT THE WORLD Giving Machines that are in Denver this year.  Denver is just one of 10 locations around the world that have these vending machines, and we wanted to take advantage of that unusual opportunity.  Especially to give Orion and Briggs an opportunity to help disadvantaged people.

The full-time missionaries--without name tags--take three-hour turns from their regular assignments assisting visitors and answering any questions they have.  I asked how the machines were doing with the goal which had been set at $500,000.00.  It has been met and exceeded!  Plus, there is still one more week that the Giving Machines will be here.

What a lot of great good is being generated!  I believe people WANT to do something for those less fortunate here and in other countries but might not be sure how to do it, particularly if they don't have a lot of money to give.  The "gifts" started at $3.00 and ranged all the way into the hundreds of dollars.  It's the widow's mite all over again.  One small amount added to others' small amounts turn into something great.

On this special Christmas Day, we were able to LIGHT THE WORLD with bus passes, chickens, and school supplies.  They sound like great presents to me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO SOME SPECIAL SOMEONES!

Here we are at Writer's Square ready to buy some charity...Burgandy and Briggs are getting ready       to push the choice button.  (I look mad, but I wasn't.  Inside I was happy!)

HELLO....I LOVE YOU!

I've been following the LIGHT THE WORLD prompts every day to do my share in serving others in a unique way this Christmas season , much as Jesus Christ did as he went about doing good during His ministry on earth.  Don't know if what I have done has touched anyone else's life, but I feel better about reaching out to others in small, simple ways that even I can handle.

Today the prompt was to call your parents and tell them you love them.  No can do!

My mother and father died within three months of each other in 1984 when I was in my 39th year. They've been gone nearly half of my life.  There are still many days, however, that something will happen and I think, "I need to tell Momma that." Or "I can't wait to tell the folks!"  And more  now that so many years have passed, "I wish I could talk to my mother.  She would understand and give me insight."  Or just have her put me on her lap and rock me (even as a big girl)  because I know that would comfort me more than anything.

All of that is not possible at this time, but I can still give a shout out in tribute to my parents and the blessings they were in my life--though I was often too stupid to see some of the positives at the time stuff happened.

I find myself quoting my dad's advice to me from my choice of shoes to the gentle reminder that my college roommates and friends might NOT believe the same as I did even though they were members of the same Church.  My mother's examples of homemaking and organ playing are just two of the myriad ways she influenced me, most of the time without saying anything directly but by my just observing and watching what she did.

I don't know if this blog qualifies as social media, but I am using it today to say, lovingly and sincerely...

Hello, Mom and Dad!  I love you!