Twas the Week Before Christmas...

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

Sunday night we got to Rexburg in time for the meetin'. I had come down with a head cold and Monday I slept until 11:00. I didn't get much done at all, but yesterday, Tuesday, I felt much better. Alan and I went to Rexburg to go through the new Rexburg Temple and see what we would be doing for the open house. It truly is a beautiful building. It is not ornate or really fancy, but it is very representative of what I think is beautiful about this corner of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The central motif that you see in every room is a wheat stalk. Sometimes just newly planted and in the celestial room fully ripe. It reminds me of the farms and beautiful scenery here in Idaho. (See my pictures below) The stained glass windows have a wheat stalk. The carpets are sculpted, the upholstery is very nice, and everything is in greens, and light golds. The wood was shipped from Africa and I don't know what kind it is. Anyway, it was very exciting to go through it and to know that soon it will be ready for us to use.

Highland up in Squirrel and

A view of the Tetons from Squirrel.

Wednesday

We loved the picture of Leah on Morgan's blog so Zack kind of improved it,
combining two of our favorite things (Leah and the Jazz) to make it better than the sum of its parts. It is called SYNERGY!

Introducing the Mailbaby!!

Leah Delivers!!!!

Wednesday also

So, Speaking of sports, these are the Armenian tennis pros we hired when we got home from our beating in Orangeville last week-end. Mr. Warp Ed Racquetian and Miss Ima Scary Girlian. I don't really know that they are Armenian, but they could be. I just said that so I could make up silly Armenian names.

And now you can see that we have really improved. Be afraid Banner.

Be very Afraid.

Shelley and her smokin serve. As you can see by my improved shape, I also won the biggest loser last night. It was a very busy past three days.Alan practicing on the grass, just to be ready for anything Banner might throw out there.

Zack + concentration = Success. Success = beating Banner.

This picture is for those of us who can only dream of beating the best...

BANNER. YOU GO GIRL!

Busy, Busy, Busy December

Last night Alan and I volunteered to help serve and clean up at the 4th Ward Christmas party. Some of their members had done the same at our party on Thursday. Our ward party was called Christmas Around the World on the Starlight Express. There were many tables decorated with centerpieces and decorations from different countries. We did a table from Mexico. We had a cactus, tropical fruit, poinsettias, a replica of an ancient temple, and red, white and green tablecloth. Then we were supposed to bring a side-dish from that country, so because I can't make tamales (which everyone would have loved), I brought some spanish rice with lots of cheese on top. There was so much good food and the tables were beautiful. There were table decorations from Fiji, China, Italy, England, India, Kenya, Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the North Pole, where Santa was. I thought it was an excellent idea for a Christmas party.

Friday we went Christmas shopping in I.F. Zack got all his Christmas shopping done! Amazing. I did pretty good, but I don't think Alan bought anything. It was too hard to make a decision with all those choices.

Today (Sunday) Alan went to his meetings at 7:00 a.m., I got to the church at 8:00 to practice the organ (today was my day, SCREAM) for fifteen minutes before ward welfare meeting, which Alan and I were both at. Then the block meetings til 12:00. But at 10:45, I still had not seen Zack show up at the church. He was there for priesthood and some of Sunday School, but then went over to the nursing home to help with the program and sacrament there. I was relieved to see him walk into the chapel halfway through sacrament meeting. After church we all stayed to choir practice till 1:00. Zack and I came home and ate. Alan came home at 2:45, ate and left by 3:00. 3:30 was tithing settlement. We were there till 4:15. At 5:15 Alan came home and then Zack and Alan left to go home teaching and they were gone until 7:45. Wow, I think now at 8:00 we can stay home and rest. After all, it is Sunday.

I don't know what is happening this week. Zack has a paper due Tuesday. We are celebrating our 25th anniversary on Tuesday. We're going to the temple and will do other things in I. F. that day. December is going fast and on Friday we will head to Castle Dale for Whit's week-end. Still going to be very busy.

Alan and I want a nice digital camera for Christmas so we can post pictures of us on our blog. Whoever has our name that would be great. Just wishing.

Some of Our Favorite Christmas Things

We've been reading on your quizzes about some of your favorite things, and so we're going to tell you some of ours. But ours will be in clue form. See if you can get them right. If you think you can, leave us a comment.

1. Shelley's favorite Christmas Chorus: (Elizabeth, and maybe Jenny and Sara know this). This is really hard. You may have heard Shelley talk about this clue.

Oh, those

of

2. A favorite Holiday sweet treat from the Minasian side of our family. And you have to say and spell it the Armenian way, not the Greek way.


3. Morgan and Zack's favorite thing to do after we get the Christmas tree decorated.

4. Zack's favorite Christmas present last year (ranked high on the list of all-time favorite gifts given and received).


5. Our favorite Christmas stocking present from Jack and Camille. They bring it every year!
6. Alan and Shelley's favorite date in December. Hmmm.

7. Alan's most un-favorite gift to get in his stocking. Hint: He only got it once and he's tried to be a good boy since.

8. The favorite Christmas song of the Harrigfeld family (friends of Alan and Shelley).They sing it every year at their house. Hint: It is not English.

9. Our favorite thing to do on Christmas Eve.

10. Zack's most favorite Christmas movie is:

Alan's favorite Christmas movie:

Shelley's favorite Christmas movie:

These are your choices.

Our Beautiful Temple and Hymns for Whitney

As most of you know, the Rexburg Temple is complete. In fact, today I was talking to my friend, Mindy Davis, and she told me she had spent the morning in the temple manning the phones and taking reservations for sealings (weddings) baptismal groups, endowments, etc. The open house starts on December 26 and runs through January into the first week of February when it will be dedicated. Alan and I are going to be tour guides every Thursday in January, meaning we get to take groups of twenty at a time and give them the tour. We will have talking points at certain places in the temple, telling them specific info that will be given to us later. We are very happy and excited about this opportunity. It is a thrill to have a temple this close to us.

The Rexburg Temple looking toward the southwest. This picture could have been taken from Morgan's old apartment.

The Temple looking toward the east.

I was reminded today looking at Whit's blog that she will ne in the MTC for Christmas. I wonder if they will have you singing the Christmas hymns in Spanish right off. YES!! So here is one for you, my good niece.

Venid, Adoremos

Venid, adoremos, con allegre canto. Venid al pueblito de Belen. Hoy ha nacido Rey de los Angelos.

Cantadle loores, eoros celestiales, resuene el eco angelica; Gloria cantemos al Dios del cielos

Senor nos gozamos, en tu nacimiento, Oh Cristo, a ti la gloria sera. Ya en la carne, verbo del Padre.

Venid y adoremos, Venid y adoremos, Venid y adoremos al Rey Jesus.

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Here is the recipe that I made for Leah's blessing day. Hope you make it and enjoy it. It is pretty easy, so go for it.

Pumpkin Cake Roll
375 degrees

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup sifted flour

1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (pretty small)

Cream Cheese Filling
6 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease the bottom of 10 X 15 jelly roll pan (I use a big shiny silver sheet-cake pan). Line with waxed paper. Grease the waxed paper really good. In large mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add sugar, beating constantly for a few more minutes. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the egg mixture, beating on low speed until blended. Spread the batter into the greased pan. Don't worry if it seems like a thin cake, it has to be thin. Top with the chopped nuts. Bake for 10 - 11 minutes. Cake will shrink from the edges. While baking cake, spread a clean dishtowel on counter top and sprinkle well with powdered sugar. At once, invert the cake on the towel and remove the waxed paper, being careful not to tear the cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake with more powdered sugar. Beginning at narrow end, roll the cake and towel up together. Cool cake and towel on a rack. Unroll cake, remove towel and spread the cream cheese filling on top. Re-roll and sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator or freeze, wrapping in aluminum foil and freezer bag. Or eat immediately! Good dessert for parties through the fall and holidays.

Winter is Here!

November 29, 2007 This morning we woke up to snow.

This snow is goingto stay. Alan shoveled and later I swept and then Leah

came out to pose with us in out wintery wonderland.

This is a view of our fence from the garage looking

south toward the windbreak. I think it looks great

against the dark green of the pine trees. We are going

to decorate it for Christmas; Alan is thinking lights

and I'm thinking boughs and red bows. I'll post a picture

when we get it done.

Santas from Around the World

This first Santa is the one with which we are all

familiar. Santa Claus with a red suit trimmed

in white fur. Black boots and a big toy bag slung

over his shoulder. Santa Claus looks a little confused

and surprised at the same time. Probably wondering

how he gained so much weight and got so short.

This is a picture of St. Nicholas. St Nicholas comes

to the houses of good children and leaves toys

and gifts for them in their shoes. They have to

leave their shoes out by the fireplace if they want

St. Nicholas to fill them.

This could be Pere Noel. He looks very

French, don't you think. Oui, oui!
(Also just a little feminine)

Our last santa was just a little upset because

he thought he should be carried instead of

carrying. I think this is one of those Saints again,

because he looks like a monk with that

haircut. Poor little friar, having to carry

all those gifts and presents.