Christmas Poem and thoughts

We love our neighbors, the Call's.  Many of you know Tammy, who has been a dear friend to me for many years. She has a knack for getting to know people and for keeping me honest in my heart!  She likes to do fanciful watercolor paintings.  This one is entitled, Christmas in El Paso, Texas.  On the south west hill across the border to Mexico, you can see a cross.  You can also see three Christmas trees in all the lovely colors.

Tammy also wrote a l poem this year in the wee hours of a December morning:

AS WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

SEEK
SILENCE
AND
OH PLEASE
LET PEACE COME
IN THE
STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT
WHEN
ONE STAR
BRIGHT
ILLUMINED THE NIGHT
PAUSE
AND
REMEMBER
WITH
WONDER AND AWE
AND
LISTEN
YES
LISTEN
FOR
THE VOICE
THAT
WHISPERED
WITH
TENDER SOFTNESS
THE
LOVE OF A MOTHER
FOR HER CHILD
THE STAR OF THE NIGHT

TAMRA SHEPPARD CALL
LATE NIGHT 2 OR SO
DECEMBER 9TH 2013

There was a note inside her card to us and to all other Ostergars...

Your Mother

Full of Grace & Goodness

spoke the

Message of Christmas

As only a Mother

A Mother could

with Insight

And a Belief

that she holds 

Deep within her

whole Being

That He-- the Savior

of the World

Lives - and

His Love for ALL

is

True--for

Me and for You.

It's a New Year!

Welcome 2014!

We gathered at Aunt Anna'a for a New Year celebration.  We started the day by attending the "Sacred Gifts" exhibition at BYU.  We enjoyed and were inspired by wonderful paintings of Christ.  It is such a wonderful opportunity to see great art work in its original form.  The way the light plays on the paint and the vividness of the colors cannot be expressed in even the best art prints.

Everyone brought their leftover yummy food to share from Christmas and Grandpa cooked up a ham and a roast to add to it, along with Uncle Robb's famous hot cheese dip and Anna's lovely home made rolls.  The best part, is visiting with family.  Some went to the movies on New Year's Day.  Grandpa and I enjoyed "Frozen".

We spent some extra time with Bright over the holidays and were able to drive her back to Price to start her new semester.

Bright and crochet learning project!

Can you find Erica?

Sunny, James, Daisy, Noah and Mary

And More Initials

Anna Belle

Peter

Bright

Seth

Andrew

Jane

Christmas Around the World!

We made our own Christmas crackers this year.  I ordered the popper part on line and we did the rest. We always had Christmas crackers when I was growing up in Canada.  They are traditional for Great Britain. Each cracker had a party hat, some yummy gold coins, a fortune, some stickers and 5 puzzle pieces. We all gathered round before dinner to open our crackers and put together our puzzle!  Cousin Brent, his wife Andrea and their baby Ellie joined us for our prime rib dinner with Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings.

Adam's Christmas tree!  Buon Natale!  He looks pleased.

Christmas table with Erica and our fun Christmas cracker hats!

Christmas morning in Provo

Christmas Eve Eve Trifle
Creamy, Cakey, Raspberry goodness!!

Christmas Eve in Laguna Niguel

More Birthday Initials

Happy 2014!

Because of all the holiday fun, I didn't do much on the blog, as you can see!

Here are some more initials.

Sunny

James David

William

Julia

Henry

Ruth

Birthday Initials

I thought it would be fun for all of you to see each others' birthday initials.  I made 26 in all.  For Allen IV and Cynthia, there was just one initial.  It was for their first anniversary.
I think Harry the Gnome ran off with everyone's for a while - except for Golden.  He must be the "Golden Birthday Boy!"

Noah

Daisy

Rae

Mary

Lucy

Lily

More to come!

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Correction - It was not Bright and Sunny that went to Seattle for Thanksgiving.  It was Sunny and Rae!

We had a Thanksgiving/Hanukkah Fusion meal at our house, in other words, Thanksgivukkah!
This year, the first day of Hanukkah fell on Thanksgiving daly, a coincidence that last happened in 1888 and will not occur again for 79,043 years.  There were 17 of us including these teens! Bright, James D., Noah, Jane, Daisy, Clara.  Uncle John came from Steamboat Springs.

Clara had a special dish for Thanksgivukkah!

Potato Latkes - so delicious!

We have had a big snow storm and lots of cold weather going on in Utah.  We love how our house looks in the snow!  We turned the lights on Thanksgiving night.  Cynthia and Daisy and Bright and Noah did some Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night too.

1071 Fir in the cold and snow!

Julia showing her snow technique!

Julia and Ruth were here for Jane's Christmas concert.

One other fun happening in Provo was the "Make it With Wool" contest.  Daisy participated in it. She made a beautifully tailored pair of slacks and a hand knit woolen sweater.  There were over 20 people in her group to be judged.  They gave 7 prizes.  Daisy got prize number 7 and a special award for knitting her sweater.  Congratulations!

Daisy at "Make it with Wool"

The whole outfit - can you see the tailored pockets on the side of the pants?