Concert, a Movie, Games, Christmas Lights, Temple Dedication, Another Concert

Monday, December 6th, 2021

We attended a school concert in which both Karsten and Lizzie played their violins.  It was Karsten's first orchestra concert.  Lizzie played in a duet in addition to playing with her group.  Here they are outside after the event ended:

We put up our Christmas tree on Tuesday.  That night Michael & LeAnn picked us up to go to a movie.  We were joined at the theatre by LeAnn's parents, Bill & Chanda.  The showing?  Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers.  It was an original retelling of the nativity with a Christmas music concert.

On Thursday, Shirleen delivered donations to a couple of charities, Helen's Hope Chest and A New Leaf.  Earlier this year the grandchildren helped tie the quilt and wrapped the soap with crocheted washcloths.  A friend asked us to also take some hats that she made on looms.

That evening we celebrated LeAnn's birthday one day early by going out to dinner (Thai food).   We're happy she's in our family!  After dinner we came home for some parlor games:  Qwixx and Quiddler.  And, as we played Quixx, Shirleen rolled this:

The chances of rolling six ones is one in every 46,656 rolls of six dice.  [Note:  If you are willing to settle for any six-of-a-kind, then you will only need 7,776 rolls of the dice.]

On Friday we made progress with Christmas lights that we could reach:

On Saturday morning Bryce & Karsten came over to put up the high ones; here they are on the roof:  

Bryce and Karsten

In the afternoon we went over to Red Mountain Park for Lizzie's violin recital.

Lizzie and her violin teacher

Lizzie

Thanks to Bryce and Karsten, the house then looked like this:

Sunday, December 12th

We attended two of the three Mesa Temple re-dedication sessions:  9am (our stake center) and 3pm (in the temple).  What a special opportunity!  How blessed we are to have a temple so nearby where we can serve and feel God's love for us.  This is where Shirleen received her endowment, where we were sealed, where our parents and Mike and Amy also received these blessings.  Now we look forward to being with grandchildren in this temple.  Here is a picture of us outside the temple after the 3pm session concluded:

We are scheduled for a temple workers training meeting, in the temple, next Friday.  It's wonderful that Mesa again has a dedicated temple.  It has been a blessing to thousands in the past, and will bless many more for generations to come.

Saturday, December 18th, 2021

Amelia performed with an orchestra in a concert at Mesa's Interstake Center.  Here she is with Shirleen: