Christmas Story by President Monson

There is a really neat Christmas story By Thomas S. Monson on the Home page of www.lds.org
The illustrations inThe Ensign are by Daniel Lewis who lived right here by us and was in our ward when Max and I were dating. He now lives in McCammon. Some of his illustrations have faces of people right here in this little town.

Grandpa's wood cutter

Christmas

Christmas Tradition ....for those who are lucky enough to have it every year of their lives is wonderful. Personally, I love the anticipation of Christmas more than anything. I was lucky enough to have wonderful Christmas childhood memories with My sisters, my parents, my grandma and my son.As a little girl, Christmas Eve was my favorite and it still is. My Mom decorated like crazy. She made whipped wax Christmas candles with old ornaments, paper mache reindeer heads, ( That's where I got the idea to paper mache' the onion coach and the rocks for the Shrek swamp for our weddin)plywood Christmas lawn ornaments, some were snow people in my family's likeness. There was a Santa train and it was all lit up with spotlights. My sister Molly later took hold of that and created her own. She had a big white bible that she had a red ribbon in The scriptures of the birth ofthe Savior, a hurricane vase that held broken ornaments of the past that I will never forget. There was the aluminum tree of Christmas past that had the 3 colored disc that changed the color with the spotlight. Christmas Eve brought my Grandma Nellie in her once pink buick and in the end it was red. Dad would always kid her about parking 5 feet from the curb so the neighbor could pull out of his driveway and hit her car broadside when he had too much Christmas cheer. We helped Grandma carry numerous gifts she had been given from her customers, (she was a hairdresser and newspaper writer) neighbors and friends. There was the trying to stay in bed baecause we wanted to get out 5 times in the night and scope out our treasures with a flashlight. I don't know why it was so hard to sleep . It might have been the brand new flannel pajamas or nightgowns we 3 clones wore. I said clones, not clowns.My parents were very good at making sure the gifts Santa brought were equal in spite of the fact , we were each different. Santa made Barbie doll clothes by the dozens, doll cradles, doll clothes and other cool stuff. There was the pink kitchen and Santa fashioned Sue a homemade Indian doll in it's own papoose one year. My Dad's black lab chewed the toes of one of my dolls and a cast was quickly fashioned on my dolls foot. I had a club foot which was casted when I was younger and the plaster of Paris was used by Santa. Dad would take us sleigh riding behind the old tan truck and the red GMC. He pulled a red flyer sleigh and saucers with long ropes down roads that were remote. The ditch and the roll overs were many but it sure was fun. I think he did it to exhaust us and help their night come on a little quicker.There was BIG PHIL and his wife Lois who came over for a short visit. Mrs. Gagon, who was the Mortgage holder who sent a large box of nuts and mouths full of cancor sores.The nut baskets was decorated with green and red felt that held the nut crackers and picks. Norky Norcross would bring his annual bottle of Booze. There were the year we had toilet paper tubes covered with green and red felt that held our napkins for the Christmas dinners we had on the BEST CHINA. I loved to eat the special clam dip.
I know why my Mom never wanted us to get married. It's because all of that goes away and new traditions or someone elses traditions take their place. Christopher gave me 4 DVD's of old vhs videos he preserved this year for Christmas. I enjoyed watching those by myself Christmas afternoon while Max slept. I do regret he had to grow up as a only child and miss the fun of having other brothers and sisters sneak around with a flashlight looking at all the new Christmas surprises. We would have to wake him up because no one was their to stir him up.I hope he has a lot of kids so he can have fun with that.
Chris's Dad came from a divorced family and their traditions took another whammy on me. Christmas dinner was spagetti, garlic bread and WINE.( His mom is Italian) I DEPLORE ALCOLHOL at Christmas time. I even hate the mention of it. It tears away at the very fiber that makes Christmas.
My single Christmas's were the worst. However, the first Christmas I was divorced, My sister decide to have a Old fashioned one at the Boy scout cabin in Grace. We were in snow up to our knees in a wood fire heated room making orange juice can top ornaments with 5 little boys. Chris always wore the standard Union suit Pjs like Gus in "The Lonesome Dove".One thing Sue was good at doing was improvising.That became harder for me to do. I lived in Blackfoot and trying to split time with kids who are caught in divorce was hell. Sue's boys and my Chris were never on the same schedule so it was hard. There was one Christmas that My Grandma didn't feel good enough to come to and I knew that the old traditions were soon to be dismantled. I spent a few Christmas Eves totally alone or typing to other alone friends on the Internet. I tried really hard to find that feeling but home never did feel like home did to me as a kid. My time to have Christopher was in the morning so I was locked into waiting in Blackfoot for my turn.I will always believe that divorce is Satan's all time way of destroying that very precious Christmas spirit at least for me. Single hood brought numerous boyfriends traditons also or those who were like me trying to mak it back to our own set of traditions.
Then came Max... not the dog from The Grinch stole Christmas but my dear sweet husband who is steeped in his own 49 years of tradition in Inkom. Inkom...at least in this home feels more like home to me. Max is here.... Chris is here...my folks are closer being in Soda even though I don't get there much.I enjoy having family here and I have enjoyed decorating this home to create that feeling I used to have as a kid. Max gave me a little wall hanging that says " So it isn't Home sweet home...adjust" Boy isn't that true??? They are gone just like yesterday is gone.Now, The traditions we have are those of Max's family. Christmas Eve is at Bea n Ed's house, Easter is at Bea and Ed's house.
Thanksgiving is every other year is at Bea and Ed's house. Memorial day is at Henry's Lake with Bea and Ed. Once a month, we have family home evening at one siblings house.I really do miss MY FAMILY. I miss my parents, my sisters and their kids in my life. Sometime soon they will all fit back in this new life.
I was reminded again that we all have those huge transitions to make by Shane's Keighty. They had to go to Great Falls Montana to pick up Baby girl Shayne. Keighty was in tears Christmas morning because of that and it flooded back a lot of memories to me of that time and change in my life. For those of you who are lucky to hang on to the same traditions you have had for years, YOU ARE BLESSED.! I hope to hang on to all that that which was fun and hope that each of you can have that happen at least a few times in your life. In the future, I hope Max and I have a home where someone feels that feeling of tradition again.... here in OUR home. I am most grateful to my sweet husband who takes his role as a husband most seriously. I didn't want him to get me anything for Christmas this year as we approach this no employment situation. I think he wanted to choke me when I said I really don't need anything.I am most grateful for the gift he is in my life. He makes this house more home to me.
Thanks for the wonferful gifts you all gave to us this year...The digital pictue frame,The Cougar cheese,The baseball park village piece, The DVD videos, The vinyl pages for the cutter and the cutter Max gave me, The snowman, The chips and salsa, Money, The bread basket... It's been a good holiday season for us.
I think this year will be a good one for us with some new changes on the horizon. Max in a new and different job,Shane home with his new wife and daughter, Chris and Bryce graduating, Tony and Brandi having a new baby, a wedding for Chris and Amanda and our 3rd anniversary. Happy New Year.....

December 22, 2008

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... The SNOW has hit. We got about a foot over night. Shane is flying in today from Kaneohe Marine Base in Hawaii. Bryce is in bed because Marsh Valley canceled school. Max is out plowing snow and Chris is taking Amanda to Utah to have a check -up on her TMJ surgery. I wrapped a few gifts this morning and we are having dinner here tonight with the kids for Christmas.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Our Back yard On December 22

Tony and Brandi Shaffer Family Christmas card

Twas the week before Christmas

Twas the week before Christmas, all the creatures are stirring, even the mouse..... The neighbor kids are sleigh riding, All around the house...LOL and we love it. There is such a nice feeling in spite of the job thing that we both feel lucky to live where we are free and able to think and believe in what we want to.It is soooo pretty here to me with the nice clean snow. Jan has been making cinnamon suckers and caramel today and it smells wonderful. We are anxiously waiting as Katie is for Shane to come home. We are so glad to have Chris and Bryce here with us at this this year too.
Bryce is moving around a little faster and Amanda has to return to work thursday. She still is only eating thro a straw. Hope she isn't going back too fast.

Chris did this video of Tammy's Surprise Birthday Party at our house and it was put on Utube..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sBnQJIJi4s&feature=related

Surgery CENTRAL

We have had quite a week here. Chris's Amanda had a TMJ surgery In Ogden a week ago . She can only eat through a straw right now but as of today LOOKS wonderful. They nicked her lip with the saw. She said she still has numbness in her face where both sides of her jaw were worked on .It was a pretty extensive surgery and she has to go back to work next Thursday. We did get to go to Ogden and visit in the waiting room with Arla(Amandas Mom) while they were waiting to get her out of surgery.We had to rush home for Max's meeting with Ron Smith to tell him he had lost his job.
Bryce just had hernia (hydrocel surgery) on Thursday. He is doing very well. He started having some problems during football and elected to get it taken care of after the season. When they got in there they removed this huge mass of guck( sorry that's what it looked like to me) and sent Bryce home a lovely picture of it.No wonder he was hurting. He has some groans once in awhile but he did well.
Max was privileged to give them both Priesthood blessings. Bryce commented to Dad that he knew that he felt that it really had helped him .
Max has gone through some employment classes this week and working on his resume.

The TSUNAMI at the Shaffer House

Hi!!
On Monday afternoon, The Ashgrove Cement Company called its employees in and let them know the plant was shutting down the Kilns and having clinker shipped in from Durkee Oregon. The plant will run as it is until January 31, 2009. After that only a few employees would remain. Today Max was called in for a 10 minute interview to explain what would happen. He will be laid off with many others.He is of course his optimistic self.
We went to the Temple yesterday for a little bit of PEACE and felt like things will be ok.The closer to Inkom we got the more doom we felt. Above the West bench was a cloud that I swore looked like a tsunami.
Max said he was heading to the tub and was going to get drunk...LOL Neither of us drink of course but we are trying to have some humor about us. There are lots of people affected besides us. Men have put their lives into working hard to provide for their families. I am grateful for those who have called to cheer Max up.Not so grateful for those who were looking for a gossip scoop. It's amazing who friends REALLY are.
Max and Matt Gunter reflected together on the phone how they each had been very blessed with the wild game they each were able to put in freezers this year and also how the wood piles in the shed were full and how grateful we ALL are that Max and Matt and the kids put this meat and wood all up. I myself know that the stuff does not hop in the wood pile nor does the meat HOP in the freezer. Countless hours of preparing has blessed us. I am grateful for the Chris and Bryce's help.They do what they can to keep this home a nice place to relax. I am grateful to Paige who has come in with lots of humor . She has worked hard to get the other house rented so we could actually move in to this one. She is always doing something to help us...from Deer meat to eggs to rent money.
I am grateful for the experience we all had to build this home. We achieved our purpose in have ing an "OUR" home. We worked very hard to get it. Money came from the sale of my home which I worked very hard to keep as a single person for 13 years. Money came from Max and his hard work all his life. WE combined that hoping to have a NEW foundation. We did it amidst lot of criticism, some of which I could hardly take. Decisions were made as a newly established couple and we moved ahead and we have a wonderful FUN home of the likes many of which will never have the chance to have. We may lose it.... We may not... but no one will take from Max, Me, Chris or Bryce the feeling of accomplishment we get when we say we did it together.
When the Latter Day Saints built the temple in Nauvoo they gave everything they had, substance, labor and some their lives to walk away. I have somewhat an understanding of that right now and how hard that was to watch the Temple burn as they left everything they had created. Bathsheba Smith swept her house one last time, laid the broom in the corner and walked away. Thank you friends for reminding us of what we have accomplished instead of criticizing us for what we should have done. I love my husband. I have seen him do soooo many things for other people and get NOTHING in return but the joy that he could lay in bed at night and say he had done all he could do to be a GOOD person. I know Heavenly Father is sending us in a different direction now. The question is asked How do you feel? LOL like a Lamb going to slaughter . We have yet more to do.Thanks for the meat, the wood supply, OUR health, the jobs we have had and the knowledge of the gospel and the plan we have to live here on this earth to have different experiences..
Love Jan and Max