Yesterday was a special Sunday. Our grandson Weston was baptized and confirmed by his father. Tauna, Weston's mom, gave the talk on baptism; and Brent gave a talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost. I led the singing, and Sam was a witness. Following the baptism, Tauna served Mexican tacos and a decorated cake. Saturday, I had made chocolate chip cookies for the occasion.
Weston and Brent
It was snowing lightly as we drove to Rosebud to church, and we had a smaller attendance than we have been having. Only Weston and the two youngest Allen boys (Jayce and T.J.) were in my class. Sam taught the Priesthood/Relief Society lesson.
Brent & Tauna's family came over for supper with us and stayed to watch the Christmas Devotional broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.
Later that evening, Doug called and we enjoyed our weekly Sunday Skype visit. We also called several friends to plan visits with them on our trip to Idaho and Utah next week. We are looking forward to seeing these friends as well as having a visit with my brother and his wife and Harold in St. George. We are making this trip at this time, because our granddaughter, Sarah Smith, is getting married December 19 in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. We will spend some time in Provo and Salt Lake with the families of our children and then return home after the wedding. Doug & Shannon and children will be traveling with us to spend Christmas in South Dakota, and Jeff & Rochelle's family will be coming from Arkansas. We are excited to be spending Christmas with them and with Curtis & Marla's family and Brent & Tauna's family.
I am having fun decorating the house for Christmas with things I haven't seen for two years and finding places to display the decorations we got in Russia.
I like my Russian nativity carved and painted by a man in Moscow.
These pieces are also carved and hand painted by local artists in Moscow. For the Christmas season, I have moved them from other locations to display them on the organ near the Christmas tree.
My next project is to write our annual Christmas letter. We always enjoy receiving cards and letters from friends and family at Christmas time; and, of course, if you are in the neighborhood, please know we would love to see you.
Crops were later maturing than normal this year due to wet weather delaying the planting in the spring and then cooler days in late summer. Normally we harvest in October, but this year both the corn and sunflowers were too wet to store. When they freeze before maturity, it takes a long time to dry down.
Air Seeder - used for planting the winter wheat this fall.
Sunflowers are not ready to harvest until they have dried and the heads turned down.
The sunflowers in this photo are ready to harvest as soon as they are dry. The wind, blackbirds, and deer are hard on the sunflowers.
They always keep a tank of water handy during sunflower harvest because of the concern for fires starting in the combine from the dust created during the harvest. This fall, in addition to several small fires in the combine, they had one larger fire that also burned a hole in the fuel tank of the combine and 20 acres in the field.
The sunflower harvest was finally completed just before Thanksgiving. For the first time, this fall they are storing the sunflowers using a new bagging machine which leaves the long bags on the ground until ready to truck the sunflower seeds to market.
Seed bagger - new this year
Bags storing sunflower seeds
Now that the sunflowers are harvested, the heads on the combines have been changed for harvesting corn.
This is a grain cart, but not the one currently in the field where the corn is being combined.
The grain is transferred to the trucks. It may then be taken directly to market or stored first in the grain bins or in bags.
An auger is used to put the grain in the bin.
Some more grain bins.
The newer bins are very large.
Another fall activity is weaning the calves from the mother cows and giving them shots to help them stay healthy. The first batch of calves were weaned in September, and the rest were weaned the last week of October.
Weaning calves on a wet, snowy day.
The hired men rounded up the calves and gave them their shots.
The calves were kept in the corrals for a couple of days after weaning them, and then they were moved to the pasture.
Hay bales are stacked ready to feed the cattle if pastures become snow covered.
Typically, the harvest is completed by November; but at least we're hopeful it will be done before we leave to go to Utah for our granddaughter Sarah's wedding. She is getting married December 19.
I looked out the kitchen window this morning when I heard Brent's dog barking and was surprised to see five wild turkeys walking by our tree swing. I had just called to have a phone visit with my sister in California, so I told her I was going to get my camera to take pictures of the turkeys and would call her back.
I thought the dog's barking might frighten the turkeys away, but only one turned and went toward the trees while the other four kept walking toward the garden. I took this next picture through the kitchen window.
When the dog came running, the turkeys flew into the trees in our yard; so I went outside for more pictures.
How about these turkeys bravely showing up so soon after "turkey day!" We have wild turkeys down by the river, but I had not seen any near the house for many years.
Thanksgiving dinner was at our place; and we were happy to have part of our family here. Scott & Kristine's family came from Denver, Curtis & Marla's family were here from Mitchell, and Sarah and her fiance Derek came from Provo. They all arrived Wednesday evening. Brent & Tauna's family went to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with Tauna's family.
Roy & Barbie and Chad shared our turkey dinner with us, and all of the moms helped prepare food for our traditional menu of dishes we have come to expect and enjoy each year.
The Smiths had to leave Thursday evening, because Maggie had show choir practice Friday morning and Curtis & Marla and Derek & Sarah went to the Winter Quarters Temple on Friday.
I took this picture as we were saying goodbyes to Curtis & Marla's family Thursday evening. (Scott, Kristine, Maggie, Marla, Sarah, Derek, Curtis, Haley, Maren, Jenna, and Kennedy)
Scott's family was able to stay until Friday afternoon, and Scott and Trent went pheasant hunting Friday morning and "walked the trees" in the afternoon before leaving.
Cleaning pheasants after the hunt. (Sam, Scott, and Trent)
Pheasants are plentiful this year, and the hunters had a good time. (Scott & Trent)
Jenna and Shannon enjoyed the kittens and being with the Smith cousins.
Before eating a piece of pie, we played a Thanksgiving game. Each person had six different colors of M & M's, and we took turns naming a blessing before we could eat each piece of candy. We all could easily have named many more blessings, but it was good to express thankfulness for some.
Among my many blessings, I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for His gift of the Atonement. I am thankful for the love and support of family and friends. I am thankful for living in this beautiful world and for the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. I am thankful for our mission in Russia and for dear friendships made there. I am thankful for our good health, for our comfortable home, for good music and good books to enjoy, and for much more.
While preparing for a talk I gave in church the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I read an article by Darla Isacson entitled, "The Higher Law of Gratitude." Here is a quote from that article: "I now believe that expressing thanks for all that makes my life pleasant, or for what I appreciate more because others have less, is living only the preparatory law of gratitude." The higher law of gratitude is found in the scripture, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:7).
I am trying to see more clearly the blessings that come from even the hard things, recognizing that there are lessons to learn and spiritual growth to be realized from these experiences as we turn to our Father in Heaven for comfort and support knowing He loves each of us and wants us to have joy. An inspiring YouTube video features a young college student who is blind and wheelchair bound. His life is an example of how adversity need not limit blessings and happiness for which to be thankful.
We are pleased to announce that our 31st grandchild has arrived safely. Todd & Beth are the proud parents of Rebecca Elizabeth who has joined her siblings - Jared, Megan, Amanda, Ethan, and Joshua.
* Rebecca Elizabeth Graham * Born Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. 6 pounds 14 ounces 19 inches
Beth has taken some darling photos of Elizabeth that are posted on their Graham blog.
We returned home from Branson, Missouri, with happy memories of being with such special friends whom we were reunited with after having served missions together in Russia.
Of course, we missed those couples who were unable to be in Branson with us, and they were in our thoughts. We hope they can join our group on the next reunion wherever it will be held, as this reunion was the first of more to come as a tradition we want to continue.
How fun it was to be with dear friends we had last been with in Russia: The Abrams, Hadleys, Prices, Shepards, and Yorgesens. Sam and I were pleased to have this opportunity for visiting and wholesome entertainment.
We arrived Monday, November 2 and were together until Friday, November 6. This was the beginning of the Christmas shows in Branson with no apology for remembering that Christ is the reason for the season.
Joe & Nancy Abram, Gordon & Maxine Hadley, Greg & Chris Shepard, Sam & Narene Ireland,
David & Sharon Yorgesen, Al & Barbara Price (photo taken at the Dutton Inn)
The Shepards came in their motor home, but the rest of us stayed in the Dutton Inn two nights; and we had discounted tickets to see the "Duttons" Monday evening. (As rooms were not available for some of us at the Dutton Inn for Wednesday and Thursday nights, we then moved nearby to the Days Inn.)
The Redhead Express This group performed briefly before the Duttons came on stage. They are talented sisters who are part of a performing family consisting of the parents and seven children. They are from Alaska, are also LDS, and have their own show at the Dutton theater.
The Duttons are a favorite. They are an LDS family with the parents and six children and one son's wife currently performing. This is the fourth time we have seen their show, and we enjoy it every time.
The Duttons are talented musicians. They include one number where they pass their instruments down the line playing each instrument as they receive it. They also like to include using their violin bow to play on the violin of the person standing next to them.
The Duttons play instruments, sing, and dance.
Chris, Al, Barbara, and Greg - visiting during the Duttons' intermission.
David & Sharon, Maxine & Gordon at the Duttons' show.
Sam, Nancy & Joe
In addition to the "Duttons" on Monday, most of our group went to three shows on Tuesday and again on Wednesday and two more on Thursday. Since we arrived in Branson early afternoon, we decided to see the "Pierce Arrow" show Monday afternoon with the Shepards.
Pierce Arrow They have nice harmonies, and their bass singer holds the Guinness Book of world records for being the lowest bass singer.
The Brett Family Singers In our informal voting, this show received the most votes by our group as their favorite pick of those we saw.
The Brett Family All Branson shows we saw included a tribute to the veterans.
Joe and Al are both veterans and stood up to join other veterans several times during these segments at the various shows.
During the Brett's veteran tribute, Briahna Brett came down and sat on Joe Abram's lap while she sang to him. Hey, I just had a thought - maybe that's why Joe voted for this show as his favorite!
Maxine & Gordon and Sharon & Dave look on as Joe is serenaded by pretty Briahna Brett during the veteran tribute.
The Bretts receiving their applause.
The Bretts are friends of the Shepards; and we were privileged to have a group photo taken with the mom, daughter, and son. (Andrea Brett, Dave & Sharon, Joe & Nancy, Briahna, Sam & Narene, Maxine & Gordon, Chris & Greg, Al & Barbara, and Garon Brett.)
The Spirit of Christmas This show is advertised as "the most delightful and enchanting Christmas extravaganza this side of New York."
The Spirit of Christmas is a professional show featuring Christmas songs, special costumes and scenery, singers and dancers, and a high-stepping kick line resembling the New York Rockettes.
Our evening entertainment on Tuesday was the "Hamner Barber Variety" show. We were not permitted to take pictures at this show, so the three photos that follow were obtained from their web site.
The Hamners have twice been awarded the Merlin Award for their magical illusions.
The Hamner's beautiful Macaws and Cockatoos appear magically and fly over the audience.
It is humorous to see Jim Barber appearing to be the dummy rather than the ventriloquist. He also is a singer. This was a fun show.
Jim Barber was awarded the International "Ventriloquist of the Year" Merlin Award for his combination of magic techniques and ventriloquist. He is considered one of the world's great ventriloquists and was recently featured on CBS's David Letterman show.
Shoji Tabuchi has become the must-see show in Branson.
Shoji is a virtuoso violinist, but he also hires professional musicians . . .
. . . and talented dancers (Shoji's wife is the choreographer)
. . . with elaborate costumes and stage decorations.
Another cute segment with Shoji's outfit matching the penguins.
Shoji with marionettes.
Shoji changes his sparkly jackets frequently, and he even exchanged his violin for a white one (jokingly found at Wal-Mart), which glowed in this black-out scene.
A corp of drummers added by Shoji.
Flying angels traditionally make their appearance at the conclusion of Shoji's show. In the photo, one of the angles has landed.
Dancers and singers join Shoji in a wave to the audience as the show ends.
Even the restrooms are beautifully decorated where people visit with their cameras. I was no exception and took these photos on this my fourth year to marvel at the elaborateness of the ladies' room in the Shoji theater.
These angels are seen as one enters the restroom. We even saw some men looking in to get a glimpse of the decorations.
The full-size Santa (or to our eyes, a Grandfather Frost).
Santa seems stuck in this fireplace.
Baby changing area
Chris washing her hands at one of the wash basins, each decorated with a real orchid in a small vase.
Here I am taking advantage of the several lotions and perfumes available to try.
How did Barbara know the right color to wear for a perfect photo by the tree in the ladies restroom!
Sam took the camera in the men's restroom so we could see the billiard table there.
The wash basins in the men's restrooms at the Shoji theater.
Chris, Barbara, and Narene have a photo taken by the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby of the Shoji theater.
Our next event was the Dixie Stampede Dinner Show on Wednesday; but we had some spare time before the show, so we drove around to see some of the countryside.
Showboat Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake
I like bears and couldn't pass up this picture.
The pre-show juggler/comedian at the Dixie Stampede Dinner Show was good, and the live Nativity was a highlight; but I was otherwise disappointed in the remaining entertainment and dinner for the price we paid.
Some might enjoy having the opportunity to walk by the horses in open-air stalls before entering the building and then watching competitions between the north and south riders, but I had expected the show to be more entertaining and to include country musicians.
The food was served quickly with friendly service and was okay if you wanted to eat a small whole chicken, but the meal wasn't anything special in my estimation. I don't have any photos to post either, since we were not permitted to take them. I guess it is evident that Dolly Parton's show is obviously the one I would rate last in my list of the shows we saw for the price we paid (and we had a discounted group rate).
However, on a positive note, we appreciated having a good friend join us for this dinner show. Steve Luehrs' wife was one of my Reginal Directors when I worked with AYUSA, an international exchange program. She was super to work with and always so cheerful. Sadly, her second bout with breast cancer took her life in June. When I retired from AYUSA, DelRae took my place as Regional Manager and later had started her own foreign exchange company. Steve and DelRae moved from Nebraska to West Branson where Steve and his son have a thriving business.
Our next show Wednesday evening received positive comments from all of us. "Six" is a unique show of six brothers harmonizing with an "orchestra-of-human-voices." They are amazing and are another LDS performing group.
Six I bought a DVD of their show, because you want to see them perform to appreciate knowing these sounds are coming from vocals with no instruments producing the percussion, bass, etc.
"Six" perform a variety of styles - all enjoyable.
On our last day together as a group, our morning show was "Twelve Irish Tenors." On two previous visits to Branson, I have rated "Dino's Extravaganza" as my favorite show. This year, for reasons I will explain below, Dino's was not my favorite show. I enjoyed all the shows we saw (while acknowledging the disappointment already expressed about the Dixie Stampede Dinner Show), but I voted for the "Twelve Irish Tenors" as my favorite this year.
Twelve Irish Tenors We were not permitted to take pictures during the show, so this photo comes from their blog. (I have no idea who Mr. & Mrs. Hill are in this photo.)
Our last show to see during this visit to Branson was "Dino's Extravaganza." I love to hear excellent piano playing, and I have several of Dino's CD's where he plays beautifully with full orchestra accompaniment. In fact, I saved his music on my laptop to have while we served our mission in Russia.
Dino is only in Branson for the Christmas shows, and we have seen his show twice before when it was a close contender to Shoji for having elaborate stage sets and costumed dancers. This year, however, although the excellent piano playing was there, the quality of the dancers, stage sets, and costumes were not up to the earlier standard. Dino has a weekly TV show and does not have his own theater in Branson, so I wonder if this has a bearing on this year's Branson show. I still added two more of Dino's CD's to my collection.
Dino is promoting a young violinist on his show this season. He was good.
Dino and his wife, Cheryl
The portion of the stage with the piano has the capability of moving back when the dancers/singers are performing up front.
The closing Nativity Scene was impressive. Dino always includes a spiritual message about Christ before ending with the Nativity. The finale of Dino's show does leave Christians with a good feeling, and so it was a fitting one to be our last show.
Gathering in the lobby after "Dino's" show: Jorgesens, Irelands, Prices, and Shepards. (Somehow the Hadleys had already gone, and the Abrams had not selected this show.)
Our final meal together was at McFarland's. I chose an appetizer for my meal, and it was yummy: fried green tomatoes and sweet potato fries with delicious corn bread. (l to r: Al, Greg, Hadleys, Abrams, Yorgesens, Irelands, Chris, and Barbara)
Greg had made arrangements with Tom Brett for us to meet at the LDS church where we officially ended our reunion Thursday with a Family Home Evening. Each of us shared a special experience from our Russian mission and an experience we have had since coming home.
We discussed the desire to hold a reunion next year, and possible suggestions were shared for where to go, but left open for further consideration. We want to include those who were unable to come this year because of conflicts in schedules or still being in Russia. We sincerely missed George & Beryl Curbishley who had planned to be with us in Branson, but Beryl needed more time to recuperate from her knee surgery. It was great to have Al with us and to see his return to good health.
Family Home Evening Dave & Sharon and Barbara & Al
Joe & Nancy and Gordon & Maxine
Greg & Chris and Narene & Sam
We had such a good time with everyone; and we had a bonus of being able to spend extra time with the Shepards, since they parked their motor home and we provided them with transportation in Branson.
The Shepards also arranged for a Skype visit in their motor home with Vlad & Lena Nechiporov in Rostov, Russia, where Vlad is now serving as the mission president. This was great. Vlad was our Area Regional Manager in Moscow; and it was so nice to have this visit with him, his wife, and their daughter.
Okay, senior missionary couples who served in the Moscow West or Moscow Missions, where shall we go next year?
Weston and Brent
I like my Russian nativity carved and painted
These pieces are also carved and
I love this time of the year.
Merry Christmas!
