The Giving Season

BRHS Student Council at Walmart with carts full of goodies for needy families!

Throughout November and December our high school participates in several charitable fundraisers, from canned food drives to penny wars to shop-with-a-cop. I'm always so proud of the generosity and compassion displayed by our youth when the opportunities to serve others arise, even in these economically difficult times.

On Saturday our student council spent 3 hours shopping for needy local families, as well as for supplies for our district's elementary school. The results of their efforts are seen in the photo above. They took great joy in seeing not only that each family's needs were met, but also that they would receive gifts to make their holidays fun. Way to go, BRHS!

A Symphonic Orchestra Christmas

Last night we got to attend the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert. It's all the more special for us because my daughter, Sarah, is a violinist with the orchestra. You can see her on the left in the photo above. She's the one with the white flower over her ear!

 

Chris and Sarah after the concert

 It was an amazing night. The orchestra gave one of their very best performances ever. And it's even better when we get to enjoy it with our family and friends. My son-in-law Chris, my son Dylan, and I were joined by my stepson Ryan, his fiance Shera, and our dear family friend Gwen. It was wonderful!

 

Ryan, Shera, Mary, Sarah, and Dylan

Along with the symphony orchestra were a variety of soloists and a choir. The highlight of the evening was a magical performance of "Away in a Manger." It was arranged by a recent graduate of Blue Ridge High School, Levi Crockett, who has a brilliant career as a musician ahead of him. Levi's sister Courtney is a friend of Dylan's. Although it's not great quality, a video of that performance is found below.

Party On, Teachers

Today our student council put on a very nice How the Grinch Stole Christmas-themed luncheon and Christmas party for us teachers.

As we entered, we were instructed to search each table to find the gift with our name on it, and that would be our place to sit. The gifts were pencils and a sticky-note pad in personalized mason jars.

I was joined by my aide, Joe, and my former aide, Kim (who is also our principal's wife). Kim now runs BRO, our online school.

Me and Joe during the luncheon.

Or, as we English teachers like to say, Joe and I...

The teachers lined up to enjoy an Italian lunch, which included lasagna, penne alfredo, and Caesar salad. Very yummy!

A live band made up of students provided music while we ate.

After lunch there was an ugly sweater contest. I didn't really think any of them were actually ugly.

The winners of the contest were Coach Bob London and his wife Denise. They won a free weekend at a resort! I think next year I'll buy myself a truly ugly sweater, just for this contest!

 

The party also included a white elephant exchange and a raffle. My ticket number was 087. Both 085 and 089 were winners (Kim was 089). Just my luck!

 

It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon!

First Christmas Concert

11 Dec 2013: Dylan (age 16) and his bass

Having 2 children who are musically inclined means having 2 Christmas concerts to look forward to every year. This year Dylan's concert came first. Last night Sarah, Chris, Ryan, Shera, and I got to go watch him perform along with several other very talented groups of young musicians and singers.

11 Dec 2013: Jacob and Chris enjoy a fundraising dinner

We started the evening with a Chinese dinner put on by the orchestra to raise funds for their trip in March. They'll be enjoying several days in San Diego, California, as well as competing at Sea World against other orchestras from across the nation.

 

This is me with my Chinese dinner. If I look tired, it's because Jacob and Ryan stayed up until 4:00 that morning watching movies on Netflix! 

The food came from my favorite Chinese restaurant, China Wok.

That's General Tso chicken. Mmm!

 

Unfortunately, due to timing and jobs, only Jacob, Chris, and I were able to make it to the dinner. But then we all made it to the concert except Jacob, who had to go to work that night.

Dylan is at far right with his Santa hat and his bass

 

The concert lasted nearly 2 hours, but it was excellent. Dylan's conductor, Theresa Dick ("Ms. D"), saved Dylan's chamber orchestra for last because she said they were the strongest performers. Which says a lot, because everyone was so awesome! 

 

The other high school performers included Harmonic Vision, the 100-voice choir . . .

 

. . . and the all-female group Sprezzaturas . . .

. . . and finally, the Harmonies, a jazz choir.

There's a lot of talent at Blue Ridge High School! Next, we'll have Sarah with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra on Sunday!

Here's a short clip of the final number of the evening. You can really hear Dylan on bass!

Sunday Dinner

When Sarah and Chris got married in July 2011, we decided to start a tradition of Sunday dinners so we could stay close as a family even though the kids were growing up and moving on. However, Sarah and Chris's work schedules at that time often interfered with our plans, so eventually we gave up.

 

Then this past September, just 3 months ago, we decided to try again, and we've had our dinners faithfully every week. Sarah and Chris have stable work schedules now, and usually my stepson Ryan and his girlfriend Shera join us. The only one whose attendance is hit-and-miss is Jacob, since he works two jobs now. He works at Native New Yorker every night but Monday, so he rarely gets to join us unless we eat very early.

 

Here's a peek at this week's Sunday dinner.

 

Until he started the job at Native New Yorker, Jacob cooked all our Sunday dinners. Now I do most of the food prep, but tonight Shera treated us to her homemade lasagna. She made two 9x13 pans for 6 people. By the end of dinner, less than half of one pan was left. Need I say more?

Ryan helped in the kitchen when Shera dared to allow him near the food. In between, he and Chris checked their phones and talked football. At least, I think that was the sport they were discussing...

For a few months, Sunday is Sarah's laundry night, so she used her time to keep her loads of clothes moving. She and Chris live next door to Chris's mom, Brenda, and they usually use her washer and dryer. However, Brenda is currently enjoying the nice winter weather in Mesa so the water to her house has been shut off.

Then there was the incident regarding a large bag of tortilla chips in a preheating oven, followed by a mysterious burning smell. The plastic bag melted away, causing the chips to shower upon the bottom of the oven. Not an easy mess to clean up!

Blessings upon the head of Ryan, who cheerfully tackled the mess and saved the day! I think the oven looked better when he was finished than it did beforehand!

And then there was the incident regarding a wrestling match and an overturned lamp. Thankfully, nothing was damaged except the bulb.

In the end, we all enjoyed a delicious lasagna dinner. It really was great, thanks to Shera's culinary wizardry!

I contributed the sides. We had a big green salad and a small fruit salad. I had leftover oranges and apples that were no longer so crisp and fresh, so it seemed a good idea to salvage what I could from them.

 

Even Jacob was able to enjoy the bounty. He came home from work a little after 10pm, and he settled in to savor some leftovers before bedtime.

 

We are really enjoying our weekly get-togethers. Of course, we sometimes have big family dinners on other nights of the week, as well. But we always plan to be together on at least this one night, and we always have great fun. I am so grateful to enjoy the blessings of family!

Five Golden Rings

Okay, I totally failed as a blogger tonight! I forgot to take my camera with me to the Rainbow Lake Ward's church Christmas party. I intended to take pictures throughout the night and blog the event, but nooo. I had to leave my camera on the kitchen table.

 

So let me just say that the homemade soups and chili and rolls were delicious. There was rhubarb-strawberry jelly for the rolls that was to-die-for, and tons of frosted sugar cookies on every table. Santa put in an appearance at the end of the evening for the little tykes.

 

Dinner was followed by an audience-participation version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and we were enlisted to be the Five Golden Rings. (Sounds like a good name for a rock group.)

 

That's when I remembered that I have a cell phone which takes pictures. Not great, clear pictures, you'll notice, but at least I have one memory of the night.

 

 

The two people in the center of this photo are my step-son Ryan and his fiance Shera. Ryan looks amazingly like a young version of his dad. Flanking them are my long-time friends Wyndie and her husband Eugene. And, of course, I was the 5th golden ring.

 

Good food, good friends, good conversations, good fun, and a good reason for the season, the birth of our Savior. That's what it's all about!

A Thankful Heart

After our Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon, we held an impromptu photo shoot to remember this day of thankfulness together.

 

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

 

28 Nov 2013: Our family on Thanksgiving Day

My life is so rich in blessings. I am deeply grateful for all I receive at the hands of a loving Heavenly Father. I am more thankful than I can express for our Savior Jesus Christ, who "marked the path and led the way" to everlasting happiness by His example.

 

The past 5 months have been the most difficult and painful of my entire life. Yet the Lord has sent His Spirit everyday to lift and carry me through the worst times, when the hurt was so deep it took my breath away and I wondered how I could go on. He has shown me that real happiness comes from a heart filled with love and forgiveness and gratitude, and is not dependent upon the actions of those around us. I am grateful for the blessings of His restored gospel!

Mary with her daughter Sarah

I am so happy to have three great children who are sincerely good people and bless my life in so many ways. Being a mother is the greatest privilege of my life.

 

I'm also grateful to have an amazing extended family, from my siblings and their spouses to my nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews. What an amazing blessing that family relationships are eternal. And how uninteresting this world would be without the whimsies of family!

Brothers Jacob and Dylan

I am thankful for the blessing of friendships. My beautiful friends are the family members I chose when I came to this world. They have so often been the angels God sent to help me through these difficult days. What a great blessing their love and support have been to me.

Mary's son-in-law Chris and daughter Sarah

How grateful I am to be surrounded by the nurturing arms of a loving God and the loving support of family and friends who care about me. When facing the challenges of this world, those are the only blessings that truly count and will be with us into the eternities. Thank you, Lord, for filling my life with so much that is good!

Sarah with our dear friend Gwen, who joined us for Thanksgiving today.

Our photo shoot wasn't lacking the usual shenanigans, especially by family members of the male persuasion. Here are a few of our outtakes:

Bryce and Brianna

30 June 2012: Brianna and Bryce recite their vows

Last year, during the summer of 2012, my niece Brianna married her long-time boyfriend Bryce. I attended the wedding and reception and took a ton of pictures, but I never did blog the experience. Two days after their wedding, we left on our month-long, cross-country trip to New York, and life was simply too hectic after that.

 

I can't very well blog about Brianna's sister Celesta's wedding this past weekend and then fail to share this beautiful wedding from last year! So here it is, almost 17 months later...

Brianna and Bryce share a kiss while the bridesmaids look on.

The bridesmaids admire Brianna's wedding ring.

Brianna and her bridesmaids

I don't know the two bridesmaids on the left, but the rest are Brianna's sisters: Mariah, Elyssa, Celesta, and Gabrielle (Gabby).

The Bride and Groom with the family of the bride

Brianna's beautiful wedding gown and train

Brianna and Bryce share their first dance as a married couple.

 

I am just fascinated by wedding cakes! This one is so very elegant!

Bryce and Brianna cut their wedding cake.

It was a lovely wedding, but it is long since over. So long, in fact, that Bryce and Brianna have a gorgeous little son named Carson! I just might have a picture of him and his mom from his Aunt Celesta's wedding...

Brianna and her son Carson

What a handsome little guy!

Scottsdale Cottonwoods

Nov. 22-24: Our suite of rooms at Scottsdale Cottonwoods Resort

I know I'm a little obsessed with the hotels and resorts we stay at. It's just that I never stayed in a hotel during my childhood. When our family traveled, we either stayed at the homes of relatives or camped out in a tent. So the idea of a hotel room seemed rather exotic and even a little intimidating.

The living room of our suite

I was 18 the first time I stayed in a hotel room, for 4 days back in 1973. It was an amazing experience! That's when my best friend Peggi and I were stalking the Osmond Brothers. We followed them to Las Vegas and we stayed at Caesars palace. And, yes, we did eventually meet them and spent enough time with some of them to get to know them. But that's another story...

The "kitchen" (actually a small wet bar) in our suite

Back to the present: I originally planned to drive down to Mesa (a 3-hour drive) and back, all in one day, to attend Riley and Celesta's wedding and reception. That would have been a grueling trip, getting up by 4am and leaving at 5am to attend the 9am wedding; then leaving after the reception ended at 9pm and getting back home around 1am. Not my idea of a good time, but being divorce-lawyer-poor these days, I saw no other choice.

The bedroom with 2 double beds is in the next room.

Then my daughter Sarah offered to pay for the hotel. Since we were driving down together, she really didn't want to get up that early, so I took her up on it. (She also paid for half the gas.)

We went to our lucky website, priceline.com, and bid on a hotel. It took us several tries, but we got this nice suite--more like a small apartment--in Scottsdale for just $34 per night.

The bedroom had a very nice open ceiling.

So I took one bed, Chris and Sarah took the other, and Dylan got the couch. The beds were pretty comfy.

The bathroom and dressing area

This resort has been around for years. It covers an area of many acres. The staff uses golf carts to ferry their visitors around the grounds.

Since we stopped in Mesa first on Friday night to help a bit with decorating for the reception, it was well after dark when we arrived at the resort around 10:30. It had also been raining nonstop all day and all night, so we were drenched by the time we followed a series of trails to our suite. We should have asked for a cart ride!

The pool was right across the sidewalk from our suite.

The grounds were quite beautiful, though. In the daylight hours it was well worth the walk. Except when I slipped on the sidewalk as we were walking to the car on our way to the wedding Saturday morning.

 

I was in my purple dress and black heels when my shoe hydroplaned! There was no preventing it; I was going down! Luckily, I still have good balance and managed to fall in such a way that I only landed on my bum and the side of my left calf. Only my ego was bruised.

More scenes of the beautiful grounds near our suite

We did miss the first snowfall at home while we were away. It was pouring rain when we left home, and we dealt with heavy rain, hail, and and thick fog (driving through the clouds that settled on the mountain tops) all the way to the Valley.

 

While we were at the luncheon on Saturday afternoon, Dylan texted Jacob back at home and asked what the weather was like. Jacob texted back that it was snowing hard! I do love the first snow of the season, but this time we were missing it for the best of reasons.

 

We headed back toward home about 2:00 on Sunday afternoon, and once we were past Globe-Miami we began to see the snow-covered mountains ahead along the road home. We got home just a bit after 5pm.

Clouds cover the top of this mountain.



 

I did try to be frugal for this trip. Eating out while traveling gets a little spendy. Sarah and I each made a tray of deviled eggs, which took care of our Saturday and Sunday morning breakfasts.

 

It was awfully tempting to stop for dinner in Miami on Friday night to enjoy the world's best green chili burros and red chili burros at Burger House. I'm not exaggerating. They are THE BEST!

However, I was strong and I spent Thursday evening prepping cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and mayonnaise so we could stop and make nice, cheap ham-and-turkey sandwiches during a brief stop in Globe.

 

With the wedding luncheon and the light evening dinner served at the reception taking care of Saturday's meals, the only other meal we had to worry about was lunch on Sunday. I confess that I splurged for that one and stopped at Carl's Jr. on our way out of town. I do so love their Super Star sandwich served as a low-carb lettuce wrap! (And since there is no Carl's Jr. in our mountain community... so far...)

 

That concludes the tale of our Riley-and-Celesta's-wedding weekend. We had a wonderful time and loved seeing so many family and friends!