And it Came to Pass in Those Days . . .

Luke 2:1-20

1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

View Luke 2

Discover ways to share and enjoy the true meaning

of Christmas!

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A Christmas Thought or Two . . .

A Christmas thought or two . . .


 It's beginning to look A LOT like Christmas! 

 The family is starting to gather, the big day is just a few days away . . . And just like this year has been an UNUSUAL year in our lives . . . so promises to be THIS holiday season . . .

 We feel so BLESSED to have three of our four children join us at some time throughout the holidays. (and were very fortunate to enjoy a visit from Dustin in early November and wish THEM the merriest of holidays as they travel to South Carolina to celebrate!)

 KELSIE has arrived home and is our Christmas elf in helping with the final preparations!

 We look forward to the arrival of CORY, SARA and JONATHAN baby in 4 days - and can't wait to spend time with them. We are still busily getting their room ready, wrapping gifts, baking treats (OH WAIT! We haven't yet started the baking of treats . . .)

 KARIANNE, GREG and ADDI bear fly in on Christmas day - we are so excited for their arrival! It's amazing to see new found skills developing in the grandbabies, to hear their DELIGHT in visiting family, experiencing lights and colors and sounds of Christmas! So refreshing to us!

 We HAVE the gifts of Christmas, but our enjoyment of Christmas is all about experiencing family being reunited, our time together - We have a particular challenge this year as we actually try to fit in the OPENING of the gifts . . .

 Kelsie in a sudden change of plans, will be getting minor HEART surgery done on December 26th, bright and early in the morning. (Minor to the cardiologists involved, they say they do this almost everyday! But major to us - it's STILL heart surgery!) 

Our "hearts" fill with GRATITUDE this year for those who will make this possible so soon after they celebrate their holiday!



 I have a goal to send out

 "Happy New Year" 

 Christmas cards . . . as that way I may actually have some photos of family to include along with ALL (and there is much!) the NEWS of the year. We'll keep our fingers crossed . . .

 And all I can say at this point is Norm and I amongst many things . . . are BUSY studying our Spanish . . .

 I want to leave with a Christmas thought and TESTIMONY of the Savior . . .

 From the words of JAMES E. FAUST . . . this hymn means a lot to us and expresses our testimony that He lives! 

 They heard his voice, a voice so mild 

It pierced them through and made their souls to quake. 

They saw Him come, a man in white, 

The Savior, who had suffered for their sake.

They felt the wounds in hands and side, 

And each could testify: 

 This is the Christ! 

This is the Christ, the holy Son of God, 

Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind. 

This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls. 

Who ransomed us with love divine.

 I read His words, the words he prayed 

While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane. 

I feel His love, the price He paid

How many drops of blood were spilled for me?

With Saints of old in joyful cry

I too can testify:

This is the Christ!

This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,

Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.

This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls.

Who ransomed us with love divine . . .

Words: James E. Faust, b. 1920, and Jan Pinborough, b. 1954 Music: Michael Finlinson Moody, b. 1941 © 1995 James E. Faust, Jan Pinborough, and Michael Finlinson Moody. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use. 

3 Nephi 11:3–17 Luke 22:42, 44 

To all of yours . . .

Merry Christmas

We'll see you on the flip side :)

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Grandbabies are . . .

Bears!

 Scary scary bears!

If you ever, ever, ever

meet a grizzly bear,

You must never, never, never

ask him where

He is going,

Or what he is doing;

For if you ever, ever dare

To stop a grizzly bear,

You will never

Meet another grizzly bear.

--Mary Austin

Giraffes!

Giraffes

By Maryann Hoberman

Giraffes

I like them.

Ask my why.

Because they hold their heads up high Because their necks stretch to the skyBecause their quiet, calm and shyBecause they run so fast they flyBecause their eyes are velvet brownBecause their coats are spotted tanBecause they eat the tops of treesBecause their legs have knobby knees

Because

Because

Because, that's why.

I like Giraffes.


And that's why I like Grandbabies . . .

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Loving our new Townhouse . . .

I've been wanting to share some photos from our new town home which we are enjoying so much!  It's been an overwhelming year this year with all the many projects . . .

painting, carpeting
moving, packing
unpacking, moving again
more paint, installing lights and fans,
tile, carpet, paint,
more moving . . .
more unpacking . . .

it's been like one big never ending project!

But finally . . . we are getting settled and loving it!

I'm planning on sharing photos of our new town home a little bit here and a little bit there as I have time . . . (trying desperately to get all my Pickled Pepper Photography projects caught up before Christmas!)

So . . .

Without further ado . . .

Here's the entry and the office!

The townhome is laid out on three floors (Yes! We love the stairs!)

The entry opens up into a small foyer with the office on the left and the stairway on the right.  Another door opens into a large closet for storage underneath the stairway, and the opposite door opens up into the garage.

(Which I suppose I should include in the tour at a latter date also - as Norm has done an awesome job with it!)

I've been decking the halls this week!




Come on in!







We knew the office would be a small room so we gave much thought to what we needed it to include . . . We wanted a built in bookshelf (we have A LOT of books!) and a built in desk, so the furniture wouldn't take up any additional floor space.



Conan likes to hang out in the office with me while I'm working :)





We wanted additional seating should anyone want to have a conversation here while the living areas were occupied, so we found a small bistro set with a table and two chairs on Overstock.com - it's one of my favorite places! Also - the desk has a glass top laid down upon it - that way I can have some of my most favorite momentos right beneath my workspace.  It reminds me of some of our family's most special times . . . When I'm not working (on two computers at the same time - which is frequent  while editing photos) the file cabinets slide in underneath the desk so as  to be out of the way.  Otherwise they make a great additional surface to spread out on.







Some of our favorite artwork (on the wall) from a great friend who is much more talented than we are!  They are precious to us and  we like to keep them close by.
The office also functions as an additional guest space. When needed - we move the chairs out of the way and have room for a couple mats and sleeping bags for the younger visitors :)





Stairway leading to the living room and kitchen area on the next floor above.







Thanks for stopping by . . . And here's one last look . . .


Come back soon . . . I'll try to photograph the kitchen and living areas soon :)

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Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas . . .

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas . . .

and watch

"O Come, Emmanuel"

featuring the thePianoguys.com and Jon Schmidt and

Steven Sharp Nelson (piano / cello)

What does Christmas mean to you??

Would love to hear your

thoughts.

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A Change of Direction . . .

Are you missing something in your life?

In need of a change in direction?

Looking for something to uplift and edify?

May I suggest the following:

Witness how the Savior gave—and continues to give—all a reason to be eternally grateful for the gift of His life.

Discover new ways to share and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

As you fill your home with decorations, food, friends, and family, fill it with uplifting Christmas music as well. Download this beautiful free Christmas music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and then share it with others!

Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional 

from the comfort of your home - 

The First Presidency invites Church members and others to view the satellite broadcast of the annual Christmas devotional, which will originate from the Conference Center on Sunday, December 2, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. mountain standard time.

This devotional will include Christmas messages from the First Presidency and music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Request a free copy of

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is a record of God's dealings with the inhabitants of ancient America (Learn more about the Book of Mormon ).

Seek more information by

Meeting with the Missionaries

It's up to you, no pressure, no hype

all guaranteed to inspire and uplift

and provide that change

in your life . . . if you're looking.

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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . .

¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ It's that holiday season . . .

It's the most wonderful time . . . of the year . . .

Happy Holiday . . . ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Happy Holly - days . . .♥ྀღ La La La!...♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

How ever you phrase it (or sing it!) it's coming right up and tonight was one of my most favorite nights of the year . . .  can you guess where we have been?

Here's a few cell phone photos clues . . . once again the only camera I had with me :)





Did you guess the Opening night for Festival of Trees?

Of course they had the usual BYU trees, and the UofU trees, the Real Soccer Trees and the Jazz tree. But some of my favorite trees were the very creative trees . . .

Like the missionary tree . . .



(very clever!)


The pretty in pink tree -




For Kelsie -

It's the holiday season And Santa Claus has got a toy For every good girl and good little boy He's a great big bundle of joy He'll be coming down the chimney, down Coming down the chimney, down *´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ I'm feelin' that Holiday spirit - how about you?

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The Christmas Tree . . . a little different this year

Our Christmas Tree . . . well it's a little different this year!  Always and forever we have been the fans of large, tall Christmas trees.  They usually take us all night to decorate and mounds and mounds of Christmas lights and ornaments.

This year is a little different.  We have a corner for the Christmas tree . . . not really even a space, but a corner . . . we knew we had to find something this year (and for always really) that wasn't quite the spectacular tree of Christmas's past.

And we found the perfect tree!  I'm sure everyone always thinks they selected THE perfect tree.  But we really do like it :)  It was decorated with 4 strands of lights (although I did throw away like 4 strands of lights after trying to get them to work for like 5 minutes!) ((YEP! Into the garbage they went after being inspired by this HOUZZ ideabook "How to Light Your Christmas Tree Like a Pro" :))

And I could furnish a room with ornaments that we did not use :)

It's just one more example in my life of how simplification has been a blessing to us . . . I love it more and more every day.








Now . . .

If I can just "simplify" the rest of our Christmas plans . . .  that is always the challenge . . .



Backup for a minute here . . .

I have some fun family photos of our Thanksgiving - it was the Klein family Thanksgiving this year and we all had a wonderful dinner at the home of Norm's brother and his wife.  We missed spending the day with all our children - but loved the camaraderie of Klein family games, good food and best of all, the selection of Grandma Klein's pies!  I think there were at least 10ish!






And here we are . . .

In the midst of the holiday season - it's truly upon us :)

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To Cultivate an Attitude . . .

THIS inspired me today . . .

So I'm going to share,  in it's entirety . . .

Thanksgiving a Time to Find Gratitude Amid Difficulty

Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live outside of the United States and will not celebrate the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. Members in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in October, and other celebrations of gratitude occur around the world at different times. American members will participate this week, but throughout the year, Church members worldwide express gratitude for God’s blessings in personal and family prayer.

Many across the nation and world, including members of the Church, currently face weighty challenges in their lives. In difficult periods of the past, leaders have recognized the collective need to give thanks amid turmoil and to turn to God.

Following the Revolutionary War and ratification of the United States Constitution, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating Thursday, 26 November 1789, as an official holiday of “sincere and humble thanks” for God’s “care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation.” In October 1863, in the midst of a bloody civil war, President Abraham Lincoln made the traditional Thanksgiving celebration a nationwide holiday to be commemorated each year on the fourth Thursday of November.





Lincoln’s proclamation enumerated the blessings of the country, then urged that those blessings “be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.” He recommended that Americans “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation.”

As Thanksgiving approaches, we have a similar need to reflect on the good despite difficulty and division. Many on the East Coast of the United States are facing challenging times as they work to rebuild their homes and lives after Hurricane Sandy. They have a long, uphill battle ahead, and our thoughts and prayers are with them in this effort.

As Presidents Washington and Lincoln expressed, reflecting on our blessings when times are trying can help change our perspective on life’s challenges. Prophet and Church President Thomas S. Monson said:

“While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. ... Our lives are blessed in countless ways. …

“… [The] things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted. …

“When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.”

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

In October, President Monson encouraged listeners of the Church’s general conference to watch over those around them and assist in times of need.

“May we willingly serve one another. May we pray for the inspiration to know of the needs of those around us, and then may we go forward and provide assistance.

“… Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose. None of us is immune. The purpose of mortality is to learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be. Our lives can also be filled with joy as we follow the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/god-be-with-you-till-we-meet-again

We hope that all people will see this Thanksgiving holiday as a time to express gratitude and to serve those around them.
(The NEWSROOM / blog)

 I know I have been so blessed in my life . . . I'm grateful for the family that surrounds me even though they are far from home.  Grateful for a husband who understands me and loves me in spite of myself. Grateful for a body that allows me to work hard, to serve others, to enjoy the blessings of a beautiful world all around me.  Grateful to live in a most beautiful place and enjoy the creations of a loving Father on a daily basis.  Grateful for a knowledge of where we came from in an eternal perspective, why we are here on the earth at this time, and what will happen to us when we depart from this life.  I know these things, I'm grateful that I do and grateful for the witness of the Spirit in my life on a daily basis to remind me frequently, how blessed I am.

What are YOU thankful for?

There . . . now enjoy the day!

~~xoxoxo~~

ME

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The Last Leaves of the Year . . .

This last month has flown by . . .

It's been simply amazing to have visited with each of our four children this last month . . . so blessed! It's a rare occasion when that happens.  And we have many photos to catch up with these fun events.

Here's the photo reviews . . .

From Halloween in Ohio . . . with the Donovan's























And . . .
In other Ohio adventures . . .

(I'm so happy these cell phone photos turned out so well!)


















And then . . . It was off to Denver for a couple days with Cory & Sara and a visit to the Denver Aquarium



I'm amazed we ended up with some pretty good photos! The lighting in the aquarium was so dim . . . but I'm happy they turned out as well as they did!

As you can see . . . We were all fascinated by the amazing creatures from the deep, especially Jonathan baby cakes! And now . . . It's back home again home again . . . Jiggity Jig!

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