Cliff and Carol's Tribe

Five parties in four days at Dave's and my house(s).  I was, alas, not up to taking lots of pictures at the fifth party--the dinner on December 27, 2017, for the Spendloves, Dave's extended family.  We had a great time, with some forty people representing each of the four children in Dave's family.  Alan came with Shauna, Janice came with Mark (just back from Afghanistan), and Nancy and Darrell joined us, as well (recently back from their mission in Nauvoo).  After a potluck that, amazingly, had all the food groups (we usually have either all desserts, all entrees, or all salads), we played a game of writing down something distinctive that happened this year and having the group guess who the author was.

Janice's distinction was that she and each of her children had added a family member this year.  Janice married Mark, Daniel married Chelsea, Ben married Brittany, Joshua and Ashley had baby Coen, and Charlotte and Tony had baby Maverick.

 Maverick and Tony

 Janice and Mark

Meghan, who is married to Nancy and Darrell's son, Jared, is a sunny presence at family parties--always attending, always delighted to greet her aunts and uncles and cousins.  There's no distinction between in-laws and "real family" for Meghan.

What a treat to have Jonny home!  Jonny with the tough shell and tender heart.  Jonny who tells it like it is but nurtures his little boys like a mother robin.

 And what a treat to have Steve--the "cool" guy who we all turn to for advice on how to navigate the corporate swamp, and who also does the dishes.

 Ezra, who amazed us all this holiday by eating meat.  Ezra has refused, for years, to eat "those dirty animals."

 Jenny, still smiling.

Naomi with Heidi, stylishly dressed in a fur hat from her collection and jasper beads from the Christmas table.

Almost as satisfying as seeing Mike and Heidi cuddle is seeing cousins love each other.

Gimmee S'More

Snowmobiling, roasting marshmallows, chili, and board games.  Our trip to the cabin is one of our favorite Christmas events.  After overcoming many hurdles--little snow this winter, last-minute repairs on the snowmobiles--there we were, on December 26, 2017, hiking to the "Spend Love Nest," as Grandpa Cliff's sign still proclaims.  It was a sparkling, warm, blue-sky day, marred only by the death of Oakley, the Eberts' beloved dog, just as we left for the canyons.  In our hearts, many of us dedicated that beautiful day to Oakley.

The Spendloves are always up for a good board game.  The gamers munched on chili and chips, and sipped cocoa, all ferried in on the snowmobiles.

There was lots of time for hugs and talking.  Sisters Alyssa and Kirsten haven't seen each other since September, when Kirsten left for BYU.

 Lisa loved being with her children, home from school.  Spencer and Naomi attend BYU-Provo, and Rebekah attends BYU-Idaho with her husband, Mike.

I can never see enough of Mike cuddling with Heidi.  After all those long years of Mike searching and searching for The Right One, it is a delight to see him finally get the babying he loves and deserves.

Steve, ever imperturbable, read the paper as Ezra and Annelise enjoyed just being near their dad.  Steve has been traveling for work nearly every week.

Jenny is a trooper.  She is expecting #3 in July and has been feeling miserable.  One would never know it from her big smiles.

Mia was feeling blue about Oakley, and Camille comforted her.

 Who is hiding on the stairs?

Jonny was the roast-master.  He stoked the fire and set out the implements, including four-pronged marshmallow roasters for the truly skilled.

 The little kids gathered round.

Everybody ate s'mores, made of graham crackers, chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and oozing marshmallows squished in the middle.  Ymmm!

 The pro showed his handiwork.

Annelise

 Mike and Sam

 Sophia

 Finally, the day was over.  Jonny, Jenny, and their little boys waited in the snow as the snowmobiles got unpacked and the SUVs loaded for the ride home.

And Alyssa wore the latest in snow garb--a snowflake-patterned blanket draped around her shoulders.

In Memoriam: Oakley

Oakley was a good dog.  He loved elk bones and lying in the Ebert family room on his back with his legs in the air.  He loved being scratched and swimming in the fountains and creeks around the Ebert house.  He also loved running free, and that was his undoing.  On December 26, 2018, Oakley was hit by a car as he loped across Cottonwood Lane, en route to a new adventure.  Camille rushed him to the vet, but he died from internal injuries soon after.  "It's something dog lovers have to get used to," Steve said, and Camille added, "Oakley's life was short but it was happy."  Oakley was just five years old.  We are pondering Joseph Smith's comment that he expects to see his favorite horse in Heaven. 

The ChristmasTable, Etc.

 "Next year we'll bring in a slot machine," David joked, as he despaired over the largesse on Gretta's "Christmas table" and the poker skills used by Dave's children in choosing their gifts.  All year, Gretta collected presents, as large as Chinese vases, jade necklaces, Ancestry DNA kits, and an Amazon Echo, and as small as note cards, cookbooks, and Red Barn jam.  On Christmas morning, each child and spouse threw dice to determine "first dibs" and then chose gifts in that order, one to eight and back again.  The younger grandchildren received gifts chosen on shopping forays with Grandma, and the young adults had their own Christmas table, but this was the "Big Daddy."

 Jonny helped pick male-appropriate gifts, including books on business and economics off the "best books of 2017" list from The Economist.  He also chose a pair of shoes and a jacket from REI in his own sizes!  Steve picked the jacket and exchanged it at REI for a larger one, but no one challenged Jonny on the shoes.

 Kyle participated by Skype.  Rebekah trained her cell phone on the table, so Kyle could make his choices.  Last year, Mike and Heidi spent Christmas in Axtell, Utah, with Heidi's parents, and Mike made choices from the Christmas table by Skype, as well.

 "Shall we do it again next year?" I asked.  There was a unanimous "Yes"!  I admit, we do need to get religion back into Christmas morning somehow....

 There was lots going on besides the Christmas table.  The grandchildren pored over the photo books I make for them each year, until they graduate from high school.  Lisa made beautiful calendars with photos of the family, and the children gave wonderful gifts to Dave and me, as well as to each other in the family gift exchange.

 Henry and Mia played with Henry's new ball.

 Sam climbed a chair to get a better look at the candy and decorations on the mantel.

 Mia wore her Christmas necklace.

 Naomi played with Henry.

There was peace, plenty, and satisfaction all around.

So Near, So Far

A highlight of the year for Mormon families is their twice a year phone call from their missionary--one call on Christmas and one on Mother's Day.  It was late afternoon on Christmas Day in Moldova, but 8 a.m. in Salt Lake City, when the Eberts gathered around their computer to Skype with Emilie.

At 9 a.m., the Flindts gathered in three locations to Skype with Grant, who is in Prague, Czech Republic.  Kyle was in Seattle, the rest of Grant's family was at our house, and Grant's Flindt relatives were at Herb and JoDee's house down the road.  Kyle's technology expertise looped us all together.  Unfortunately, I was dashing about fixing Christmas breakfast during Grant's call and so got only this one photo.

 One of the nightmares of the missionary call is that there will be a bad connection.  Emilie was allotted only 45 minutes to talk with her family, and no one wanted to squander a second of it.

 Mia was dressed in her new Christmas pajamas. 

 Ezra gave me a tour of his Christmas gifts, including some very elaborate Lego sets.

The lucky grandmas and grandpas get to listen in on the missionary calls.  Steve's mother, Marilyn Ebert, joined Dave and me at Camille's house to talk with Emilie.