Granda. Grandma Bates Family Home "Morning"

Just a peek view of our Bates get together of all 27 members of our family. What a lot of wonderful gifts we all got to share together. Thanks to Becky, Derek and Tyler we got them all out to the proper ones. I know the kids were really having a fun time opening gifts and playing with each other. We have a great family. Tyler was helping his cousins load the gun proberly. Poor Tyler has to get 4 teeth pulled this afternoon. He is so much better accepting this than I was.

Can you believe these kids were this quiet? It didn't last for long.

Katrina must have been telling us something important. She talks with her hands also. Thanks to all of you we had a great time. Wish we could have posted all the pictures. Guess you will just have to watch on the fridge.

Sunday, December 26

The day started out with a beautiful sunrise, but Kimball said it was a "handsome" sunrise, not a beautiful one. I've never heard of that one before. Must be a guy thing. Today is Lance's 41st Birthday. Happy Birthday Lance. Then Dad and I went to Rigby and saw Rod ordained a Hight Priest. We are happy for you Rod and his Uncle gave him a very nice blessing. Let the fun begin a day early. The Welch family came and played games with us and tonight Tyler and Micaah are staying with us. It seems very quiet right now so I think everyone is asleep except me. Guess I better head there right now. Everyone will be here by 9 in the morning. Good night!

Christmas Day 2010

Saturday afternoon the kids had a good time out in the snow. We are looking forward to another fun day on Monday with all of our family. We had a fun Christmas with Derek, Becky and the Black family and Dad and I. It was fun to see the kids get so excited.

It was hard to get a picture of them as they were rushing around so much. It was exciting for them and we were glad they were here.

I don't know what happened to this picture. I didn't notice the whiteout on the right of the picture in the picture. Guess I will have to take another look.

All the stockings were hung

I have 7 pictures in my post today

That seems like a lot but

you will understand

as you read on.

We started out with 4 stockings--

but now we will have

10

How can that be?

This was our littlest visitor today.

Ashlyn Kay Bates

I'm not sure she wanted me to watch her while the rest were outside.

Look at the beautiful flower arrangement

Linda and Pete gave us.

This story is continued in the next blog.

Same day though.

Visiters today----

Today we had some visitors. Lance, Katrina and family came for lunch and their kids had fun in the snow.

The kids had a fun time in the new sled Grandpa bought. It is always fun with the 4 wheeler.

Then we got a real surprise tonight. We had been having neighbors knocking at our door with treats, and I heard "Koria and Kimball" and we couldn't believe our eyes. The Black family really surprized us tonight. We were just about ready for the Nativity story so we were happy to have the whole cast. Becky and Derek had just told us they weren't going to act it out tonight. Famous last words!!!

They all got to open new P J's. Santa came to the Black Family last night in Huntington and left some of their presents and will leave the rest here tonight. Wow!

We had just been watching some old movies to have some kids around. Mariah you were a real cutie when you were here for Christmas when you were 2. Shanell and Rod you looked pretty carefree with no kids yet. Hope you all have a great Christmas. Families are what is is all about and loving and sharing.

Sleep Sleep Sleep

When I couldn't sleep last night I decided to catch up on some e mail letters and I listened to some

Christmas music.

I've been having lots of pain and

am going to try a new

medicine for arthiritis and hope it

helps. I was up for

three hours

last night.

To

bad we couldn't all sleep like your Dad does.

It looks like he has no cares in the world.

Hope you all sleep well tonight and probably tomorrow night also.

I'm afraid it will be

harder for

all those

little

ones!

Ice removal the hard way

Dad and Becky

worked hard at trying

to get the ice off the driveway

What a job. Becky finally got Dad to come in.

It has been so cold that if is very hard to get off. They spent about an hour and a half out there.

Moon eclipse

I went outside early this morning with Becky to see the eclipse of the moon. It was a reddish color. I didn't stay out to long as it was cold. Look at Becky's blog for all of the details. It is quite amazing.

We took Elise some presents for her birthday a couple of days early

Of course Landon and Cade had to be

in the middle of it all.

Happy Birthday Elise. You have

the same birthday

as Joseph Smith.

Cool!

Sunday 19th and Monday 20th.

Sunday night their was so much snow that Becky and then Dad had to go out and clean off the sattlelite in order to get TV. At least it is easy to reach now.

Monday night we were going to eat supper and Becky said look at the sunset so I went out and got a picture. It's funny I never noticed that the Church steeple is in the background. Kinda cool isn't it.

Today Layne had her operation at Primary Childrens Hospital and had the tubes put in her ears. Kendra said she did really well. We are so glad her heart is okay. She has a problem with her hearing, but she will have to have hearing aids. She is a little trooper. Our prayers are with you.

Oh Cristmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!

Just a closeup of some of my favorite decorations on our tree. Butterflies and sheep. Seems like a funny combination I guess, but I have had them for many years.

Things are looking better under that tree all of the time. Sharing with others is a special part of Christmas. I love all of you.

Dedication of BYU-Idaho Center

Today Elder Bednar spoke briefly before President Henry Eyring dedicated this building. Elder Bednar was a former President of the college and 4 other presidents were present. The 435,000 -square foot building, containing a 15,000-seat auditorium and a multi-purpose area large enough for 10 full basketball courts. Tomorrow they will have the first graduation and it will be in use in January.

President Henry D. Eyring dedicated it along with the remodeled Manwaring Center. It is made a lot like the Conference Center in SLC. I hope I get to see it sometime.

There is a sun up there!!!!!

Last night we actually had a sunset. It has been so long since we have seen the sun that I just had to get a picture of it.

This morning I went to the temple to do a session and also did inititory work for 10 women. One was born the same year I was in the Neterlands. I decided I was going to take a piture of the Temple when I got there this morning. It was so foggy that I couldn't even see the Temple until I got right up to it. Well my battery was out so I had to hurry, and got a picture after I got out of the temple after I had changed the battery. It was cold.

Today has been beautiful with sunshine. I sure miss it when it doesn't show its face for awhile.

Frosty Morning

The frost was very heavy on the trees and bushes this morning. Isn't it beautiful? We have sunshine today which is nice, but it is cold and windy. Looks cold doesn't it?

Gages tree really looks great. Even the weeds looked pretty with their pretty frosty dressings. I am glad to see the sun for a few days. We had to go to IF this morning and the roads were not very good but they were great on the way back.

Blue Monday-Dec. 14

Monday was a very blue day for me and not in a good way. I won't go into it but I was a little, no a lot down. I read a Christmas story in a booklet the R S gave us and it really made me mad. Have to ask Becky about it. Hope your day is a good one.

Fireplace warmth-Idaho Spuds

I went downstairs to get a picture of the box of russet spuds we bought today and the fireplace looked so inviting in the familyroom that I had to get a picture of that too. Looks nice doesn't it? I'm so glad we have russet potatoes again. Those other spuds just do not cook up the same or taste the same. Now I will have more potatoes to eat. Baked spuds anyone?

Relief Society lesson- The gifts of the Spirit

Today was my Relief Society lesson again. Seems like it comes around pretty soon each month. Today the lesson was on the gifts of the spirit. The lesson talked about 12 spiritual gifts that our Heavenly Father wants us to seek for. I put the paper with the gifts on them in 12 different little baskets and had the scripture to go with it and had 12 women help me.

The way it worked out I only had to talk for about 10 minutes and I had lots of participation which I like. We are so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven, His older Son, Christ, and the Holy Ghost to help us develop these gifts but we also have to do our part by being faithful, righteous, and worthy. Then we have to ask our Heavenly Father for these gifts. It turned out very good because I felt like the spirit was there.

My wish for all of you is that you find out what spiritual gifts you have and how you can develop others. I love you all, and you are each a blessing in my life.

These "kids" wrapping gifts---Saturday Dec. 11

Saturday we had the Otteson kids here and the big kids and they were busy wrapping presents for the game that we play that Kendra and Jared have the 3 doors to choose from. Oh, Oh I think that Elise (blue hair), Cade (spiderman), and Landon (Darth Vader) and Derek (himself) and Becky (herself) may know what are in those packages. They will know what they want to trade for.

Old TV out--New TV in

Derek and Becky were able to get the old TV out and the new TV in and we get a great picture. Thank you all of you kids. I'm sure we are going to enjoy it. I took some pictures with the kids in it, Elise, Cade, and Landon and Becky and Derek, but somehow I have lost them, so I took this picture as Becky and Derek are getting the kids to sleep. We thought we would give Shanell a break.

Gifts, gifts, and more gifts.

T Today I started wrapping some of the gifts for Christmas. I have lots and lots of paper which is fun because it shouldn't be boring. See Becky's blog and see the gift from you kids, but it isn't wrapped. Guess I don't have to worry about peeking at that one. Thanks all of you.

Neighborhood reciprocates.

We are starting to get goodies in from the neighbors for this holiday season. It is a fun time of the year but not so good for our diets. Today has been a very busy one. Grandpa and I went to the temple early this morning to do sealings. Then we went to Shanells and visited for awhile and then took her 2 boys out to Artic Circle for lunch. We had a delightful time with them. Boy can Cade eat and boy can Landon talk, nonstop. That therepy must have paid off. After we came home I went to the library and then visiting teaching. Wonder why I'm tired tonight.

Treats for the neighbors!

Today I spent baking rolls to go out to the neighbors to go with the apple butter that Becky helped me makew earlier in the year in the crockpot. We have great neighbors and we want to tell them so by shring what we have.

Years ago I made this nativity in Relief Society. It has always been my favorite and it has lasted so far. I like to put it up on my corner shelf in the dining room. Lest we forget what Christmas is all about. We are very blessed.

First Presidencies Christmas program

I didn't get a very good pictures of all of them together but it was a great Christmas program as always. I love Christmas music because it stirs me. We are so blessed to have Prophets at the head of our Church to guide us. No other church has this. If we just listen to their counsel and to do what they say we will be happy.

Becky took me for a "short" ride

I asked Becky to take me to the store to get a gallon of milk nad we ended up a lot of different places. Here she is on our way up Green Canyon road.

If you look real close you can see 4 DEER on our way out of the canyon. They were watching us pretty close.

Just thought you might want to see the cattle shute along the way up Green Canyon. See how the cattle can walk right up the shute and into the truck if a truck was there.

Theres those four deer again. Wish they would have been closer. Becky will have to tell you what we we hunting for and if we were sucsessful or not. Wish we could all go to green Canyon. The kids would love it I'm sure. Years ago we always went there with our neighborhood the day after Christmas or thereabouts. We had Chile and enjoyed each others company.