January 2025

Happy New Year!  We kicked off the new year with lots of family time, including games and snuggling with our animals! Eve and I enjoyed putting a pretty puzzle together on New Year's Eve (thanks to Annie for the great gift!) We have really enjoyed the time to relax!

We got a big snow storm which cancelled school. Christian and his friends had a great time playing in the snow!

We enjoyed our warm, cozy home too!

We made this fun banner together.  It says "Remember Him" on the snowflakes. This is our Christmas to Easter initiative for the North America SW area of our church.

Christian started his winter session of indoor soccer and we love to see his fast footwork along with his determination and stamina. He isn't afraid to challenge an opponent for the ball!

Sheri had her All Region Band Concert. The music was very cool and it was neat to see all these musicians play so well after only a day and a half of practicing together! 

January is always our Youth Theme Kickoff activity.  The kids had a great time with mini workshop activities and uplifting thoughts.  The theme for this year is "Look Unto Christ."

This month our friends were selling their drum set and and so I thought it would be a great opportunity for Christian to get his own set.  He has been enjoying playing with the different drums and this is what he developed within the first few minutes.

Meanwhile Eve went back to BYU for her second semester of her junior year. She sure is cute when she is all bundled up!

She started a support group for students with period pain and related issues.  This has been a major challenge for her over the years and she so is creating connection with others who struggle and may appreciate sharing ideas and uplifting activities.

Eve continues to enjoy going to the temple!

Eve got dressed up and went to a concert on campus put on by a grad student featuring Janice Kapp Perry's music. It was a lot of fun to connect with Janice afterward and make the connection with her that her grandma is Janice's collaborator and close friend.

This semester Eve is taking Bio 350- Ecology where she learns about organisms and their interactions with the physical and biotic components of the earth. She is also taking Bio 220 - Biological Diversity of Animals. Here she is studying jelly fish. She is also taking Policies and Laws of Terrestrial Systems, folk dance, and a religion class. She continues to work in the Soil Science Lab.

Sterling has been doing well serving in Brazil. We enjoy his weekly calls and the updates that he sends. In January Sterling got very sick, probably due to bad water, and lost about 10 pounds in 24 hours.  He went to the hospital and got an IV but we are still unclear if he got the medication he needed because he continued to be ill and in pain for a few days. He was able to feel well enough to see a few of his most progressing friends before he was transferred from Mongagua to Iguape. Now he is the senior companion and is having a good experience in his new area.

Matt has been working in Utah quite a bit this month as the new plant gets up and running.  The equipment is new and very efficient. He has enjoyed seeing it all come together!

I have been staying busy with my callings. This month I helped to host the Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service project which was another blood drive with Coffee Memorial Blood Center. We had 23 donors! The same day I went to the stake youth activity from 2- 5 PM. I have also had ward conferences, committee meetings, and service projects. 

Well, January was a great start to a brand new year. We are excited to see what else the year will bring.

December 2024

 December was full of fun highlights.

The beginning of the month wrapped up Christian's rec basketball session.  He has grown quite a bit since last year and was on a team of Bushland boys. He had great coaches and was an asset to the team. 

We decorated for Christmas and I decided to buy an ornament tree for all my Nutcracker themed ornaments.

 

Speaking of the Nutcracker, Sheri had fun rehearsals at the Amarillo Civic Center leading up to her performance week. Here she is dressed up Perry the Platypus with Dr.Doofensmirtz for dynamic duo day.

Nutcracker was so beautiful!  I loved watching Sheri on stage!!!  Warning: picture overload!!!

Lots of costumes!

Sheri with the other Sweetzian Princesses

Candy Cane Princess

With Sugar Plum Cavalier and Princess

Sweetzian Princesses

Candy Canes

The Land of Sweets

Land of Snow with angels

Harlequin Dolls

Spoiled with 3 bouquets of flowers, this is just one bunch.

Chinese

Napping on the way to rehearsal

I love volunteering at the Nutcracker booth during the school performances! I get to stay close and watch the performances too!

Waltz of the Flowers

Clara's Cousin

Candy Cane Princess

Sheri felt so loved by all who came to see her! It was especially wonderful that Jen and Scott came from Colorado to see the shows. Here is Sheri with Ty.

She made so many happy memories and we are so grateful that she has had this opportunity!

During Nutcracker week Christian had his first band concert. He did a great job and loves percussion! Christian is in the white shirt with the Santa hat.

We certainly had a busy week!

The following week was Sheri's band concert.  She was recognized for qualifying for UIL Area competition.

Here Sheri is with her band directors and fellow drum majors.

During this week I spent a few days serving with the Salvation Army in their Angel Tree Program. After collecting gifts and helping to organize them by family we were able to distribute them and see the happiness on the families' faces.  It was fun!

Christian was honored at a school awards ceremony for earning 2nd in 6th grade math at the UIL regional competition.

Eve wrapped up her semester at BYU and flew in to Texas on the 18th.  She has been loving all the animal snuggles and was even more thrilled to learn that we have 7 new baby bunnies!

Friday, Dec 23rd we were busy with shopping and such but had time in the evening to serve dinner with the missionaries at Salvation Army and have them over for dinner. They are so sweet!

Sheri performed in church on her flute a few times.  Her second performance was on the Sunday before Christmas (Dec 22nd).  The Christmas sacrament meeting was especially beautiful with all the musical numbers. Christian also played on his glockenspiel during the opening hymn and it added a special touch!  Also, I was the only speaker that day (no pressure :)). Here is Sheri on the Sunday she played preludes. I couldn't get pics on the 22nd because I was on the stand.

We drove to Colorado after church on the 22nd and on Monday enjoyed the Murray Christmas talent show. It was pretty special!  I only have videos, unfortunately no photos.

On Tuesday, Christmas eve we drove up to Breckenridge, got a tree and stockings set up, made Christmas pastry wreath, and decorated a gingerbread train. Sheri and Christian enjoyed the hot tub. :)

Christmas morning we enjoyed breakfast, stockings, and gifts. Then the kids went with Matt to ski in Loveland.  I was content to stay home and have a breather from the busy month.  I enjoyed exercising and relaxing at the condo in the beautiful mountain snow.

When they got home we went to the pool and hot tub.

The day after Christmas we went snowshoeing. It was a winter wonderland!

Sheri photo bombed our couple picture.

Then we went to the hot tub/pools again.

On Friday the 27th we packed up and came back to Aurora so we could catch Ivan and other family before he left town and then we hit the temple for baptisms.

Matt, Annie and the kids enjoyed baptisms with their cousins while Eve and I did sealings. Afterwards we got ice cream and saw a house covered in Christmas lights.

On Saturday we went up to Estes Park to enjoy the evening with Matt's mom and brother, Jeff. We enjoyed games, the BYU bowl game and yummy food. I love all the Christmas decor and beautiful mountain scenery.

We drove home on Sunday the 29th.

The rest of December was spent relaxing and playing with bunnies.

The kids also went ice skating.

On New Year's Eve, Eve and I did a fun puzzle that Annie gave us for Christmas and watched a football game.  The kids hung out with friends.

Down in Brazil Sterling has been carrying on the work which has been slow. Especially around the holidays lots of people are gone or busy.  He has been dealing with lots of rain and consequently, flooding, to the point of sewers backing up. It's not fun to wade through! Lots of missionaries have been sick due to bad water but fortunately Sterling has stayed well. Here are some pics.

They got to decorate gingerbread houses at an area conference.

He stays engaged in the work of finding those looking for the gospel while keeping a sense of humor and staying out of trouble.

"I say unto you, Nay!"

He is focusing on bringing the message of the Savior's church to others.

And though it was hard to be away from his family during the holidays he pushed through the difficulty and tried to stay positive.

Here he is on Christmas. I was able to send him and his companion stockings with a few small presents inside, including lights for his apartment, a game, a tie, and some fun snacks.

I sure miss this sweet boy of mine and can't wait for his return! Giving him up for two years seems only just bearable when I consider all that the Lord has blessed us with. I sure hope that he can find those searching for truth so that we can pay the gifts that we have received forward.

As the year comes to a close we acknowledge how tremendously we have been blessed and sustained.  We are grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for us and for the Savior's sustaining influence day by day. We are grateful that He came to earth, taught us the way to return to heaven and paid the price to redeem us from sin and death. Alleluia!