Well, it is a Sunday and we again are reminded to think of the Lord and all that he has done for us. I wonder if I too often go through the week with little thought for Him who made my life worth living. When I think about the poverty, the simplicity, the rudenes of the life he chose to live and the richness,the fullness of the life I have been allowed to live I wonder that I could ever hope to return to be His joint heir in all that the Father has. And yet that is just the hope that Paul gives to us in Romans and ever the very purpose for which we were born.
Next Sunday Carla and I have been asked to speak in Sacrament meeting and we have the responsibility to try to convey a little speck of what the tremendous life and atonment of the Savoir means to us all and why we celebrate Christmas. It is a little overwhel
ming.
I do want my family to know that in a very real way I am aware of the significane of the Atonement. I know that Christ suffered my sins that I might repent and come unto him that I may be washed in his blood until I may qualify for a place in Heavenly Fathers Kingdom. I cannot imagine that I am worth, but He has promised that If I would do my part, He will qualify me. The Spirit itself beareth withness to my spirit that I am the son of God, and if a son an heir of God even a joint-heir with Christ; if so be tha
t I suffer with him that we may also be glorified togeter. (Paraphrased from Romans 8:16-17)
I love Paul, he really "got it"! I also love to quote Hipshot Percussion the old gunfighter in the comic strip "Ric O"shay". In my favorite strip, Hipshot looks out over the beauty of God's creation from the advantage of a high mountain peak and exclaimed.
"Chrismas is the promise, Easter is the fulfillment!" I wish I could show that strip, but it (along with the creator) was retired in the 70's which was a sad day for me. Maybe Matthew can find it for me. I wonder if it was ever archived on-line. I doubt it, shame.
Carla has been decorating the house for Chrismas without her decorator














Maury so there has been a lot of whining. Here are a few pictures of her decorations.


Well another Sunday came and went and Carla and I talked in Sacrament meeting. We got lots of compliments but I knew we had done OK when I ment into the mens room after Sunday School before teaching my Priesthood lesson. There was a little boy in there wash ing his hands. He looked up and said "Hey, I really liked your talk!" I was quite surprixed. Well Santa's workshop is closed to my children until after Christmas. It has really been nice working out here when it is cold outside. My pellet stove is doing outstanding work. Yesterday it snowed enough to cover the lawn and on the cars there was about 2 inches of snow. Well this morning it started to snow and it has snowed all day. I think we got well over 6 inches which is a lot for Utah's Dixie country. It has been so beautiful. Of course the kids big and small had to play in the snow. Sledding and of course a snowman.






Well I am not having a lot of luck with the clicking and draging so you can mentally put the pictures in the order that I wanted them to be.
Merry Christmas to all, we will be seeing most of you who will read this in about 10 days.
Congratulations to Maury Sue who will be getting Hooded tomorrow for her Masters. That makes two Masters in our family to go with Carla and Jennifers BAs, Christy and Jamies AAs and my Dr. degree, Emily's RN and in the not too distant future David, Jenna and Marks degrees. We are proud of all our kids accomplishments whether they have college degrees or not. One of the things that I am most impressed with is Mike's electrical contractors license. I know that is something that I could not do. Anyway we are proud of you all. Ed/Dad