Monday, December 26, 2011
More Christmas
I realized that I did not have a family photos of Ben, Shera & Rylee because of the rush to get to church. But here are some photos showing they were here. Ben was taking photos or videos of the kids opening presents. Shera's hair is getting long. I did get a family photo of Christina's kids after church. Ben & Shera left after dinner to spend time with her family. We are glad they were able to visit with us. This year we had hardly any snow so no one went sledding. We still had a white Christmas but it was only enough to make it icy. I hope we get more snow. 
Christmas
Christmas eve and morning we had Ben, Shera, Rylee, Christina, Ryan, Amy & Esther. The kids enjoyed opening presents. We had Dad's famous pancakes for breakfast and went to church where our amazing choir sang. I bought the girls coordinated Christmas outfits. Christina made a German dinner of saurbraten. It was a fun Christmas. We sure enjoyed having the grandkids over. Ryan spoke with his entire family on Skype, including his sister who is serving a mission in California. Here are some photos. 
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Dicken's Christmas Carol
I love Dicken's Christmas Carol and wanted to share it with my Chinese students. I shortened it to a five person play using the best of the lines from Dickens. I wanted to share, but had trouble finding it. So once I found it I decided to put it on my blog so I could find it again.
“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
(A play for 5 actors with 5 optional silent parts prepared by Jill Taylor)
Narrator: "Once upon a time -- on Christmas Eve -- old Ebenezer Scrooge sat busy in his bank. Scrooge was a hard, stingy, mean, cold-hearted, rich banker. He had no wife, no children, no friends and he trusted no one. He only cared about himself and his money. He treated his clerk, Bob, poorly and paid him a very small salary. His office was always cold because Scrooge was too cheap to pay for extra coal. His kind-hearted Nephew entered."
Fred: “Merry Christmas, Uncle, Come dine with us for Christmas dinner tomorrow.”
Scrooge: “No, Merry Christmas? Bah Humbug! What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough?"
Fred: “What reason have you to be dismal? You’re rich enough?” I have always thought of Christmas time a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the year, when men and women open their shut-up hearts freely to think of people below them. And so as I leave, I say, “Merry Christmas, Uncle.”
Narrator: Then two men came in to ask Scrooge if he would donate money to help buy food for the poor.
Scrooge: “I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. Their welfare is not my business. My own business occupies me constantly. I wish to be left alone. Good afternoon.”
Narrator: The men left. Scrooge closed his office and walked home alone to his empty house and locked himself in. When he had dressed for bed, he heard a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain. He heard the noise coming up the stairs; then coming straight towards his door. Scrooge watched in horror as in through the door walked the Spirit of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who had died seven years ago on Christmas Eve. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face.
Scrooge: "Mercy! Why do spirits walk the earth, and why do you come to me?"
Spirit: "It is required of every man to help others, and if he does not do so in life, then he is doomed to wander through the world and witness the suffering of others without having the ability to help.
Narrator: Again the spirit raised a cry, and shook its chains on which hung heavy bags of money.
Scrooge: "Why are you chained?”
Spirit: "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link of my own free will. My spirit never walked beyond our business. I did not know that no space of regret can make up for a life's opportunity misused!
Scrooge: "But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,"
Spirit: "Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business. I am here tonight to warn you, that you have yet a chance to escape my fate. You will be haunted by three Spirits.”
Narrator: The Spirit of Christmas Past was a youth who showed Scrooge his past life. He saw his former employer who had always treated him kindly and Scrooge felt guilty that he did not treat his own clerk better. The Spirit of Christmas Present was a jolly giant and showed Scrooge how the families of his Nephew and his clerk were celebrating Christmas. He saw that his Nephew’s home was full of love and caring. His clerk’s family was also happy even though they were poor and the youngest boy, named “Tiny Tim,” was sick and needed crutches. Scrooge began to feel more empathy and wished to help them. The Spirit of Christmas Future was scary and wore a black shroud. It never spoke but only pointed with its boney finger. It showed Scrooge that if he did not change his ways he would die alone on a future Christmas Eve with no one to weep for him. He was then shown his clerk’s family weeping for Tiny Tim who had died.
Scrooge: “If I change my life, then the future must change too. I am not the man I was. Why show me this, if I am past all hope? Assure me that I yet may change what you have shown me by an altered life. I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will not ignore the lessons that I have been taught. “
Narrator: Scrooge awoke to find that it was Christmas morning and he still had time to change his life. He sent a big turkey to his clerk’s family as a surprise and spent Christmas day getting acquainted with his Nephew’s family.
Narrator: The next morning when his clerk came to work late, Scrooge pretended to be upset.
Scrooge: "You are late!”
Bob: “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.
Scrooge: I’m not going to stand for this …and therefore I’m going to raise your salary and I will help find a doctor for your son. Merry Christmas, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy more coal before you do anything else.”
Narrator: Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him; but his own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him.
He saw no more Spirits; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!
“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
(A play for 5 actors with 5 optional silent parts prepared by Jill Taylor)
Narrator: "Once upon a time -- on Christmas Eve -- old Ebenezer Scrooge sat busy in his bank. Scrooge was a hard, stingy, mean, cold-hearted, rich banker. He had no wife, no children, no friends and he trusted no one. He only cared about himself and his money. He treated his clerk, Bob, poorly and paid him a very small salary. His office was always cold because Scrooge was too cheap to pay for extra coal. His kind-hearted Nephew entered."
Fred: “Merry Christmas, Uncle, Come dine with us for Christmas dinner tomorrow.”
Scrooge: “No, Merry Christmas? Bah Humbug! What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough?"
Fred: “What reason have you to be dismal? You’re rich enough?” I have always thought of Christmas time a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the year, when men and women open their shut-up hearts freely to think of people below them. And so as I leave, I say, “Merry Christmas, Uncle.”
Narrator: Then two men came in to ask Scrooge if he would donate money to help buy food for the poor.
Scrooge: “I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. Their welfare is not my business. My own business occupies me constantly. I wish to be left alone. Good afternoon.”
Narrator: The men left. Scrooge closed his office and walked home alone to his empty house and locked himself in. When he had dressed for bed, he heard a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain. He heard the noise coming up the stairs; then coming straight towards his door. Scrooge watched in horror as in through the door walked the Spirit of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who had died seven years ago on Christmas Eve. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face.
Scrooge: "Mercy! Why do spirits walk the earth, and why do you come to me?"
Spirit: "It is required of every man to help others, and if he does not do so in life, then he is doomed to wander through the world and witness the suffering of others without having the ability to help.
Narrator: Again the spirit raised a cry, and shook its chains on which hung heavy bags of money.
Scrooge: "Why are you chained?”
Spirit: "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link of my own free will. My spirit never walked beyond our business. I did not know that no space of regret can make up for a life's opportunity misused!
Scrooge: "But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,"
Spirit: "Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business. I am here tonight to warn you, that you have yet a chance to escape my fate. You will be haunted by three Spirits.”
Narrator: The Spirit of Christmas Past was a youth who showed Scrooge his past life. He saw his former employer who had always treated him kindly and Scrooge felt guilty that he did not treat his own clerk better. The Spirit of Christmas Present was a jolly giant and showed Scrooge how the families of his Nephew and his clerk were celebrating Christmas. He saw that his Nephew’s home was full of love and caring. His clerk’s family was also happy even though they were poor and the youngest boy, named “Tiny Tim,” was sick and needed crutches. Scrooge began to feel more empathy and wished to help them. The Spirit of Christmas Future was scary and wore a black shroud. It never spoke but only pointed with its boney finger. It showed Scrooge that if he did not change his ways he would die alone on a future Christmas Eve with no one to weep for him. He was then shown his clerk’s family weeping for Tiny Tim who had died.
Scrooge: “If I change my life, then the future must change too. I am not the man I was. Why show me this, if I am past all hope? Assure me that I yet may change what you have shown me by an altered life. I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will not ignore the lessons that I have been taught. “
Narrator: Scrooge awoke to find that it was Christmas morning and he still had time to change his life. He sent a big turkey to his clerk’s family as a surprise and spent Christmas day getting acquainted with his Nephew’s family.
Narrator: The next morning when his clerk came to work late, Scrooge pretended to be upset.
Scrooge: "You are late!”
Bob: “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.
Scrooge: I’m not going to stand for this …and therefore I’m going to raise your salary and I will help find a doctor for your son. Merry Christmas, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy more coal before you do anything else.”
Narrator: Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him; but his own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him.
He saw no more Spirits; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
lunar eclipse
Bruce and I drove in this morning to see the lunar eclipse in Spanish. It was a little disappointing since it was suppose to be more red. Next one will be in 2014.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
some favorite nature photos 2011
I was thinking of including a few more photos of nature that I took. 
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Pumpkin Walk with the Weights
I drove to Logan with Shera and had a nice visit on the way. She took photos of Aaron's family while I went with Christina, Ryan, Amy & Esther to the Pumpkin Walk which was fun. I really liked the places to put your face. Amy was a princess. 
Esther was Pooh.
Amy was cute as Max.
We got a Weight family photo too.
Esther was Pooh.
Amy was cute as Max.
We got a Weight family photo too.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
I want my children to bury me.
I helped with the Essa Ricker funeral today and Saturday I will help with Savanah and Kelsea Wesbster double funeral. Jane commented that there are at least 15 families in our Canyon Ward who have lost children. This has been an exhausting week and the only thing I can think to say is that I hope my children bury me and not the reverse.
The Ricker family all spoke at the funeral about their love for Essa and how they know they will see her again. The stake center was filled. Afterwards with the help of other wards in the Stake we served over 300 people for the luncheon with lots of food left over. I loved Elder Worthlin's talk about "Sunday Will Come" and the resurrection. It was a comfort to read. I know that our faith in the Savior and the gospel will help us get through these trials. Still I hope my children bury me and not the reverse.
The Ricker family all spoke at the funeral about their love for Essa and how they know they will see her again. The stake center was filled. Afterwards with the help of other wards in the Stake we served over 300 people for the luncheon with lots of food left over. I loved Elder Worthlin's talk about "Sunday Will Come" and the resurrection. It was a comfort to read. I know that our faith in the Savior and the gospel will help us get through these trials. Still I hope my children bury me and not the reverse.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Christina's birthday
We went to Logan for Christina's birthday. Esther turns one tomorrow and she is just starting to try walking.
Amy was smelling this peace rose.
This is the backyard of the house that Christina and Ryan have made an offer on.
There they are in the front.
Here they are enjoying some jamba juice on the front porch of their apartment.
Amy was smelling this peace rose.
This is the backyard of the house that Christina and Ryan have made an offer on.
There they are in the front.
Here they are enjoying some jamba juice on the front porch of their apartment.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
More white pocket photos
The white pocket is a mix of white and red and yellow sandstone. It looks unearthly. 
more hiking photos
I have hundreds of photos and it is hard to pick just a few. Here are some from my iphone. They are of the Coyote Buttes South with some water pools. Also one of Bruce and me in the Wall Street Area of Bryce. And a picture from the White pocket with some water. 
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