Christmas 2008

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We enjoyed Christmas this year and it was special for us all but it was different. We as a family have fought all sorts of illness. Hallie had Viral Croup which was very contagious. Several of us had Strep, many of us had sore throats, runny noses, fevers etc. We worried about the Nick and Noah getting any of these. So far we have all made it through but we are not over everything. Bryan has had a particular hard time this season and seems to go from one illness to another, headaches, etc. I don't know why this has happen but we are thankful for the Gospel and for our Lord Jesus Christ. He has strengthen our faith and our testimony through the little things we did for each other. We were disappointed when we had to cancel our annual Christmas Eve Party even though it was the right thing to do. We missed not being with family and friends and sharing the Christmas Cheer and message but wanted each of them to know that although they were not with us physically we felt their love in our hearts.

Christmas was special in many ways, the kids opening presents, Luke trying to take it all in and not having enough time to enjoy each present, Sydney getting her Barbie's Doll House, Hallie getting a scooter, Kendra getting her own DS, the spinach dip made by Natalie, the baking that CIndy and Natalie did, the beauty of the Christmas tree, the 8 - 12 inches of snow on Christmas day, talking with our Texas Family and listening to their excitement of what Santa brought and many many other blessings to numerous to list here.

Although there were many great things that happen that I could write about my top two are as follows: (1) I received from my lovely wife a special photograph of herself that brought me to tears along with it a letter expressing her love for me and her testimony of the Gospel. I will cherish this forever and this picture will hang in my office for the world to see. (2) Cindy and I have worked since before Thanksgiving putting together what we call our Stevens Heritage Cookbook. It was a labor of love and has all our family favorite recipes that we have loved over the years; many from our Grandparents, many from our friends and some that we found in one place or another. It was a work we loved doing and hope a blessing for our posterity which we hope will be cherished forever and that it will be used by our children's families and pass down through our grand children.

Yes it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. We hope that everyone had a great Christmas and that they were blessed and that you will have a happy healthy and prosperous New Year. With all our Love to all our family and friends.

Christmas is the best time of the Year

Yes, Christmas has come to our little snowy Happy Valley. The lights are sparkling, Frosty is swaying in the wind and the Tree has been up before Thanksgiving. I love looking at the Christmas tree and the lights even though I only see the Blue, Yellow and White but they look the same as the yellow ones unless I am very close.

Why is Christmas so special. It started as a little boy back in our little square quaint 2 story 3 BR home. My brothers and I would go to bed Christmas eve and in the morning the tree would be up, the presents under the tree left by Santa. Santa always brought the Christmas tree. Yes Santa did visit every house on Christmas Eve, how else could the tree and presents appear. We believed!!

I don't know how Mom and Dad did it, it takes us a month to get almost ready! As I grew up we started putting the tree up after Thanksgiving which was much more fullfilling. We would always go to the Candlelight Service at our Methodist Church on the Sunday before Christmas. It was very special, nicely decorated and I loved to hear my Grandmother sing the Carols. She had a very sweet, clear voice and sounded like an angel when she sang as did her sister. Did you know they were a sister act in Vaudeville and were to first to sing "Down by the Old Mill Stream."

The youth of the church would always put on the Christmas Story, with wise men, Shepherds, a Manger with Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. For some reason, beyond me, I was always asked to be the Narrator while everyone else re-enacted the birth of our Savior. This was very fulfilling to me, as I do love reading the Christmas Story. I also loved being a part of the Manger Scene at Church. As a Youth Group we built a complete Manger Scene with all the animals, etc. We built it out of plywood, painted it and stored it in the church attic until the Saturday after Thanksgiving then we would spend the morning and put it up for the town to see.

In my sophomore year, I was asked to join the Choir, why I don't know, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, I was a true '1' at my prime! I sat next to Warren Faulkrod who had a great powerful baritone tenor voice. It didn't matter how I sang, my singing was lost in his beautiful resonating voice. Well a funny thing happen my senior year at this service while singing in the choir. We had a Midnight Candle-light Service and we were singing 'Go Tell It On the Mountain' and I passed out, wiped out all the chairs around me, stopped the program. They took me to the back and revived me. I did not know why I had fainted, never had before and have never fainted since. In talking to my Mom and Dad afterwards, we determine that I had not eaten a thing all day, not since supper the night before. I had run from one event to another all day long; I guess that would not happen today with my food storage around waist.

The best thing I like about Christmas is the great peace I feel from the songs, the decorations, and mostly from the people. I think this is the one time a year that everyone is sincerely and genuinely concern for others. They are kinder in the stores, they seemed to have happier faces, easily prompting sweet tender smiles when they see you. The carol 'Joy to the World' is an echo of my feelings at this time of year and it validates what I see in our people. There are many angels among us and they come out by the hundreds every Christmas. This time of year has to be the happiest for our Heavenly Father.

I do think Christmas is best when families can share it together. May everyone's Christmas be full of Joy, Health, Happiness and Charity. I invoke the Lord's blessing on all that read this blog and know that I have already ask the Lord for a blessing on you.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good Night! The every present Optimist.

Tag and out

Yes Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year. I am looking forward to Parades, Turkey, Cranberry sauce (If Natalie buys it and if Bryan has a coupon), Apple Pie and just a lazy day of vegetating. Since Natalie has Tag us all here are my 10:

1) Just like you all, I am truly thankful for my Savior. I could not be the person I am with out his help. He is truly a 'Big Brother'. I love him with all my mind, heart and soul and look forward to the day that I can give him a big hug and say thanks for being there. I know that he has carried me many times leaving only one set of footprints in the sand.

2) I know this is redundant and many have heard this many times before but I am truly thankful for my wife of 40+ years. She is my better half and also my main support after the Lord. She makes me very happy. I am a very lucky man to have found such an angel in this life and then to have been sealed to her for all eternity. I love her smiles, holding her hand whiling walking together, and sharing a movie or TV show. I love her creativity and marvel at all the great things she can do. I am so thankful she said 'I do' so many ions ago.

3) Where would any of us be with out our family. I am thankful for my daughters and all the love they have shown me over the years. They are diamonds in the bracelet of my life. No joy can compensate for the love and friendship of a daughter and even though they have replaced me as the number one man in their life I am still blessed as they build they own families. I am truly thankful for my son-in-laws and the love they have for my daughters. They take very good care of my girls and my grand children and I loved them like the sons I never had. Of course last but not least are my grandchildren. They are terrific. I wish I had their energy. Their love is so unconditional and they bring me much joy such that I can't really express in words. I am thankful for my family, truly truly.

4) I am thankful that I have my health and that I can ride my bike to work when the weather is good and the temperature is about 35. The wind in my hair and my heart pumping away climbing the next hill is as close to a Utopian moment one can get to by himself.

5) I am thankful for Prayer. It is a great blessing in my life. Yes, Heavenly Father does answer our prayers. Having a prayer in my heart enhances my eternal optimism. Through prayer I can be successful in anything I do.

6) I am thankful for technology and all the opportunities it brings to my life, our lives. For example, where would our families be without IPOD, Madden Football, TiVo and HD TV. Cellphones has changed all of our lives to the utmost. The Internet is a great blessing and yet a curse but as a family we can blog together and share our life's experiences. I am thankful that with technology I can re-live great Sporting Moments, watch my favorite re-runs and see many movies for the fourth and fifth times.

7) The Beach Boys. I know this may date me but some of the best music ever written (my unconditional opinion) is the surfing music of the 60's. The beach boys are tops in this category and I love to listen to their music, work to their music and lounge to their music. It always, yes I mean always soothes my soul.

8) I am thankful for Ham and Scallop potatoes. These are two of my top five foods. Talk about something being savory and mouth watering, if I know that is what is for supper, dinner etc. I am thinking about it all afternoon. When you bite into a center piece of the loin it is like skiing down the icy face of a glacier, making a three point shot to win the game with 1 second left on the clock or having 11 strikes in a row and with only one more for perfection. It is always a Kodak moment.

9) I am thankful for the Springtime. It is my favorite time of the year. Trees budding, flowers blooming, grass 'greening' all remind me of our new beginning that lies before us for Eternity. There is nothing more inspiring than see all this newness and knowing that the Lord did this for our happiness and to motivate us into the future.

10) As there are so many things, yes so many things, that I am truly thankful form, I want to conclude with number ten (10) being is living in this wonderful country we call America. I know it to be a land of promise and destiny. I love this country with all my heart and although we are having a struggle as a nation, I am so thankful that we can have our own opinions be able to express them openly and without fear or reprisal. That we can have an election to determine our next leader and then have a passing of the torch without violence. This is a great country. Americans in my humble opinion are the most compassion people in the world. America is the keystone and people from all around the world look to us first for help and support. This was the Lord's plan from the beginning and I thank him for it often.

Thanks to Natalie for tagging us and encouraging us to count our tick-marks and say:
"I am thakful for....." To everyone, Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Question for Thanksgiving

Is it possible to offer a prayer of thanksgiving without asking for something?

President Eyring challenged us to periodically have a prayer where we just express gratitude for all that we have. I have tried this several times and I find it very hard. My intentions are good with my initial effort right on goal but before long I find myself asking for things. For example, I will be thanking the Lord for my family and then I find myself asking Him to bless them. It takes a lot of focus to meet this challenge and I hate to say this I have not been successful yet. However, my gratitude has expanded for all the Lord has done for me. I am truly thankful for all his help and inspiration and I find myself more dependent on Him each day.

So my question remains,

"Is it possible or have you offered a prayer of thanksgiving without asking for something?"

Sweater Sweater - maybe a quirk!

One of the things I like about the Fall is that I get to wear my sweaters. I really love wearing sweaters they are casual, comfortable and at times they have the air of elegance and professionalism. I suppose to some sweaters look like another layer of clothing but to me they have a very distinguishing look. I feel more powerful, have more confidence and just thrive on the enjoyment of wearing sweaters. My favorite is the V-neck but all styles are OK.

I have often wondered where the name for a sweater came from; maybe it is had a practical beginning i.e., like sweat-suits we wear for the gym. Here is an excerpt I found on the Internet. Notice the word 'bounder' I don't think that would describe my feelings about wearing sweaters!

History: It's an American term, deriving from a knitted shirt or a heavy woolen jersey (so called because sailors on the Isle of Jersey wore them). It was adopted in the 1890s by American sportsmen who wore them to make them sweat. (Don't ask me why.) First it had a stand-up edge around the neck, then for golf a polo collar was added to it in 1894. Cyclists continued to wear it with the stand-up edge for a while. But a 1900 source says that "no man can wear it as it now stands without looking like a bounder" (in Cunnington et al.'s A Dictionary of English Costume). In 1920 the English started to call the sweater jumper, and in 1930 pullover, which then found its way into German. It wasn't just the name that changed. While sweaters were a man's garment, mostly worn for sports, the jumper was an everyday item for everyone.

Which Number

If you pick a number between 1 and 1000 did you know that Hallie can guess your number in 12 moves or less. Next time you see her, test her. She is GOOD!!!!!
The question is can you?

Its that Time

Everyone, Please make plans to vote early or go to the polls on Tuesday.

We need to put the best person available in as President. whoever you like Obama or McCain they need your vote. I am not totally happy about either of the front runners but we need a president. If it would help I would vote for Bryan E. Harper. He's our man. But since the homeland does not know him as we do I will have to settle for the one of the two front runners. Yes in my book I like Obama less therefore I will vote for McCain. When I listen to Obama I get really sick and only see him as if was President Logan from the TV show '24'. There is no substance to him.

Remember Please Vote for your best choice, it is the AMERICAN WAY!!!!!!!!!!!