THE PARK POST

This last weekend Mike and Jackson went on a memorable teacher's quorum over-nighter to the high desert of Arizona.  They attended the Snowflake temple Friday night and performed baptisms and confirmations for the dead.  Mike loved being in snow and fog after driving for only a few hours.  They both had a really good experience there because they basically had the temple all to themselves and had a nice testimony meeting right before leaving.  It's rare for 14-15 year old boys to be reverent for that long and to contemplate on life, but the temple allowed them that space and time.  That evening they drove to a "ranch house" that turned out to be not much of a living space.  There was no running water or electricity and mouse and bird poop all over the floor and counters, not to mention it was 15 degrees outside.  But somehow they pulled out their man cards and spent the night mostly shivering instead of sleeping.  Jackson thought it was prett...

McKell turned 17 a few weeks ago.  We splurged and took her and her friends to Ryu Sushi and Tepanyaki and then back to our house for cake and games.  She finally got the camera she's been wanting, but she had to take some of her Christmas back to help pay for it.  She is so talented, driven, creative, funny, quick witted and loving.  I'm amazed at her ability to pick up the guitar so quickly and her determination to practice.  She finally is letting others hear her play and sing and even started her own YouTube channel.  McKell also knows how to unite people, and she can get along with just about anybody. I feel so lucky every day that I get to be her mom, even when her room gets a little out of control or she loses her car keys.  It's not easy to be clean and organized when you have so many other important things to think about. :)   We love you McKell!!   

December proved to be a month filled with endless activity, family, and fun.  After getting home from Utah the first week of December we decided to do Christmas the Griswold way this year and bought a live tree for the first time in 20 years.  It was not an easy feat, but we amazingly kept it alive the whole season, unlike our first attempt 20 years ago.   McKell asked Blake Fillmore, a boy in our ward, to go to Winter Formal.  Unfortunately he got the flu that day, but still was a good sport and went to Top Golf and dinner with her.  She was the driver and had to take him home early, so she chauffeured the other kids around and played games with them at Sean Sovereign's house.  Grandpa made it home from the rehab center just in time for Christmas!  He is a walking miracle!  We watched the BYU vs Utah Las Vegas Bowl with the Harris Family and Grace.  The first 10 minutes were some of the most painful football mome...