Gifts

I've just been counting my blessings and decided to post 21 of them.

Mary and Robb sent us this cute picture of two of our little Grangroth grandchildren, Ethan and Bodie playing in the snow. We don't get to see them very often so are always grateful for pictures. Thank you Mary and Robb for sharing pictures with us. They are so adorable.

Here are two of our little Grangroth grandchildren, Cannon and Fisher. This beautiful picture was a gift from Ryan and Jennie Grangroth that they gave us on Christmas Eve. We absolutely love these little guys. Thank you Jennie and Ryan for this darling picture.

These are more of our little Grangroth grandchildren. From left to right there is Sadie Mae, little Brock in the middle and Kylie Murdock, Stephanie and Brian's little ones. This is one of the pictures that was on the Christmas card they sent to us. They look like little angels. Thank you for sending this Christmas card to us.

The Ottley kids got together with their dad to have family pictures taken. Then they had the photographer take a picture of all the Ottley grandkids. The photographer wasn't sure it was going to work with all these little ones BUT was pleasantly surprised when it did.

My children surprised me with pictures of each of their families. They all went downstairs and made me wait upstairs while they put together and hung this beautiful wall hanging. I love it so much. We weren't exchanging gifts this year BUT WOULD THEY LISTEN? No, but...I have to admit this gift is one I just couldn't say "no" to. Thank you so much. I love it!!!

Sisters

On Thanksgiving, Hildi's husband Don took a picture of 3 of the 4 Becker girls. We were at my sister Ingrid's beautiful home. We got to stand on her gorgeous staircase that was all decorated for Christmas. She does it all herself and does it so professionally. Our other sister, Brigitte, wasn't there so it was just the 3 of us. I miss my Gitti so much and wish we could spend more time together when she visits. I thought I would share this picture because we never seem to be together enough to have a picture taken.

"Hippopotamus for Christmas"

This is the cutest Christmas song. Gayla Peevey was 10 years old when she recorded this. The Oklahoma City Zoo capitalized upon the popularity of the song in 1953 through a fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla" in order to bring a hippo to the zoo. (They had no hippopotamus at the time.) The song raised $3,000. A baby hippo, named Matilda, was procured and flown in to Oklahoma City and presented by Peevey to the zoo. ^[1]. Click on the Hippo and listen to it. So fun! Merry Christmas! It takes a minute to come up so GET READY!!!
Here are the lyrics to the song.
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

(Short Music Interlude)

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

(Short Music Interlude)

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!



I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas sung by Gayla Peevey, recorded in 1953 Lyrics and music by John Rox

RS Christmas Party

Last night Polly Smith and I went to the Relief Society Christmas Party. The 15th Ward came to our party too and it was very nice. I took pictures of some of the people there and also some of the people that put it together. A sister came that had put together a monologue 30 years ago on Mary the mother of Jesus. She also does Emma Smith but I didn't get to see that. The sister did a wonderful job. It was a very nice evening!

Sonnie and Caprice

Kathy and Cheryl

Polly, Lucy and Becky

Dawn, Kaye, Jody, Claudia, Nicole and Jacky

I'm so glad we went.

Scrooge Saturday

Saturday Juli and Arik brought over their little ones and Ryan and Erin brought over their little one so that they could go to Scrooge with their Dad which is a tradition in their family. So look at the great time we had. In this picture, Kennedy is thinking CHEESE but it just hasn't registered on her face yet. Cute thing!

Afton made an under the table tent and invited people in to join her. She's so good at sharing. Here are Quentin and Afton making their funny faces.

Little Kennedy's peeking out from under the quilt that's on the table.

Of course we had to have wrestling time with Porter and Quentin. They really have fun together!

We had a fun time coloring, dancing and, of course, eating candy.

Jenni's memories tag

We love memories of Jeremy especially at Christmas time.

We bought this wooden Santa Claus in 1993 as Jeremy's very first ornament to hang on our tree to remember him. Every year since we've put a new ornament on the tree for him. Others have given us ornaments in his memory also which are dated, signed and put on the tree also.

Johnny Hawes, Jeremy's heart recipient, went to a senior center after he was well and after we met him and his family. At the senior center he found just the right ornament for Jeremy which he lovingly painted and then gave to us.

This violin ornament reminds me of my Papa because he played the violin to us sometimes when we would be in bed.

This is a little Christmas Tree music box that was my Mama's.

Memories are wonderful.

Happy Nikolaus everyone. Don't forget to put your shoes out.

Friday at Tiffany's

Today I went to play with Riley and Reagan while Tiffany did hair. Her home is all decorated for Christmas and the little ones showed me every ornament and decoration. THEN they started to play together so cute.

This is a picture of Riley in Reagan's doll umbrella stroller and Reagan was kind enough to give him a ride.

Now Reagan is resting in the doll stroller. She IS a darling little doll I'm sure everyone will agree.

You can kind of tell that Riley is happy in the stroller again holding a candy cane full of M&M's.
We had a fun time!

Thursday Night Dinner

Thursday night we had Porters birthday party since his birthday is on Sunday the 7th of December. Juli baked a darling Batman cake and had games and prizes. We all had a fun time. Here are a few pictures.

And when you get bored you sit in Jared's car seat, yup! Good thing Arik didn't get bored!

Happy little Jared.

Little Kennedy and Reagan with a candy and cake face. Little cuties!

Then we had a "funny face moment" Here's cute Cannon!

Opa has a GREAT funny face, huh?

Omi and Tiffany look like we just left a New Years Eve party!

Well, must be time for bed. The birthday boy is in his jammies!

Looks like little Kennedy is too.

Party's over! Beesley's are leaving.

It was such a fun time. Thanks for being there.