What brings me joy at Christmas

A true story from a dear friend.

"Every year as I prepare for Christmas, two things happen. The world of commercial holiday celebration starts earlier and gets more secular, and religious people bemoan the development. 

I see article after article on social media about the tragedy that our Lord’s birth has gotten swallowed up in temporal concerns for presents and showy displays. I see my friends post about their minimal Christmases and how they seek for peace and calm at this holy time. I see a shared narrative that the secularization of Christmas traditions means that true believers should shun them and find a more sober way to celebrate. 

And of course, everyone should feel free to celebrate as they feel is right; if a sober, quiet Christmas is right for your family then by all means, do it.

But I want to stand against the idea that in order to truly celebrate the birth of our Savior, we have to reject the superficial trappings of a secularized Christmas. I want to suggest that just because the lights and the ornaments and the gifts are no longer explicitly Christian, does not mean that they cannot express our Christian joy.

My personal testimony is joyful

I was raised in the church by faithful parents, but left it as a teenager. When I wound my way back to church after a couple of years of secular living, I felt as if I were starting from scratch. I knew the doctrines well enough but I didn’t know the Lord. What was he like? What did he want? Was he mad at me? Had I thrown away my chance at the Celestial kingdom? Those questions consumed my thoughts. 

One night as I lay reading the Book of Mormon I prayed in agony for the answers to these questions. And in return I heard the voice of the Lord speak to me and tell me that my sins were forgiven. 

I cannot express, even now, the feelings I had as I heard those words. The guilt and fear I had been feeling disappeared as if they had never been, and I was left with nothing but joy. Joy that it was possible, that all the sins I’d accumulated were wiped away, that I knew I was, at that moment, standing before God as though I had never done any of it. I felt fully restored, and lighthearted as a child. I was so full of joy I felt it must be shining out of my very skin.

Years later, I endured the loss of a new baby. I won’t say much about that experience now, except that I felt as dark and lost in that experience as when I was repenting. And this time, it wasn’t because I had done anything wrong, but because the pain of death had become so suddenly real to me. The loss was more real than my testimony of the resurrection had been. I thought, like the apostle Paul, that if my baby was not going to be restored to me, then all my previous spiritual experiences were just a cruelty, and I was of all women most miserable. 

One night as I sat alone pleading for comfort, the spirit revealed to me the feelings I would have on the resurrection day. And they were not solemn, nor sober. Those feelings were overwhelming, rapturous, inexpressible joy. It was more happiness than I had ever experienced in my life, and more than I had ever imagined possible.

These two formative experiences have shaped the gospel for me. There is a reason faith in the scriptures is so often associated with hope—faith in the gospel is the hope that Christ will turn our sorrows into rejoicing and our pains into power. In my mind, the gospel is the color of happiness and the shape of freedom, and it sings songs of gladness and excitement. 

We shouted for joy

In both of those experiences, I have come to identify with the generous father of the Prodigal Son. When he caught a glimpse of his son who had returned both from physical and spiritual loss, he gave no thought to the rules guiding the sober and dignified behavior of respected patriarchs in his day: he caught up his robes and ran with joy like a child. 

We are told that when we were taught the Plan of Happiness in our pre-earth life, we shouted for joy. We are told that when Christ was born, the heavenly host burst into singing praise and joy. We are told that when Christ entered Jerusalem for his Atonement, the people’s shouted celebrations were so appropriate to the occasion that if they had not cried out, the earth itself would have. Loud noise and exuberant shouting are not only allowed, they are required by the realities of the Atonement.

Now, at the same time, there is no doubt that the eternal, transforming Atonement is the most solemn and sacred event in the history of creation. Sometimes, when I ponder it, I feel so weighed down by the pain the Savior suffered that I can only kneel silently before it. Sometimes the spirit signals solemnity, and the kind of reverence that is quiet and still. We are asked to remain quiet in the temple in honor of the sacred work that happens there. Those moments and those places are crucial, and we owe honor to them. But they are not the only moments that express how we feel.

Because that mournful Atonement also makes possible everything that is good! We sin, but we are forgiven! We suffer, but we are made whole! We die, but we are raised again! We may lose our loved ones, our jobs, our homes, our health, and yet all will be restored! The world is full of cruelty, inequality, injustice, and pain that we, as individuals, can do nothing about. And yet Christ has suffered these things for all, and will repair all, heal all, and offer justice and mercy to the whole world!

How can we stand before these things and not want to sing and shout with the armies of heaven?

Decorations and lights are my shout of “Hosanna!”

In my life, I have many temporal concerns. My daily life is full of work, worries, chores, and childcare, and I rarely have the opportunity to express the joy I feel. I have struggled financially my entire adult life, and have pieced together my traditions and decorations exclusively from garage sales and 80%-off after-Christmas sales. Nevertheless, at Christmastime, when I start pulling out my boxes of lights and bins of ornaments and sorting through garlands and ribbons, I feel a great surge of that spiritual joy that transcends mortal troubles. 

Here is the one time of year when I feel free to sing and shout to the world, “We have a Savior!” 

Yes, we do service. Yes, we read the nativity scriptures. A Christ-centered Christmas needs to include Him explicitly, not just symbolically. But that doesn’t mean we need to feel guilty about the symbolic ways we express our joy, just because those symbols mean other things to other people.

I like to cover my house with lights and leave them on too long because nothing less expresses the hugeness of my joy. I like to fill my tree with color-coordinating ornaments and ribbons because I feel it shows how carefully and seriously I treat my testimony. I bake treats, and it’s the only time of year I do, because the overflowing love I feel seems to call out for some new mode of expression that my ordinary life doesn’t provide. I love to wrap lots of presents for my children, even when it’s all socks and garage sale finds, because the singing and shouting magic of coming downstairs on Christmas morning to see new presents under the tree is the closest I can offer to teaching them the joy of the resurrection. 

There is only one time of year it is socially acceptable to shout my joy everywhere I go, with lights and decorations and Christmas sweaters and gifts and songs on my house and porch and heart. I will take that time, proudly, and rejoice for all I am worth." 

Merry Christmas! And Joy to the World!

Con amor,

Vero

Christmas is within you

I suppose everyone remembers his or her first Christmas away from home. The reason might be missions or military service, student life or employment assignments but, whatever the reason, that first Christmas “away” is a poignant memory for all of us. To those who have been away from home at Christmas, or who may be away from home this year, I dedicate my own such remembrance.

In my case it was my service as a missionary. For 19 years I had enjoyed Christmas surrounded by family and friends. I suppose in my youthful self-centeredness I had never considered spending it any other way. Then, as the Yule Season approached in 1960, I found myself half a world away from all that. I had been in England less than three months when, on the first of December, I was summoned to the mission office to meet Elder Eldon Smith, newly arrived from Champion, Alberta, Canada — my first junior companion. We were sent to open up the very conservative city of Guildford in the county of Surrey, an area that had never had Latter-day Saint missionaries and, to our knowledge, had only one member somewhere within its boundaries. We were young, inexperienced and a bit overwhelmed, but we were not fainthearted.

We registered with the police, arranged for lodgings and, initially unable to locate our lone member of the Church, threw ourselves into the only thing we knew to do — knock on doors. We knocked on doors in the morning, we knocked on doors mid-day, we knocked on doors in the afternoon and we knocked on doors at night. We rode our bicycles through those streets in what must have been the rainiest British December in history — or so it seemed to us. We were wet in the morning, we were wet at mid-day, we were wet in the afternoon, and we were wet at night, but we kept knocking on doors. And we got in almost none of them.

 

For such an uneventful Christmas — clearly the least festive of any I had ever had before or since — it says something that those special days in December of 1960 remain in my heart (after 50 years!) as one of the sweetest Christmases I have ever had. I think that is because for the first time in my life I found myself understanding Christmas rather than just enjoying it. I think for the first time in any truly significant way I was getting the message of Christ’s birth and life, His mission and His message. And His sacrifice trying to do something for others. I should have made that connection at an earlier age but I hadn’t, at least not strongly enough. But that Christmas in England — as a cold, wet, somewhat overwhelmed 19-year-old — I “got it.” I can truly say that because of my mission, Christmas, like so many other aspects of the gospel, has meant more to me every year since that experience.

On this Christmas I send my love to every missionary, every man or woman in the military, every student, every employee or traveler who won’t “be home for Christmas,” as the carol says. Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. You will find that in spite of external circumstances, Christmas — like the kingdom of God — is “within you.”

Elder Holland

Christmas alone

If you’re a member of the Church and you’re single, you know how hard the holiday season can be, especially if you’re spending any part of it alone. Because of the gospel’s emphasis on family, single Latter-day Saints may be particularly vulnerable to feelings of sadness or grief. As a therapist, it’s not unusual to have clients come into my office struggling with what’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year. While others are gathering in families and spreading good cheer, many people who are alone are just hoping to endure.

For those who are not married and live far from family, it can be a difficult time. It’s also hard for those who are divorced and sharing custody of their children. This can mean that the kids are away for at least one holiday during the season, leaving a parent alone and turning the holiday season from enjoyment to dread. But there are some ways to manage this kind of experience and maybe even find joy in spending a holiday alone.

The word holiday has its roots in two Old English words: holy and day. Here are a few ideas for turning the holiday season into holy days when you’re alone. Many of these suggestions will require some forethought and planning—and for those who are facing a holiday alone, planning ahead might be the last thing they want to do. But leaning into the discomfort of considering and preparing for what lies ahead can help us make thoughtful choices, allowing us to create comfort and peace and enabling our holidays to become holy days even when we’re far from loved ones.

1. Give Distressing Thoughts a Time Out

 

Being alone during the holidays can leave one vulnerable to intrusive negative thoughts, especially for people experiencing additional stressors. For those who have experienced a difficult custody battle or are in the throes of a contentious divorce, it’s important to give yourself some time away from those thoughts and concerns during the holidays. This can be hard, especially if your children will be visiting your ex-spouse, making it difficult to focus on anything else.

One way to corral intrusive thoughts and worries is to put a timer on them. Decide that you’re going to worry about your kids or feel bad about your ex-spouse for only a certain amount of time. Then set a timer. You can spend this time journaling about your concerns, if it’s helpful. When the buzzer goes off, put those thoughts away and focus on something else for the rest of the day. When these uneasy feelings intrude, tell yourself you’ll focus on those things during your next dedicated “worry time.”

 

2. Try Something New

If you’re alone, the holiday season might be the perfect time to try something new. This can take planning ahead, but it can also be spontaneous. Is there a park you’ve never been to but have always wanted to visit? Do you want to do a deep dive into the scriptures, genealogy, or talks from the last general conference? Is there a new food you’d like to try making? Maybe you can watch some YouTube videos and learn how best to use your phone’s camera. With how-to videos and the internet, it’s possible to try almost any new activity, and the scriptures are always available for new insights.

3. Find Ways to Serve

In 2011, President M. Russell Ballard stated, “The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.”

During the holiday season, we often turn our thoughts to service, and when we’re alone our circumstances might allow more flexibility to act on the desire to serve others. Can you send Christmas cards to those you haven’t seen in a while or try to correspond with a friend who may need a listening ear? Is there a food bank or a homeless shelter that could use an extra pair of hands? Are you interested in concentrating your efforts on one particularly needy family? Maybe you can team up with another individual and pool your resources to help others.

Service can help us put off the “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19) and pull ourselves out of our own difficulties. It can sometimes be the balm of Gilead we’re looking for as it has the power to draw us closer to Christ.

4. Allow Yourself to Be Sad

Sometimes we just need to give into the sadness of our situation. If you find yourself unexpectedly shedding tears or your heart suddenly feels full of anguish, let yourself feel those things. Too often we label our emotions as good or bad. We think “good” emotions are happiness, pleasure, joy, excitement, and satisfaction while “bad” emotions are sadness, tearfulness, disappointment, anger, or regret.

 

But Sister Reyna I. Aburto has said, “Like our Heavenly Parents and our Savior, we have a physical body and experience emotions. … It is normal to feel sad or worried once in a while.” For many, the holidays can be that time of feeling sadness or worry, and that’s OK. If you find yourself dealing with sadness or other emotions considered negative, allow yourself to feel them. Don’t try to avoid “bad” emotions; if we want to heal our sadness, we must feel it.

If your sadness feels as if it’s spiraling into depression or is accompanied by a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, brain fog, fatigue, or lethargy, please consider checking in with a mental health professional who can help you work through your feelings.

5. Do Something You Love That’s Hard to Do With Others

Do you enjoy blasting “oldies” music that your kids hate? Is bingeing Jane Austen movies your idea of a good time, but your kids roll their eyes? Do you enjoy holiday events that you can’t ever find time for when the kids are home? Do those things now. Find the things that you’ve said you’ll do one day, and do them today.

6. Write Letters to Your Kids

If you’re divorced and your children are spending time with their other parent, take the opportunity to write them an old-fashioned letter. You can leave it on their bed for when they return home. In this letter you can reaffirm your love for them, encourage them for the upcoming year, and, if appropriate, share your testimony of Christ. Write this letter without any expectations from them. Offer it simply as a gift of love.

7. Pamper Yourself

Many people, including parents, give too little thought to engaging in activities that are only about enjoying themselves. For some, pampering can mean lunch with a friend, ordering in a meal that you don’t have to cook, playing video games, or having a spa day. The pampering experience can be as unique as each individual. When we feel well cared for with a break from the grind of daily life, we can feel refreshed and better able to tackle the hard things that come our way.

 

Consider planning ahead for self-care time by adding these activities to your calendar. When we make an effort to plan, we’re more likely to follow through, and it can remind us that we have something to look forward to.

8. Do Something Difficult

When we think of self-care, we often think of pampering—and that certainly is a part of self-care. But so is tackling difficult tasks: accomplishing a hard job can help to boost our mood, morale, and confidence. So, finish that project. Jump on that job you’ve been dreading, and then give yourself credit for what you’ve accomplished.

9. Make Time to Remember Jesus Christ

The Savior is the center of our holidays and our holy days. Strengthening our relationship with God and our Savior is the most important thing we can do to navigate any trying time, but especially a difficult holiday season spent alone. President James E. Faust stated, “Having such a relationship can unchain the divinity with us, and nothing can make a greater difference in our lives as we come to know and understand our divine relationship with God.”

Brainstorm or spend time journaling about ways you can foster, deepen, or renew your connection with the Lord. Reflect on your life and consider how much you’ve achieved and how much you’ve grown as you’ve spent time working on your relationship with Christ and creating greater closeness to the Lord. Journal about those things as well so they’re available to you during difficult times.

You Can Do More Than Just Endure the Holidays

Chances are, spending the holidays alone was not in anyone’s ideal master plan. But it doesn’t mean our holy days have to be something we simply endure. If we are willing to think ahead, lean into the difficulty, and consider a plan of action, we can create deeper connections with ourselves, others, and Jesus Christ through taking care of ourselves and serving others—helping us create holy days that include our Savior.

Con amor,

Vero

 

 

A Story from Canada

This is a magical Christmas story that could begin, “Once upon a time,” but I can’t begin that way because it is a true story, and it happened to me.

 

It was Christmas Eve in the year of 1967. I had been home from my mission for about a year and was living in Calgary. I had been asked by the ward to play Santa Claus. After the evening was over, I went out to eat with some friends and didn’t leave Calgary until 11:00 p.m. I got into my 1957 Buick that was built like a tank and started the 160 miles to Raymond where I planned to spend Christmas at home with my family.

The snow that was already falling as I left Calgary became thicker; and visibility was very poor. A few times when it became impossible to find my bearings, I got out of the car and walked to the edge of the road to find where I was. Traffic was light, and after a while there were no cars at all. My travel was slow, but finally, at about 4:30 a. m. I reached the top of the hill that descends to the Old Man River and then into Lethbridge.

 

Suddenly, out of the snow, a hand stretched in front of the car. I stopped the car and backed up to find an indigenous man totally covered with snow. He had been with friends until 11:00 p.m. and had managed to walk that far.

He asked if I would drive him home. At first the difficult road conditions made me hesitate, but I thought of the Spirit of Christmas. I did the best I could to brush the snow off and got him into the car. I managed to turn the car around. Then the miracle happened. The raging snowstorm suddenly stopped. I could see the brilliant stars gleaming in the sky. The night was calm and bright. I drove to Kipp. Then I turned out onto the Blood Reserve and drove for about ten miles to the man’s home. When we arrived, he invited me in to celebrate with a drink. I thanked him, but declined and started back toward home.

The night stayed clear and calm until I came to the spot where I had put the man into my car. There the storm began again. I slowly crept into Lethbridge where I stopped at a gas station. Although my gas gauge didn’t work, I reasoned that since I had been driving for so many hours, I was sure to be low on gas.

 

The second part of the miracle

As I left the gas station the second part of the miracle began. By now the snow was deep, and since the road plows had not yet begun their work, I was in danger of getting stuck in the middle of the highway. As I left the gas station, I saw a set of tire tracks. I thought that even if they only went through Lethbridge, they would help me get home.

I followed them through Lethbridge. When I left the city going south, they were still in front of me. I gratefully traveled to Welling in those tracks and then watched carefully, hoping that I would be able to tell where I should turn east onto Highway 52, my final road to Raymond. The tracks veered left so suddenly that I missed the turn. I had to back up to find and again follow the tracks. I had almost missed the Raymond turn-off.

They led the way into Raymond and to the intersection of Highway 52 and Broadway. To my amazement they turned south on Broadway and continued to 100 South where they turned east. They went right past my parents’ home, where I turned out of those tracks into my parents’ driveway and promptly got stuck, and there my car stayed for the next three days.

 

The last part of this miracle

The last part of this miracle is still happening. This event has stayed with me throughout my life. The Spirit warms me each time I recall the story that happened so long ago. I am humbled that Heavenly Father allowed me to have such a glorious experience. I share with you my story and my experience of the Savior.

 

Merry Christmas from the Canada Webpage staff

We all have our own, cherished Christmas story. Record yours as a gift to loved ones and give yourself a moment to accept and to reaffirm the Lord’s love for you.

Merry Christmas and enjoy the Christmas season.

24 Facts about the History of Family Search

Yesterday I attended an event with the CEO and employees from FamilySearch. It was very informative and got me motivated to look into it. Here is what I learned. 

Family Search celebrated its first 125 years of family discovery in November 2019! Founded in 1894 as the Genealogical Society of Utah, FamilySearch has grown through the years and experienced many wonderful advancements. We wanted to share some interesting tidbits about FamilySearch and its fascinating history. Did you know these fun facts?

1. In 1894, the Genealogical Society of Utah (now FamilySearch) started its library with a collection of 300 books. FamilySearch now has over 453,000 digital books and 4.84 billion searchable records. 

2. In 1896, the Genealogical Society of Utah (now FamilySearch) charged an entrance fee of $2 per day for library access. You can now search over 7.5 billion names for free! 

3. In 1934, the Genealogical Society of Utah had nearly 6,000 life members and hundreds of additional annual members. Today, there more than 13.7 million registered FamilySearch.org users!  

4. In 1963, patrons could check out only 1 roll of microfilm at a time for research. Now you can search billions of records published online from your home computer or mobile device. 

5. Microfilming began in 1938 with one camera and the aid and experience of Ernst Koehler, a native of Germany. Now there are over 300 cameras digitally preserving records around the world.

6. In 1968, the first oral genealogy interviews were conducted in Samoa. Today, users of the Family Tree app around the world can record their own audio memories and save them to their family trees. 

7. In 1964, branch libraries had just begun to be established. In just 55 years, there are now over 5,100 family history centers in 139 countries worldwide. 

8. In 1998, FamilySearch began digitizing genealogical and historical records. The online FamilySearch catalog now contains over 1.72 billion digital images! 

9. In 1999, the name “FamilySearch” was introduced as the organization ushered in a new era of online research.

10. FamilySearch.org was launched on May 24, 1999. There are now over 7 million page views each day on FamilySearch.org

11. In 2007, the first digital images from the vault were published on FamilySearch.org. Now millions of people worldwide use those digital images to learn about their deceased family members.  

12. In 2010, FamilySearch.org’s new Record Search launched with over a billion names and millions of images. 

13. In 2017, web-based indexing started. Since then, more than 1.8 million online indexing volunteers have participated.

14. In 2014, FamilySearch began sending record hints to its patrons. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to discover more about their deceased family members using FamilySearch records. A special thank you goes out to all the wonderful people that have made record hinting possible! 

15. In 2019, more than 15,000 individuals attended RootsTech (the world’s largest genealogical conference, which is sponsored by FamilySearch) in Salt Lake City from 38 countries and all 50 states in the United States

16. The first international RootsTech was held in London, England, in October 2019. 

17. Commercial partnerships have provided approximately half of the 7.5 billion searchable names on FamilySearch.org that enable new discoveries through historical records. Thank you, partners!

18. More than 7.4 million people received FamilySearch emails in 2018, which included personalized hints, messages about specific ancestors, and other invitations to discover more about their families. 

19. The new All about Me experience helps patrons discover fun facts about the meaning of their name and what life was like during the year they were born.

20. The new Compare a Face experience shows patrons the ancestors that they most resemble. Who do you look like in your family? 

21. You can add both audio recordings and photos as memories to the Family Tree. 

22. Now you can see how you are related to other FamilySearch.org users by enabling relationship viewing in settings. 

23. Family history does not always require technology. Many fun and engaging in-home activities are available for the whole family on FamilySearch.org

24. You can sign in to FamilySearch.org for a collection of great questions to help you record your stories and save them directly to Family Tree. Everyone has a story. Share yours!

How Does Santa Point us to Christ

Taken from an article “I first encountered the book I Believe in Santa Claus, by Diane G. Adamson, while serving as a Young Women advisor. A woman in our ward gathered us in her home and shared a Christmas message, including reading aloud this book.

It felt like the missing link between a Santa Claus Christmas, filled with wonder and magic, and a baby Jesus Christmas, filled with reverence and glory.

Since that time, I have pondered on what Santa represents and where his place might be in our Christmas traditions.

 

The scriptures teach us that “all things denote there is a God” (Alma 30:44). If we are looking, all things can and will point us to Him.

How does Santa Claus point us to Christ?

Taking a look at Santa, what do we see?

Santa may be the most famous figure for bringing good gifts. But isn’t Christ?

“And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.” (Moroni 10:18)

When we see Santa, we see someone who loves little children. Remind you of anyone?

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14)

 

Santa has white hair and wears red. So does someone else.

“His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters” (D&C 110:3).

“And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat.” (D&C 133:48)

Santa Claus may have been commercialized, but not beyond repair.

This Christmas, let us let Santa take his proper place as a symbol of Christmas—as a symbol of Christ. Just as the evergreen tree symbolizes everlasting life, and the candy cane reminds us of the Shepherds—the first witnesses of Christ; just as the angel or star atop the Christmas tree turns our thoughts to that glorious night in Bethlehem; Santa can also be a symbol of Christmas that directs our thoughts to Him.

This Christmas, I believe in Santa Claus—because I believe in Christ.”

Con amor,

Vero

Back Home

Trip to Salt Lake from November 18^th to November 30

When people ask, what did you do while you were there? Here are a few things: 

Daniel and I were greeted by Noel Diaz who brought our car 

Stayed in our 99 West condo and this time we didn’t leave town to go anywhere else. 

Invited Vale, Mandy and Spencer to Ty food

Had lunch at the zoo with Beth and Autumn, Mandy’s co-workers

Attended the Mountain Oaks ward in Sandy and gave Ashley their gifts

Got the third or booster shot

Daniel got fitted for two new suits at Mr. Mac

Got the book printed at Gordon’s

Went to Costco, Dollar Store and Deseret Book 

Got our eyes checked and got a new prescription 

Delivered the Christmas gifts to Vale, Herni and family and Andres and family 

Ani came into town and had breakfast at Mc Donald’s 

Celebrated Thanksgiving at Jami and Andres

At the trampoline park, Get Air with all the cousins and then Café Rio 

Celebrated Mandy’s birthday with pizza, cake and ice-cream

Went to the Distribution Center to get books in Spanish 

Helped Vale cleaning up the leaves

Helped Mandy with cleaning

Dinner at Rachael and Hernan’s house with all the cousins

Dinner with De Hoyos and dessert with the Allreds

Went to have lunch at Maria’s with Mandy and Spencer

Went to In and Out with Herni and Rachael 

Got apartment ready for new tenant 

Got ready to go to the airport by 1:30 pm 

Arrived home around noon on December 1 

Like always, there are a few things we didn’t get to do because we had to shortened the trip but grateful we went and had so much fun seeing the grandkids. We were lucky too because we went business class both ways. I love that! 

 

Con amor,

Vero