Christmas Day 2010

Here are the videos Sonia took on Christmas Morning.

Christmas Eve 2010 - Pajamas

Here are videos that Sonia took on Christmas Eve when the kids opened up their Christmas pajamas.

Clockwise

Elder Jensen, Elder Godoy, Haslam, Elder Payne, Elder Orellana

Elder Velasquez and the beautiful hostess

Your mother showing some of the cookies we had for dessert.

Your mother preparing Christmas dinner for 8 of us.

She did this with the little hotplate you see by the frying pan

and one electric frying pan. We had chicken, corn, refried beans,

a green salad and a fruit salad. We had sweet breads and ice cream for dessert.

Your mother showing a hat made by one of the young women in the district

Your mother and Carolina Baez with a picture of Carolina and her dance partner

Your mother viewing an award Carolina Baez won

Your mother viewing achievments of young lady to her left

Carolina Baez has won several first place award for typical dances

Christmas Morning

Here is video from Christmas morning 2010. We all got up around 7am and had everyone use the bathroom and brush their teeth before they could come upstairs. I captured video of what it looked like right after Santa came and before the kids tore through the presents.

Max and Garrett December 2010

This is a video of Max and Garrett as they watched the video of the little lambs playing that Grandmama and Buddy sent.

Your mother viewing a young lady's achievements at the table she had set up

Sonia setting up display for Young Women of Excellence night

Your mother spoke to the Young Women in the district and did a marvelous job.

Your mother being a surrogate grandmama

Simon Garcia Gaona, Elder's Quorum President - Mendoza al Sur Branch

Vern and Sonia Larson

Elder Haslam, Vern and Sonia Larson, Elder Dart

Elder Dart's last Sunday in the field

Christmas Eve Day 2010

Here are videos we took of Reid while talking to Mom and Dad.

FHE

Last night (Monday, December 13), we read the Christmas story in Luke 2 for Family Home Evening and used the nativity scene that I bought last year to help tell the story. So here is a video of the boys showing you the nativity scene. And the other video is of them showing you are tree and the stockings.

Max's Birthday

For Max's birthday, he wanted to go to Jumpin Jacks.

October 30, 2010

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, we did trick or treating on Saturday the 30th. There was a strom looming and I was looking to see if other children were out and I didn't see any but Dee said, 'you better go now'. So we did. We went to 2 homes and then all of a sudden the clouds opened up and dropped rain and hail and a lot of wind. We were trying to run back to the house and for every step we took, the wind pushed us back 2. Thankfully Dee saw us through the window and ran out to help me get the boys back in the house. Needless to say, we were wet and the boys were crying. But I dried their costumes and we waited for the storm to pass and went at it again.

October 29, 2010

I am finally getting around to posting the videos I recorded on my Flip video (a gift from FranklinCovey). Here are some videos from our ward Trunk or Treat party and my birthday dinner at Mi Rancheritos.

Christmas Decorations

Mom, here are some of the decorations around the house that I promised to send you. It's never quite the same without you and Dad here, but we know you are exactly where you need to be--serving the Lord and the people of Argentina. I hope this helps you feel a little bit of home! I know Christmas down in Argentina feels a little more like the 4th of July here since it will be the height of summer, but you'll get to enjoy the purest part of Christmas and just focus on the Spirit of the Savior as you celebrate His birth.

It's like President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's message in the Ensign this month:

"We who have heard the glorious message of the coming of the Son of God, we who have taken upon us His name and have covenanted to walk in His path as His disciples--we must not fail to open our hearts and minds and truly see Him.

The Christmas season is wonderful in many ways. It is a season of charitable acts of kindness and brotherly love. It is a season of being more reflective about our own lives and about the many blessings that are ours. It is a season of forgiving and being forgiven. It is a season to enjoy the music and lights, parties and presents. But the glitter of the season should never dim our sight and prevent us from truly seeing the Prince of Peace in His majesty.

Let us all make this year's Christmas season a time of rejoicing and celebration, a time when we acknowledge the miracle that our Almighty God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world!"

May the Lord bless and protect you while you are serving Him and His children in Argentina. We love you and pray for you often.

Baby Reid

Thanksgiving Dinner Videos

OK, here are the videos we took at Thanksgiving Dinner and later that night: