God Bless Us Everyone!

 

Apparently, there is a limit to the amount of service our kids are willing to do, and they are a little smarter than I give them credit. I tried to pawn this off on them through guilt, but they know that Santa has already come and gone so what, they ask, is the point? We’ve got 363 days to make it up they say. So the task is left to me, with a little help from Chuck Dickens.

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come around as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creature bound on other journeys.”

Ed and Kriss had a family tradition in California. They looked for need in their fellow passengers and found it in a single mom in their ward. Every year, the Gates family ventured out and purchased a tree for their own family and this single mom. Her tree was always as good or better than the tree they bought for their own family. It was always given anonymously but with Christ’s love.

We decided to mimic this by doing a secret Santa for a young boy named Jaxon. We hope we were able to brighten his Christmas just a little bit.

 “Don’t be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with us to-morrow”

We learned a little about where this tree giving tradition came from when we decided to serve family by visiting Uncle Ernie. We thought that Ed would like us to do this. We had a tough battle with inertia as Mitzi and the kids were pretty content snuggled in front of the TV. But we won the battle and drove to see Ernie and Linda and brought them some bread. With tears in his eyes, Ernie explained how every year, on Christmas Eve, someone left a tree on their front porch. He was so grateful for that. It was a great visit and I am glad we had this reminder to leverage our butts off our couch.

“Clear away! There was nothing they wouldn’t have cleared away, or couldn’t have cleared away, with old Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute. Every movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and the warehouse was as snug, and warm, and dry, and bright a ball-room, as you would desire to see upon a winter’s night.”

At any church activity, Mitzi always encourages us to stick around after and help clean up. This is what her parents did. There was never a question of whether to leave early or not. We haven’t had the opportunity to clean up after activities due to covid so, instead, we volunteered to clean the church as a family. We swept and watered, we cleared away and made the church snug and warm.

“And how did little Tim behave?” asked Mrs Cratchit. “As good as gold,” said Bob, “and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas day, who made the lame beggars walk and blind men see.”

We decided that Kriss and Ed would love to serve little Jack so we loaded up the family for the Partridge move. Our kids, never complaining, unloaded the moving van in a very efficient manner and then proceeded to help organize and clean the Partridge’s new home.

Kriss and Ed are a great example to our family. We loved serving in their name this year.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and in 2021, “God Bless us, Everyone!”

To the Partridge's and their new Pear Tree

 We were on our trip when we were given our service assignments this year. So it provided us with hours... and hours... and hours of time to contemplate what we could do. What could we do for the sweet Partridge's and their new pear tree?

Since many of those hours were also spent watching Jack Jack's every move we could, full of oooohs and awes.... there was one idea that stood out the most... babysitting for a family with young kids. 

The other thing I wanted to do I haven't given up hope on quite yet. The park that Tyler organized our awesome PickleBall Tournament at really needs something like this that I saw at another park, but I didn't want to just buy one due to price and didn't feel like the kids would be involved. But I'm still thinking... and would love to donate it to the park in honor or Tyler. 

Back to the babysitting: We reached out to 3 different families with young families. We asked if there was anytime in the next month before Christmas that we could watch their kids, whether for a date night or shopping day, we would be ready to take their kids. 

None of them responded... NONE. So I sent another message to each of them. NOTHING. Finally on the 3rd message 2 said they kept waiting for Covid to get better because they really wanted to take advantage but were still a little worried about it. They were the 2 families with the newest babies.

The last family said I don't know what we will do but I feel like we could use a sitter tomorrow. We were excited to have someone take our offer. 

The night before they were supposed to come, the mom called and asked, "Were you serious about babysitting ANYtime?" I answered "of course!" She said "can I bring them over at 8 am? We just got invited to a live temple session tomorrow and normally I wouldn't have a babysitter but since you had offered, I hoped you would say yes so I was already prepared to say yes!"

For those who don't know, we consider the temples on earth to be sacred and special. A please to step away from the world and feel a piece of heaven. The temples are mostly closed due to Covid except for rare occasions. 

The babysittin WAS INSPIRED!

The kids were such great helpers and all wanted to help, especially with the youngest. Who was quite a crier! 😳

She cried for at least half of the time. But I realized being a baby during Covid, you REALLY aren't used to other people. You don't even have nursery on Sundays. Or meeting other people in the hallways. And you definitely haven't had many, if any, babysitters. 

The only thing that would calm her was Baby Shark... so we listened to it at least 40 times. 

We finally got her warmed up to us. 

The parents were VERY grateful!

Darcy and Tyler, we love you both so much. Tyler, you are an absolutely perfect addition to the family. We are so grateful Heavenly Father sent you to our family. Baby Jack too! He seems perfect and we can't wait to meet him. 

THE FAMILY THAT DOES IT ALL! THE DITTBRENNERS.

Dear, dear Dittbrenners:

We were lucky enough to get you for our family service.  We are lucky because you serve in so many ways that we had lots of things to choose from.  As we considered each of you, we realized how much you do for everyone whose lives you touch.  We are very proud of you as we have watched you adjust to two moves this year... plus Covid.  You have all been positive and looked for the best in both locations.  We have not been able to be with you much, but we are blessed through technology to have enjoyed highlights of:  the moves, the cross country drive, the golf course job, the fun of the Disney Store job, the airport Covid adventures, hunting and fishing, trips to Disney World, removal of a gall bladder, the most amazing dancing Santa ever... and best of all Jack coming into the world.

In keeping with the idea of variety and technology, we remembered that your family have been some of the best that we know that have tried to Light the World the past few years.  (3 years ago Dixie had us go buy 48 bottles of water and distribute them on the streets of the Congo.).  The recipients were thrilled.  This year, we decided we were really going to focus on this year's Light The World, as our gift of service to the Dittbrenners.  

We didn't do everything on exactly the day it was suggested, but we did do every item.  Some were done with a little alteration.  We didn't always post them, but we posted some, which was a big step for us.  We have almost given up posting since being home from our missions, because we feel so blessed that we don't want to seem like we are boasting.  Due to the church's encouragement, we did post some and received sweet comments from old KAM families.  Consider these service acts in your honor.  Many of them would not have been done, if it weren't for the push we felt to meet our goal of doing all of them for your family service.

We have not given to the orphanage for 2 years.  This year Light the World suggested donating to a charity.  We felt prompted to send $100 to the orphanage director.  We know from Jonathan that, although they have received help from others in previous years, ours was the only donations or money they received this year. Jonathan wrote "Let me tell you that our Christmas was great, sweet and amazing.  All children said thank you very much couple Gates... You are the only one among millions we love."

We did our Hero Highlight on Stan Houghton... the contractor and our room mate for when we were Temple missionaries.

This is a little boy named Gates who lives in Kinshasa.  His Mom and Dad were close to us.  They were very good to us and had us act as their parents at their wedding.  This Light the World prompt was to pay it backwards.  He was terribly burned this year.  We felt inspired that they needed money.  We sent them some for Christmas and their response was very grateful. 

 On the Shining Star day... to choose a friend who had been a good influence in our life, Dad called Brent Allen, Lyndon McKay and Gary Cox and thanked them for being a life time friend!

 

We contacted a local nursing home.  I asked what we could do for them to bring holiday cheer to the residents, she asked what we would like to do.  I told her we would like to bring over a dozen children to carol at each of the doors, like we have done in the past, but that we knew that was not possible.  I asked if we could bring over some poinsetas for a few individual rooms. 

When I dropped off 4 big beautiful poinsettas, the staff were touched and promised me they would go to residents who didn't have family in town and were lonely.  I was told they would be thrilled to have someone think of them.

On Peace on Earth Day, I posted this photo as my favorite photo of Christ.

For showing appreciation for health-care workers, we sent Dana and her good husband a gift card and a message of thanks.  Caleb is a doctor and works in the emergency room at the hospital and putting in long, long hours.  Dana is supporting him from home.

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For honoring our parents, I compiled my Dad's 6 page history for the Bodell Family Kids book of stories.

  

For our social sing challenge, Dad rose to the occasion and put together a great sing along.  He invited the Hocks and Johnsons, led much of the music, and assigned others as guest choristers. It was a very special evening.

There are many others that we haven't mentioned, but we will end by telling you about the night of December 23.  We invited the missionaries to carol to our 6 neighbors.  One of them is Indian.  It was a delightful night singing to these families and introducing them to our darling missionary who speaks Hindi.  It was a huge step to letting them know more about us and that the church is available to everyone!  

Thanks again Dittbrenners.  Through your example we were able to Light the World.  We love you!

To learn, to read, to love

 To the Gates Family from the Partridges

In early November Tyler and I had just had our son Jack. I was sitting in the hospital when we found out who we would have for season of service. Tyler was at work and we wondered what we could do in honor of this wonderful family. I made jokes that Tyler could bump up a students grade, that didn't happen don't worry every student got what they earned and deserved. But as I was pregnant I read an article about a charity, and when I was trying to figure out what to do I knew we should donate to this charity in the Gates family name. 

The charity we donated to was the Imagination Library. What they do is they send books to a child every month for the first 5 YEARS of their life. We were able to donate a years worth of books for a child to receive. Who this child is we don't know but the program is run in many countries including the US, the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Captain Marvelous McBrides!!! Your friendly neighborhood PTA Family!!!

 

PTA. What exactly is the PTA? And why do we have to pay to be in it? And what is with ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS????

Mitzi has been the PTA president for her kids a few times & it EXHAUSTS me just thinking about it! I haven't ever been "active" on the PTA, and when we were assigned the McBrides & we thought about what we admired about their family, we decided we all love the way Aunt Mitzi is ALWAYS trying to serve others! 

So... we joined the PTA! I say we because we do everything all together. Bill is an amazing support and partner, so he has set up, reached out for donations and "manned the booth" multiple times when I am sure he would rather be at home working on his train horn. & the kids! All 3 kids have helped A TON on our commitments!

We started by volunteering to be the head of the Spirit Night "Gator Bite Nights". Once a month we coordinate a dinner fundraiser event. We have tried to add some fun elements to it. Additional games, activities and interaction. I reached out to the HS choir & band teachers and asked them if they wanted to partner with us to have the students have the option to volunteer to participate. They can do small groups, solos, duets.... Anything!!

This has been a little difficult during Covid, but we will continue to work on them throughout the year. 

We wanted to make the interaction higher with this months event, so we added a Toy & Food Drive. 

Wow. WOW!!!!! Seriously, Wow!!! People really liked the toy drive idea. The community gathered in and it was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!! 

Me and my brothers helped with the toy drive and had tons of fun filling up the truck and five bins. We tried to be like our wonderful McBride family. We can learn a lot from each and everyone of them love you McBride Family.

-Savannah

Helping with the PTA my mom was a very eye-opening experience. I had no idea how much work actually went into all the stuff or how many people were involved. It makes me appreciate more of the school events that the PTA put on that are cool; like nights at the different restaurants or fast food places. Seeing all this work my mom has done makes me appreciate my previous PTA presidents I had in schools before. I also realized that when you have a PTA president that is kind of back and doesn't wanna get too involved it makes things a lot harder to do for others & makes me think of all the previous PTA presidents at my schools who put in effort and made those activities fun. We are all involved and we get together pretty well.

-Brighton

 

Helping others feel loved

Week after week over the last several months I would notice that the missionary meal calendar was empty. Since the pandemic started, the missionaries are not permitted to eat with members inside or outside their homes. The only way to provide meals to the missionaries is to drop food off at their door. I guess that has affected the number of meals being provided. Both of the sisters had come to our ward as missionaries during the beginning of the pandemic and have not met many of the ward members at all in the months they had served in our ward. One of them was in the MTC at the start of the pandemic and was reassigned to Richmond instead of her original foreign assignment. 

Even the week of Thanksgiving their meal calendar was empty. On the day before Thanksgiving, I called the missionaries and asked if they had a Thanksgiving meal coming and it just wasn't on the online calendar and they said No. Our family was having Thanksgiving dinner on Friday (instead of Thursday) so I told them that I would bring them a full turkey dinner on Friday. I asked what each of their favorite dishes were for Thanksgiving and made sure to include it in our menu too. 

We delivered - turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, bacon apple brussel sprouts, stuffing, and corn casserole. Plus dessert of cheesecake bites and macaron cookies. 

After that meal delivery and talking to them a little bit, I decided for the season of service I was going to take them meals twice a week for the next few weeks. I asked them to let me know some meals that they love and either do not know how to cook themselves or would not make for just the two of them. 

Here is what their meals have been so far:

• copycat Café Rio (recipe) burritos with bottled root beer
• Pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, roasted vegetables, and apple hand pies
• Homemade mac n cheese with toppings broccoli, kale, ham, bacon
• Christmas brunch (chocolate rolls, breakfast casserole)
• Baked rigatoni (no tomato since there is an allergy, so I made a roasted veggie pesto sauce) and salad
• No-bake cheesecake, homemade blueberry topping and cherry topping

We still have plans to deliver more meals. 

As I thought of specifically Charise during this season of service, she loves to make others feel special. I wanted to make sure that the sisters did not feel forgotten during this Christmas season and felt loved. I love to make delicious food and hope that others love it as well. 

As Chuck contemplated what he would do, he thought of the way that Bill so eagerly serves others in his ward and his community. When a member of our ward called Chuck to help install their new microwave, Chuck was excited to help them out. What he thought would be something simple, quickly turned into a project that required more extensive rebuilding of the cabinet, but he reported that he was happy to spend the day serving the family because he thought of Bill. 

Wait for it.....

It didn't take me long to know what focus I wanted to take with Dixie and Noah.  Aunt Dixie has always been the fun Aunt.  She works so hard, since as long as I can remember, to get our family to play and have fun together.  This goes back long before there was ever a Clear Creek Family Ranch.  One of my earliest memories is Dixie taking a bunch of us cousins to see The Rescuers, I was only 4!  When I was young and people would ask my favorite movie, I would answer, The Rescuers, probably because I had such a fond memory of going with my cousins and cool Aunt Dixie.  Another memory I have from later on, is Dixie kidnapping the older cousins, which I was one at the time, and taking us to breakfast.  That was around the time that Dixie had a business idea of a place where families could get together and eat, and then end up in a food fight (she had an idea to put a garbage disposal at the bottom of the floor for all the food from the food fight).  She was always thinking of fun things to do with our family.

As Dixie grew and had a family of her own, the fun didn't stop.  To this day, with Noah, she still does Cousin Shindig, every year, gathering all the teenage cousins...a favorite for Bodell Family Teens.

Deciding on what to do in Dixie's honor came very easily, executing it is another story.  I knew what needed to be done, we needed a 2020 Virtual Bodell Family Party.  Wayne, Dixie (my daughter) Dillon and Denim have helped with getting things ready.  

While the party is still to take place on Monday, December 28th, the hours that I have so far spent have been wonderful.  I have loved getting to know so many of my cousins that I haven't seen or some I haven't even met.

Aunt Dixie and Noah, I'm so glad I'm a Bodell kid...with you!

After the party, I will upload our 3 family songs.  They have been what has taken the biggest part of time, so far.  I have loved getting to know my "angel helper," Jessica Bodell, whom I have might have never met, but love so much!  I have loved getting to know more of my family better through the correspondence about the party.  

Here is an outtake that was not used to give you an idea of the fun in store:

Service at the Hospital- the Entire Family Style

Throughout this month, Garrett and I tried to live life more like Hock and Lani. Do more things with our children, be with them, make memories with them, be more patient and loving. 

In trying to decide what to do for the Hock family, I first was tempted to just do something with me and Garrett, and not include the kids. But, I thought about the Hocks and how even if it might be harder and more time consuming and take more patience, I knew that one way to serve the Hocks was to do it all together, as a family. Christmas Eve we did our Season of Service as a family together. Garrett and I thought of something that the Hocks would do together, as a family. 

Christmas Eve morning we cut papers and wrote inspriring notes on each one. The kids wrote on them things to encourage and spread the Christmas spirit. "You are awesome", "Happy Holidays", "Merry Christmas", "Let it Snow", "It's going to be ok", and lots more. We then went to Lone Peak Hospital in Draper, and we went and put the little slips of paper on all the cars in the parking lots. 

The kids loved running around from car to car and putting their slips of paper that they created on each car to spread Christmas Joy. Sometimes, people were in the cars waiting. Those people would sweetly roll down their window and we would hand them a paper. Gates loved these since sometimes he was a little too short to reach the windshield wiper. They would sweetly smile and Gates would say "Merry Christmas" and run away to the next car. It was such a joy to feel the spirit while serving the Hock family. I thought how this is something the Hocks would do with their family. Something all together, from Houston down to Mayley, something they would do together. We thought of all the times they have spent with a car in a parking lot of a hospital and loved serving those who hopefully would come out and see a sweet message on their car. 

It's interesting because we were going to go to our local hospital that is just down the street basically from our house. But for some reason we felt like going to Draper. While there, Gates put one paper on a car, and a lady was walking out of the hospital emergency area, limping, with a knee brace on. When I asked her if she needed help, she said sweetly "Yes, can you give me the paper you put on my car?" We ran back over, and handed it to her. Hers said "You are going to be ok." She read it and started crying and said "Thank you. I needed this today." When I asked Brooklyn about that phrase, Brooklyn said "I only wrote that one once. All the other times I wrote "It's going to be ok."" We thought of how special and tender mercy that was. That the one person who needed "YOU are going to be ok" received it, and was coming out at that exact time. 

One more tender mercy is that we had just enough papers for EVERY SINGLE CAR in the parking lot! We couldn't believe it! It was a special start to our Christmas Eve together. 

Merry Christmas Hock family! WE LOVE YOU! Love Uncle Gmaughan, AuntTiti, Brookie Cookie, Zelda, and Gates. 

What Goes Around Comes Around

I was honored to be included in your Sunday Zoom the last 9 months. I am also honored to be asked to be included in The Gates Season of Service this year. Of course I would have been excited to get any of your names. I was thrilled to get the Gates with the best smile, that brings Sunshine to my Soul each time I see her.  

I want to give a bit of a back story. I love what I do. I love running the Parkway Motel and meeting people from all over the world. I don’t love cleaning rooms all the time by myself. It is really hard to find workers here in Orderville. Two years ago I was dreading my upcoming season of housekeeping. My lady, I had the two years before, had gotten a full time job. So, I said a little prayer for me to have the passion and strength to do the job myself or send someone my way.  

Within two days I was talking to a friend about a girl/lady that had moved into town. She had lost her young son to cancer two years earlier and struggled with anxiety and getting out and doing anything ever since. I had the little mind whisper of the spirit saying reach out and see if she wants to do housekeeping. I reached out and she was the best housekeeper I have ever had help at the Parkway Motel. She was super shy and closed off at the beginning, but as we worked together and made beds (if you ever worked for me that is one of the jobs that bonds people) each day. Jenny and I learned more about each other and became friends. I saw a mother heart mourning and showered her with my Dixie love. She was an answer to my prayer in 2019.  

Fast forward to March 15, 2020, opening day of the Parkway Motel. This little twist in my plans - within one week I had 90% of my reservations for the season cancel out. I had to tell Jenny I could not use her and I would have to do all the housekeeping for the season on my own due to budgeting. I missed having her around and hardly saw her. 

Fast forward to the beginning of November, Jenny texted me to see if they could use my fax machine. Come to find out her husband had lost his job the month before and they were getting kicked out of their house at the end of November. They, with their two teenage kids, had no job and would have no home for the holidays.  

You would be surprised how many cross country adventurers I meet each summer. This is a person who just starts walking across the country. In the olden days they may be called Hobos. Some of them are organized and have a plan. Most do not. I get quite a few that will stop and want to work for a room, they have no money. If there is room at the inn, I let them stay. Sometimes I have them work, but more times naught. When I ask them to work, I have them do yard work and always ask if they want to stay an extra day to help me clean out my storage shed, that was a mess! They seldom did a good job at cleaning my yard and never helped clean out the shed.  

I wanted to assist my friend, Jenny, who had been an answer to my prayers. I asked her and Rick if they wanted to do my Fall clean up of the yard and help clean out my back shed. Within a week they had my storage shed cleaned out, and my front and back yard cleaned up better than it had ever been. Another answer to my prayers.  

I could not afford to keep paying them, because of my financial disaster of this year. But I had room at the Inn. I decided to let this family stay for the month of December or until they can find a home. Part of the reason I am doing this is to be an answer to their prayer and 

“Because I have been sheltered, fed

By thy good care;

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share;

My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,

my roof's safe shelter overhead

That he too may be comforted.”

 

Another reason is that I had Tiffany’s sweet family as my service this season. I thought of Garrett and how he had lost his job this summer.  So when Rick and Jenny came to me about losing their job and home, I wanted to serve them in honor of Tiffany and Garrett's family. I prayed for what I could do, and that little mind whisper of the spirit again said, there is room at the Inn. We have been challenged by the prophet to “Hear Him”, so when I do hear him, I try to act.

 

 Tiffany and Garrett to me are shining examples of enduring through hard stuff. And they have been given some challenges. I am thankful for both of them and the Christlike example they are to me.  

 

It has been helpful for me to have a project during this Covid Christmas that could be weird and lonely.  But I have kept busy finding and helping with sub for Santa, setting up a Christmas Tree for this family and making them feel the Christmas spirit this season.