Mesquite Balloon Fest

Saturday there was a Balloon Fest at Mesquite Nevada. Marlene thought it would be neat to see. So we drove down with Jon and Nichole Alexander to enjoy. The balloons were all spread

out on the golf course driving range ready to be inflated when we arrived. The wind aloft was too much and going in the wrong direction, so they could not fly but they inflated all of them so we could enjoy the color and excitement.

Inside of a inflated Balloon

We were able to walk around and watch the process and talk to the crews. The process of inflating a balloon started with a Large fan that was used to blow air into the bottom of the bag that was on the ground. When the bag was almost vertical a Propane blower was used to inject hot air into the balloon.

Propane burner

The burner was lit when the balloon needed to gain altitude and a vent in the top of bag was open to allow air to escape to descend.

The balloons were very colorful. It was a great experience to see them all blown up.

It was a great time for all.

Porter Rockwell and fun

Marty had a seminar he had to attend at the Hospital here in St George. Melody spent the day with us as he was involved with that program. We went to see the Petrogriphs again and discovered some Real neat ones that we had not found before.

Some of them were really large. with lots of different figures. We were joking that one looked like a man in a space ship or possibly a bird in a cage.

There was a really cool monster or an creature from outer space

This week it has been one hundred and fifty years since St George was founded so there are lots of things going on. We went to the old opera house for a one man show about Porter Rockwell and then after that a choir singing songs from Gilbert and Sullivan shows. When the Opera house was first built in the 1870's their productions were very popular and were performed there

We are going to the Tabernacle for a one man show about Brigham Young and then the Southern Utah Heritage Choir, the local like Tabernacle Choir, will be performing. The events will continue until Tuesday when it will end with a big fire works show.

Christmas

Our Christmas this year was spent in Marty and Melody's home in Sandy. The Thursday before Christmas we drove from St George to Sandy, that evening was spent with Bruce and Tara. Mattie is growing up so fast. We were able to visit Todd, Shelly and Shay and Clay and Allison's family.

Christmas eve was spent in our traditional way. Sherry Thomas had been ill and was in a rehab home so we all went there to sing Christmas songs for her. We have been going to the Thomas's home for more than thirty years caroling. It was really a quite pleasant night to go our and sing our hearts out and give plates of home made goodies for our friends.

We then went to the Greenlief home for hot waisel, soup and some turkey that Marty cooked.

Cody was home from school in Idaho for the Holidays. It was really good to see him, Stuart was away from the family for the first time as he is in the Mission Field. Melody knitted a cap for Cody with a beard attached, that was really cool.

We then all spent some time doing the Nativity and then talked about gifts and what our Savior birth means to us. There was lots of Shepherds and Wise Men, Amamda was Mary. Melody did her yearly part as the Chief Angel.

Gift giving and getting was really fun as lots of great gifts were exchanged. I got lots of Snicker candy bars and a gift certificate for twenty five dollars for kindle e-books , lots of e-books can be obtained for that amount of money.

We got up early on Christmas morning to see the Greenlief family open their gifts from Santa, they we drove home to be on time for Sacrament meeting. Marlene was in charge of the Choir Christmas Program. Brother Nureen who was to be the narrator was sick so I did that part on the program.

It was a very busy busy Christmas time for us and we were happy to have Monday to come around to rest.

Christmas is still the best time of the year.

Christmas in st george

Christmas time is nearly here in St George. It is nice to be in a no snow allowed zone even though it is not as pretty, no it is always pretty here, We just don't have slick roads and frozen noses.

Out friend Nichole thought that it would me fun to do some caroling. She called a lot of friends, mostly old folks, obtained a trailer, bales of hay, and assigned cookies to be made and off we went. It was a little cool but our spirits were good as we went to sing for a lot of shut In's and widows. It was great fun.

The outside of our home is all lit up. Mom insisted that we put up all of our lights. She held the lights while I stood on the ladder and attached them to the rain gutter. I think all in all they look pretty good.

The tree is all decorated and the presents are in place. We are ready for the best season of the year.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year for most of the family was in California with Roy and Angel. They had to suffer with eighteen of the our extended family. Clay & Allison's, Marty & Melody's families along with Grandpa and Grandma stayed in Roy and Angel's house, ten Grandchildren.

It amazed me how many of the kids could bounce in the tramp. at the same time. There were some bumps and tears but after a few minutes the damaged child was back bouncing.

The pies were the best part of dinner, pecan is my favorite one. I am not big on pumpkin pie even though it is the Thanksgiving traditional eat but I favor taste over yucky pumpkin. The only way that pumpkin is eatable is if there is enough whipped cream so that you cannot taste it.

The girls spent a lot of time in the kitchen making all of the goodies, while the men helped by staying away and playing video games. The family had a good time playing games, such as monopoly, flip and other board games. It was great to get away from the TV grind and spent some quality time with our family.

We all had our part of the house to sleep in and took turns using the bathroom, all of the men made the great sacrifice of delaying shaving until we returned home, but isn't that the style now to have a scruffy beard, the unshaven look.

The best part of Thanksgiving is being with and loving your family. We had a great time!!

Hawaii

We went on fourteen day cruise from L. A. to Hawaii. The ship was on the Pacific Ocean for five days on the way to Hawaii, four days visiting various Islands and then Five days back to L. A.

The Islands we visited were, Hawaii (the big Island), Oahu, Maui, and Kauai.

There is a Banyon Tree in Maui that takes up four acres of park land. This tree has streamers that extend from the branches, and when they touch the ground they will take root and make another tree. The tree was really cool.

Since the trip was so long there was three formal dining nights. Marlene really likes to dress up

Halloween came while we were on the ocean. The crew all dressed up in costumes and the ship was decorated. There were some really interesting carved pumpkins.

The waves crashing onto the rocks on the shore was spectacular.

We went to a farm where they raised pineapple, mango and coconuts and other tropical fruits.

We went to the area on the island of Hawaii where there have been recent lava flows from the active volcano.

It was sad to see some homes that have been destroyed by the volcano.

We had a great time, Mom loved the day we spent at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Temple Cleaning

We had the assignment of cleaning the Tempe Wednesday Night, starting at 9:45 PM and finishing at 11:45 PM. I was vacuuming the dressing rooms for the Officiators. Marlene was dusting the Celestial and other Ordnance rooms. It was really nice to be in the Temple late at night doing service.

I learned several interesting things about the St George Temple. I was working on the fourth floor where the Sealers change their clothes when the lady who supervised Me took some time to show me a few of the unusual things there. I was able to look in the attic, the heavy beams look just like the ones that were used in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, large wooden trusses. The red sand stone that the Temple is constructed of is also visible. Several small rooms are on the west side of the fourth floor that are no longer in use. They were used in early Pioneer times as places to stay for the couples who made the long journey to St George to be Married in the Temple. There is what is called the Honeymoon trail from the east side of the State of Utah where people travelled in their wagons to be married here. The old pine slab flooring is still in place up there and is worn and warped after many years of use. The Sister Ordnance Workers dressing room is in the basement next to the Baptistery. The oxen by the font are white. We love the Baptistery as we assisted there in the Nauvoo Temple.

Friday Night we went to the High School game in St George for the Region Championship between Hurricane and Desert Hills High Schools. Hurricane is ranked as number one and Desert Hills as number three in the state. It was really fun to be there watching all the kids having a great time at this important event for them. Hurricane won by a large margin. There are four High Schools in St George, Pine View, Dixie, Desert Hills and Snow Canyon with Hurricane not too far away. The folks here are really involved with their teams, as there was not any place to park our car except for an empty field, all of the parking spots on the school grounds and the Street were taken and the stands were full of fans.