Sunday morning we went to my parents’ ward where I played flute as the choir sang “Still, Still, Still.” It was fun to see old friends! Then we headed straight to our own ward where I sang in the choir, lead the primary children in their song, and played flute for “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.” The Christmas program was wonderful and went too quickly!
Monday morning I walked over to work only to find the building locked. I don’t have a key because I’m only part time and my supervisor was out for the holiday. I ended up working from home which worked out ok. I just had to download the free trial of Adobe Acrobat Pro to use. I’ll be working from home until January 3 when my building opens up again. I’m excited to be home more and to avoid walking through the cold every day!
After my work we headed up to Blackfoot to be with Mark’s family. Mark stayed busy helping take things to the junk yard, cleaning the shop, and cutting branches off a big willow tree. On Tuesday we enjoyed having a Christmas Eve lunch with everyone and opening presents. After lunch we headed home for Christmas Eve Dinner with my parents. Gratefully the snow held off and didn’t start until that evening.
Christmas Day went too fast, but was so wonderful! I taught a few English classes before we opened presents. Some of Mark’s favorite gifts were the air fryer and snowshoes. I am really enjoying my Garmin smartwatch and I’m excited to try the sewing machine from my parents. Flynn got a new toy and lots of treats too!
After gifts we tried out the air fryer to make French toast for breakfast. We were also able to join a video call with Mark’s little brother who is serving a mission in Sierra Leone. It was great to hear his testimony. We enjoyed visiting my parents, brother, and some friends throughout the afternoon. We ended the evening by making air fried pickles and watching movies on Disney+. It was a nice and relaxing day!
The day after Christmas Mark was back to work. He is not in classes but is still going strong with his research. I found homes for our new presents and enjoyed some more time to rest.
Friday Mark worked and I took down our Christmas decorations before going to visit my sister from Idaho Falls and my sister from Southern Utah who drove to see my parents. Flynn was happy to have lots of “cousins” to play with. We did our annual story exchange where each person writes a paper of their memories. This year our topic was tv shows and movies we remembered. Mark and I couldn’t stay too late though because I had two VIPKID lessons to teach. I’m still teaching Friday nights to make up for my lost hour in the mornings.
Saturday we were able to visit family again and Mark and I inherited a loveseat from my parents! We gave our old one to some friends from our ward. We’re excited our new one reclines. I spent a few hours preparing to assign primary teachers to their new classes. There’s always something in primary to keep me busy! We also managed to make time to try out Mark’s new snowshoes in Green Canyon. My mom got some for Christmas that I borrowed. It was my first time and we enjoyed it! I’ll have to dress warmer so we can stay out longer next time.
Our Story: The Bell Family 