Merry Christmas Friends!

Friends,

I put a Scrapbook for viewing at the top of the page. If you click on the lower right hand corner it will take you to the website where you should be able to view it larger, slow it down, pause, etc. If you have problems let me know!

I can't believe Christmas is almost upon us! It is always such an exciting time of year for me. I love that people get a little bit more giving and loving toward those around them. I'm so greatful for my Saviour Jesus Christ. For His life, His example and especially for His atonement for me and all mankind. What a blessing it is to me to have the knowledge of the Gospel! My heart is full of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ and to my Heavenly Father for the Love that they have for us. Merry Christmas to you all!

Emily

Zoo!

Sorry I'm behind on the blogging lately! I haven't posted about the neat zoo we went to over Thanksgiving! It is in Omaha, Nebraska and it is a really neat zoo. We really enjoyed going there with our neighbors over Thanksgiving. Alexis said she was "really in the Jungle" in the jungle pavillion. In the desert pavillion she said she was "really in the desert". She also enjoyed the butterfly pavillion with butterflies flying all around. The aquarium had fish swimming above our heads and penguins standing under a snow vent. We didn't get to see the whole zoo, but what we did see was really fun. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant and walked around the mall. It was just a perfect day. I will put some pictures up of the zoo for people to see.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here in Nebraska they have a "downtown stroll" down the old main street in the historic downtown. It was really fun to take Alexis. There were allot of people singing Christmas Carols from different churches dressed up in old "Charles Dickens" style clothing. Some of the business's had drawings to enter, and Christmas cookies. Others had homemade mints and hot cocoa! It was freezing but a beautiful night. I wish the pictures were better. Sorry! Our camera ran out of batteries. I kept turning it on to quickly take a picture. I was able to squeeze out a few but didn't have enough time for some nice photos. Alexis loved the horse drawn carriage and wagon rides. She was so excited when we were riding on the wagon she looked up at the horses shook her head in disbelief and said "I just can't believe it!" How precious! She also got excited that Santa's house is up and he's going to be visiting soon. She said "I want to tell him I want a makeup bag and a real Barbie Car to ride on."

For Thanksgiving we will be here having our first ever cook it all by ourselves dinner (with some neighbors making a few things too). I was just changing the temperature on the oven for the pumpkin pies. Yum! It smells great. I hope they taste good too! We are having one of our neighbors over from the branch. A bunch of people are gathering for pie. There is a Branch turkey bowl tomorrow morning. It is a pretty big deal with the Branch here. They have a contest between the two quorums. They even have a trophy and tally of ongoing scores. It has been fun to see all the Christmas lights going up and to hear actual Christmas music playing in all the stores. I guess with being a small town the "only holiday music" thing hasn't caught on here. I really love the Christmas season and Give Thanks unto our Heavenly Father for all of our blessings. Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Getting Ready to go on the Wagon ride!

Old Courthouse and Decorated Trees lit up. Holiday sign draped across the main street downtown

Wagon going by one of the stores with some cute window displays

A fun Bike shop with an old style bicycle decorated with lights

Shaun and Alexis at the Downtown Stroll!

Carriage Ride
Carriage and Fun TreesShaun and Alexis

New Bedroom Set

Alexis's new furniture. We found it at a used furniture mart downtown. It has been fun to fix it up and paint it. When I walked into the store I got all these ideas of what I could turn things into. I wish I could buy more furniture and had more room to store it so I could do some more fun projects. There is a buffet table that would make a really cute dresser. I liked the antique sewing desks, dressers, headboards, tables, etc. I saw a nice hutch that would make a cute toy shelf and an armoire that would be fun to turn into a sewing or craft storage cabinet.

Fun!

Yes we are still alive!

Yes we made it here to Nebraska! We are liking it here alot so far. The people are really nice and the town is quiet and layed back. Theres a cute little restaurant downtown that serves great homemade pies. Lots of little antique shops to brouse. We also get donuts from a fun shop called Daylight Donuts evey once in awhile. We are adjusting well and enjoying the beautiful fall trees and old town architecture here.

Finally we have the internet and a phone! When we went to hook up our phone they said it would take 2 1/2 weeks then because our doorbell is broken I didn't here the 8:30 a.m. knocking from the cable man. I was so upset that I missed him I was all geared up to have a phone again and we hadn't talked to our families to even tell them how our new place was other than a quick email at the (silent) library with Alexis spinning in the spare computer chairs! "So do you just have one maintenance man?" I asked the cable people calmly while the lady explained we were going to have to wait till Nov. 4th till a maintenance worker could come again. I really was thinking "What?!" "Are you crazy we have been here month already without a phone!"
We feel like we've been on a mission sortof the last month. First with the once a week contact to our families on library day. Second with being in a small branch here. Third speaking at babtisms, Fourth welcoming several investigators to church each week, and Fifth feeding the missionaries alot. I'm also the 2nd counselor in the relief society presidency now and lead the music and play the piano for the mutual christmas caroling (even though I never took lessons!). It really has been great though. We are really liking the opportunities to help and serve more.

Our latest happenings and updates: (not much it is a pretty relaxed and slow town)

• Trunk or Treat for the Columbus Branch
• Thursday story/crafts at the library
• Carving Pumpkins
• Trick or Treating at our apartment
• Building a thousand things out of left over moving boxes!
• Driving around and seeing the leaves and the old homes
• Going to the parks
• Making paper crafts with Alexis
• Reading the 3rd Eragon book
• Stake Conference in Lincoln Nebraska sat. and sun. going to Target and Toys-R-Us
• Practicing playing Christmas and church songs on the piano!

Cute story about Alexis today:

We were at a store I love to browse "the 2nd hand furniture store" looking for a headboard for Alexis's. Alexis was humming and singing differen't primary songs. Including I am a Child of God. It was really cute. We crossed the street to compare prices at a local furniture store for some nightstands. Alexis got louder with the singing "I love mudder she loves me I love daddy yes-sir-ee we are a happy family we are a happy family". She sang the whole time we were looking around the store. Where we were the only ones in there all the employees could here here sweet little voice. On the way up the stairs she was finishing the above line and the manager smiled and said, "You must have a happy family!"