Christmas-2011

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family. Carters were with us from Idaho and it was the first Christmas we have spent with them since they had Daniel and Anna. We missed Mike's family in Colorado but they were enjoying a huge snowstorm. Melody and Brandon were with his brother's family and his parents in Lincoln, Nebraska, and then his parents came to Kansas City to visit them until Wednesday. We are grateful for the excellent choices our children have made in spouses and are happy that they can share holidays with both families.

December 23 was spent with a special Rasband Cousin Party at the DuPaix's home to celebrate Edie's birthday. Here we have Kim, Kira, Keith, and Talisa. About two-thirds of the Grant Rasband posterity was there and we had a wonderful time talking, teasing, and eating.

Talisa is terrified of dogs so Meggie, the dog, spent most of the party locked up. When someone let her out, Kira was downright friendly to her!

Julie and Jason joined us for the Rasband party and Christmas dinner. They enjoyed Christmas with all of Jason's family! Jason's Grandpa Burningham passed away so all his family was able to be to his funeral on December 27 even though they are scattered across the United States.

For our Christmas FHE Talisa was Mary, Daniel was Joseph, and Kira insisted on being the donkey. There was none of this angel costume business for her.

Lillian played the part of Baby Jesus for the first time and Amelia did for the second go through where different people played different parts.

Anna was a beautiful angel telling the shepherds (Kathryn and John) the good news of Jesus' birth.

James and Grant were excellent Wise Men with their trusty camel, Mark.

The arrival of the Wise Men!

Kira with the donkey costume, Kathryn holding Lillian and Amelia.

We watched the video of the Nativity story and the children were very reverent and attentive!

The babies look very cute in their "Santa's Helper" union suits that James and Grant wore when they were babies. Mark was on call over the weekend and spent a lot of time at the hospital but was able to be home for the important things.

Sunday morning Daniel was excited to open his gift from Santa, the long requested Wii! We attended church in our various wards, opened the rest of the gifts, then met for Christmas dinner late in the afternoon.

Monday was a fun day to visit other families. James and Grant are showing Daniel their Lego garbage truck and other Lego vehicles.

Grant, James, and Daniel thought it was great fun to pile on Uncle Neal. Notice Lillian and Amelia in their purple and green little chairs.

Monday evening Keith and Kim prepared a delicious dinner then we played games. In this picture you see the concentration of Kira, Talisa, and Daniel playing the Wii. The adults were enjoying other games at the table. Talisa and Kira went to bed quickly because Keith told them one of his original "telling stories." Daniel stayed up late playing their Wii games. Though he played with much vigor and animation, his voice stayed at a whisper for the rest of the night.

The Carters returned to Rexburg Tuesday evening.

Temple Square--December, 2011

What a blessing it is to serve on Temple Square in December. This is what greeted us one morning as we came to work: I love this view of the Church Office Building. Sometimes men in hip boots are out in the water of the reflecting pool adjusting the lights. They have large machines that vacuum up the leaves and scrub the sidewalks.

We work on the northeast corner of the third floor of the Jospeh Smith Memorial Building. The Church and Family History Headquarters Mission Office is on the east side of the third floor.

This is the view from the window in our break room where we often eat our lunch.

Sister Sasine and other prepare a lovely snack table every day at 9:30 AM for the break.

There are many nativity scenes arranged in the flower beds throughout the plaza.

The lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building is breath-taking!

View from the mezzanine showing more detail.

View of the JSMB chapel where we attend the weekly mission devotional on Monday morning.

Last Wednesday we were invited to an employee/missionary Christmas devotional on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building. Even at noon, the inversion kept the cold, smoggy air blocked in the Salt Lake Valley.

Temple Square lights at night showing the tree on the south side at the Brigham Young Monument.

Night view toward the north with the Relief Society Building and State Capitol in the background.

The Salt Lake Temple. Eternal families are the focus of all that we do.

We have had excellent students--full-time and church service missionaries this month. John taught a very capable young elder from West Jordan these past two weeks who will be a great asset to the mission. He came with only a basic five-generation sheet but has added and documented over 1000 more names. John is a skillful, patient teacher. He is also very sensitive and tender as he accompanies young elders to the temple for Go Forth Day. My students have had Mormon pioneer roots and what excitement we have shared as we found documentation to the family stories which have been passed down as well as additional information to enrich our understanding. My last student's ancestors sailed on the ship Brooklyn to California. Others were the family in the "last wagon" in the Hole-in-the-Rock Expedition. The stories of their forefathers are amazing. The lives and strength of the missionaries are every bit as notable for what they have been through and accomplish! We are so very grateful for the people, music, devotionals, and ambience we share in this corner of Zion where we serve.

Nesy Smith Baptized

Saturday, December 10, 2011, Nesy Smith was baptized in Brigham City. She is our nephew Tim Smith's wife. She has been a great blessing to our family through the years, especially in her tender watch care of Grandpa Victor Rogers in the nursing home. Tim and Nesy Smith after the baptism.


Nesy was baptized by her father-in-law, Dennis Smith. These are the missionaries who gave her and Tim the missionary lessons. There were many members of the ward and family present. She will be confirmed on December 11, 2011, by Elder Gruenewald.

Avery Anne Keetch's Blessing Day

The Keetch brothers--Russell, Steven, Justin, Brett, and Tom Avery Anne Keetch, daughter of Tiffany and Justin was blessed by her father on December 4, 2011. The entire Keetch family was there to commemorate the occasion. It was a sacred event in Justin's ward followed by dinner at Karen and Richard's home. Avery is wearing the same dress Tiffany wore when she was blessed.

The proud grandparents--Karen and Richard hold Avery and Bonita Yanda.

Richard has finished the "play room" in the basement. There was plenty of room for 30 guests at the table and a large buffet table in theL-shaped room. They will lay carpet this week, after the family dinner.

Grant and James' Early Birthday Party

Grant and James celebrated their fifth birthdays a little early with five little friends. The party had a clever Lego theme.

John and I took care of Amelia and Lillian while Kristilyn and Mark took care of the party.

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with 48 of the Byers-Smith-Rogers Clan in a meetinghouse in Salt Lake City. All the posterityof Dennis and Kathie Smith except a great-grandaughter were there. Lillis and Frank added to the joy of the occasion. From the John Rogers' family were the Carters from Idaho, Keith's family, the Eliasons, and the Burninghams. Mike's and Melody's families enjoyed Thanksgiving with their friends because of the distance.

DENNIS AND KATHIE AND THEIR CHILDREN

Kevin and Candice, Marilee, Chris, Doug and Tracy

Tim and Nesy, and Kathie and Dennis Smith

Back row: Kevin and Candice, Marilee, Chris, Tracy holding Cecily(3), Doug
3rd row: Tim, Nesy holding Bristol (9 months), Kathie holding Cerrah (2), Dennis holding Cerrice (2)
2nd row: Sydney (9), Tara (9), Jamin (10 in Dec.), Shanon (6), Michael (8)
Out in front: Sam (4 in Dec) and Jason (6)

Marilee Smith with her sons Michael and Jamin Perez

Around the table--Jason, Sam, Tara, Sydney, and Shannon. Jessica, Tracy's sister is in the back.

Candice holding Cerice and Kevin holding Cerrah. Unfortuntely I blurred the good picture I had of their family.

Kathie at the pie table. The pies were delicious!

We had Thanksgiving Dinner in the Relief Society room with trains, large Legos, and activity sheets in another room, and lots of balls for fun in the cultural hall. In this picture Neal is talking with Frank and Lillis Byers and Doug.

Tim and Nesy with their sons Ronnell and RJ (Raymond).

Raymond and Ronnell with his son Aiden. Ronnell's daughter Taeghen was with her mother.

Tracy, Nesy, Candice and Marilee

Chris and Doug with his darling 9 mo. baby girl Bristol.

Chris' children are Tara, Jason, and Samuel.

Doug's children Sydney, Shannon, Cecily, and Bristol

Three sets of twins:

Grant and James Eliason (born Dec 2006)

Cerice and Cerrah Smith (born July 2009)

Lillian and Amelia Eliason (born August 2011). They are looking more alike every dayDaniel, Talisa, and Kira took Anna for a ride.

November Blessings 2011

At this Thanksgiving our hearts are filled with gratitude. When I saw the eye surgeon on Friday from the eye surgery on November 10, he commented, “You had a blessing! You have healed much quicker than usual and there is no need to see you again for this problem.” I’m grateful for my eyesight, priesthood blessings, and the faith of my family.

We’ve had a good two weeks with FTM’s. John’s student was a lovely widow from Quebec who spoke English as her second language. She had over 32,000 names in her file and was able to read very difficult old French records. My student was an accredited genealogist from Idaho who served with her husband for years in the Idaho Family History Center who works in Legacy rather than PAF5. In the last three weeks I have been incredibly stretched as I have had to demonstrate and to teach advanced techniques but I have felt the inspiration and instruction of the Holy Ghost as I silently prayed my way through the challenges. Friday was Go Forth Day and we took our students to the Salt Lake Temple with the mission presidency and staff. The spirit was very strong as we did the work for people we had personally researched. I did the work for Ida Robertson from Georgia. There are four daughters in the family and as I have done the baptisms, initiatory work, and now the endowments they are all so eager to make covenants! John did the work for Charles Rogers, born about 1856 in Kent, England—a distant cousin whose family did not go with John Rogers to South Africa. John said there was no doubt that he accepted the work because the spirit was so strong. It is such a blessing to be missionaries and serve on beautiful Temple Square. We have peace and satisfaction in our days though we work very hard!

Lillian Dianne and Amelia Ann's Blessing Day

We had a beautiful blessing day for our precious twin girls. Mark gave tender, specific blessings to each of his daughters at the church. We had a dinner at their home afterward for 23. Grant, Kirstilyn, Lillian, Mark, Amelia, and James
John, Amelia, Kathryn Ann, and Lillian

Kristilyn holding Lillian and Amelia

Dinner with Talisa, Kira, Grant and James

Pretty girls--Julie and Kim. Kim lent the elegant blessing dresses from Talisa and Kira to Lillian and Amelia which makes them extra special with a generous portion of love and precious memories.

Kristilyn holding Lillian and Mark holding Amelia

Eliasons with the grandparents.

The Priesthood

Front Row--Grandpa Rogers, Mark, Grandpa Eliason

Back Row--Great Uncle Frank Byers, and Uncles Keith, Jason, and Josh.

We had our first major storm of the season early Saturday morning. The snow is shown here with the last rose of summer shot from our front room.

We had a wonderful time a week ago singing with the Elijah Missionary Choir for two CSM Devotionals in the Tabernacle on November 6, 2011. Pres. Jay Jensen of the Seventy spoke at the first one then Elder Don Clark spoke at the second one. What a thrill to stand and sing "Called to Serve" with the Tabernacle Organ playing full organ!