Family Ties December 10 - 17, 2006

FAMILY TIES December 10-17, 2006

Dear Family,
This has been a glorious Christmas Season and the cabin has been decorated beautifully since the day after Thanksgiving with a 13ft. Christmas tree. It is the tallest Christmas tree we have ever had and perhaps the most beautiful. In addition to lights and decorations inside, so have lights and decorations been placed outside. The winter snows have come frequently to add to the beauty of this Christmas season. If there be a sad note, it was the need to cancel the Adult Cousins Christmas party that we worked so hard on. The weather forcast on the day before the party foretold of major snow storms. When Saturday came so did the snow and feeling for the safety of all our grandchildren, we decided to cancel the event. Because our car is especially qualified with all wheel drive and new studded snow tires, we were able to traverse these mountain roads to the extent we were able to complete our temple assignment Saturday mid-day and return safely to the cabin, pushing snow a good part of the way. We spent a quiet somewhat disappointing evening together.
June and Lowell had a sorrowful event on Wednesday, December 12th. June's brother Mark has a daughter named Amy and June learned that Amy had died following an abusive confrontation with her husband. While a teenager, Amy became addicted to drugs. During that time she married a young man who likewise was involved in drugs. Over the years her husbands abuse increased until the present time when his actions resulted in her death. As difficult as this is for the Pendleton's (June's family) family, it has a double impact since Amy's husband is the son of a family in St. George by the name of Hymas and add to the sting, his name is Dan. At last report he is being sought by the police to answer for charges in his wife's death. Lowell's illness prohibits him driving at night so we drove them to the valley so they could attend the viewing Wednesday and services Thursday. We spent the night at their home in West Jordan.
There has been a mixture of joy and sadness this week and we have been the recipients of so many blessings our hearts are full. We just hung up from a call from Julie expressing her concern and sadness of the cancelling of the cousins party. It seems Janie had felt sad too and had called her sister to express the disappointment. Unbeknown to the cancellation, Cyndi and Michael had travelled as far as Park City and they too were disappointed. Truly it was a blyte in the holidays for all of us, but the love displayed in the preparation and anticipation made the efforts all worthwhile.