The envelope

Our family has a tradition that comes from a story we read years ago.  One year a wife did something special for her husband, Mike, as he didn't like the commercialism of Christmas.  One year their son was wrestling and there was a non-league match before Christmas.  They played a team that had no uniforms, sneakers without shoestrings, and no headgear.  

Mike loved kids.  The wife had an idea and bought an assortment of wrestling gear and sent them anonymously to the team.  On Christmas Eve she placed an envelope on the tree, the note inside told Mike what she had done and that this was his gift from her.

He loved it.  

The trandition was followed and the envelope became the highlight of their Christmas.  

Our family in their own little families find a service they can do at this time of year.  Their experience is written down and then we share on Christmas day what we've all done.

Our daughter, Brooke, called us and said for their white envelope she would like to cut the missionaries' hair.  Could we make it work?

Last Monday, on P-day she cut 18 missionaries hair, including us.  She did it on our deck. 

Probably the funnest cuts were two sisters who had Brooke change their styles.

The pictures below are all from one house.

At Halloween the same house was decked out with spooky decorations.

Today we were in Oxnard attending a Spanish Ward.  I spoke and the counselor in the Bishopric translated as I introduced us.  I then read testimony in Spanish.

President spoke on the missionary purpose and shared with the ward that there would be no more door knocking, that the members would have to help in finding people for the missionaries to teach.  This will happen just in this ward.  Kind of a pilot program.  Hopefully much success will come.  Honestly going door to door is not as successful as members referring.

The bishop presented the idea to us a couple of weeks ago.  He did it in his mission.  

(He's only 29 and amazing.)

This tree is across the street from the church.  It must be quite a chore to trim this tree.