Farewell 2010 - Welcome 2011

We had a great Christmas season and enjoyed much time with family and friends.  It was a busy month but I can say I enjoyed all the good times we had.  We had a couple of company parties, neighborhood parties and was able to spend wonderful times with both our families.  We went to zoo lights with some of my family, attended the Festival of Trees, was blessed to do tow Sub-for-Santa and reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was a great way to end an incredible year.  We were truly blessed and hope that as the new year begins that we can continue to serve others and to draw closer to our Savior.

This year at my extended family party my sister heard that my Aunt Charlyn had been writing here history and she was so gracious to share it with my sisters and I.  I must say it has been one of the most precious gifts I received this Christmas.  I am one of the youngest of the grand children on my moms side of the family and the youngest on my dads side so I was not lucky to be blessed with knowing my grandparents.  I have been truly humbled to hear of the incredible struggles my grandma had after my grandfather passed away and she still had children at home to raise.  She raised two wonderful boys and five incredible daughters.   When my grandfather passed away she still had my uncle Raymond, my aunt Charlyn and aunt Karma still living at home.  They did not have a lot and were considered poor but because of the love of the Savior and the testimonies that were shared they may have been poor by worldly standards but were so rich in the matters of the gospel.  I  was brought to tears as I read of the incredible faith that my Aunt shared, the love of the gospel and the great power of prayer.  My testimony has grown as I have read of the struggles my grandma had but how she remained a faithful, loving, caring and spiritual leader to her children.  I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing legacy.  I love my Heavenly Father for blessing us with a wonderful grandma and grandpa who raised their children in the Church of Jesus Christ and kept them grounded in knowing what truly is important in life.  I can say that I was also raised but to wonderful parents who brought with them the teaching of their parents and am so grateful that they raised us in the gospel and helped to know what is truly important and that is to have faith in the Savior and to live the gospel to its fullest.   Thank you Aunt Charlyn for sharing

May this New Year find each of you being blessed even more.  We are so grateful for the examples and love of each of you in our lives and are better because of each one of you.

Merry Christmas

This year has been an incredible Christmas season for Mark & I.  We have enjoyed many wonderful parties with family and friends, Christmas shopping, zoo lights, going to Jazz games and just enjoying this wonderful time of year.  We are so grateful this year to have been able to help out those who are less fortunate this year.  We helped do a couple of sub-for-Santa's along with both sides of our family and help provide three families with a Thanksgiving dinner.  As one of our traditions is to attend the Festival of Trees and was able to bid on some wonderful donated items to help out the Primary Children's Hospital.  We are so grateful for this time of year where we get to be with all those we love.  We are most grateful for our Savior and the opportunity we have to reflect on all that he represents.  We have been blessed so much because of the sacrifice that our Savior made for each one of us and hope that each of you will take some time out of the hustle and bustle to reflect on all that He has given you.  We are so grateful to all our family and friends and this time of year and always.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

2009 Year in Review

2009 was a great year. We had success in our jobs and enjoyed many good times with our familes and friends. Here are some of the higlights:

January

On Januay 2nd we got together with some of my family to cheer the University of Utah football time to victory in the Sugar Bowl - BCS game. They beat the Alabama Crimson Tide. The finally score was 31-17. What a great year to be a Ute fan.

Later that month I attended the charity scrapbook event - Get Down with Scrapbooking hosted my my neice Marlene. It is a great event and all the proceeds go to the Down Syndrome foundation of Utah. I had a great time and even got some pages completed.

February

We had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Draper LDS Temple open house with my inlaws and had a wonderful experience. It is such a blessing to have another wonderful Temple dot the Salt Lake Valley. What an amazing experience.

March

We headed to Las Vegas to the Mountain West basketball tournament to see both the Utah Utes and BYU Cougars play. BYU played San Diego State which they lost and Utah played Wyoming and advanced toe the championship game which they won. Phil, Natalie and Nicole attended the games with us. On Saturday we headed up to St. George to spend the remainder of the weekend with Paul, Catherine, Hallie, John Tracy, Aaron, Aidan, and Addi. It was a nice little get away.

April

Made it through another tax season of working lots of hours but the day after Mark and I joined his parents in Maui for a much needed vacation. We spent a week of relaxing and enjoying the sunshine and Mark got some golf it at the Kapalula golf course. We took a ride on the road to Hana, shopped, ate a great restuarants and relaxed by the pool and at the beach.

May




We had new wood floors installed and boy did it make a difference and began work painting the bedrooms.






For Memorial weekend we headed to Jeff Maynes family cabin were we spent the time with many of my family. It rained to whole weekend so we spent the time indoors. It was nice to be together.

June

We had the privledge of attending the wedding of my nephew Phil and his beautiful wife Nichelle. We are so excited to have Nichelle and her darling daughter Haley in our family.

We also got to attend to open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. What a beautiful temple.

July

Mark, his dad and two of his brothers, John and Paul, went to San Francisco to meetings for work. They also went to a the San Francisco Giants base ball game where they got to see a no hitter. Then they met up with their Uncles & Aunts, Lavor & Barbara and Doyle & Karen, who live in Livermore for a day of golf and b-bque. For the 24th of July holiday we headed to the condo in St George where we spent time with the Neuenswander from vegas, saw Footloose and the Tuachan theater, attended the Ivans town carnival and spent time catching some rays by the pool.

August

Our amazing Grandpa Benjamin Gunn Evans passed away at 98 years old. The whloe family minus, Kelly, Ava, Luke & Logan made the trip to Helena, Montana to pay or respects to a wonderful man and example to us all. We love him and will miss him but look forward to being with him for eternity

Later Mark had some business meeting in Phildelphia so I flew out and met him so we could spend some time with Dave, Kelly, Ava & their new twin boys, Luke and Logan. We had a great time with them. We were able to attend the Phillies - Atlanta baseball game, dinner at Cheescake factory, play with Ava and feed and hold the two boys. It was a great time.

September

Mark headed to Boston for business and the Neuenswander form New Jersery came out for a visit. It was great to have them here. The best part is that I got to spend two nights babysitting the adorable Luke and Logan.Logan & Luke

Ocotober

We headed down to the BYU-UNLV game in Las Vegas with John, Tracy, Aidan, Addie, Paul, Catherine, Val & Benda, Ron & Kerma, Doyle & Karen and Phil, Natalie & Nicole. We had a great time and ate lots of yummy food and spent time enjoying being together.

November

We celebrated our 13th anniversary and can say it has been an amazing journey. I love you more everyday. Could not have asked for a better husband and enternal companion.

December

What a wonderful time of year. We got to do so many wonderful things this month but most of all we ere able to celeberate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without him none of this would have been possible. Look for to many more blessing in 2010.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

So we have had a fun but busy holiday season so far and Christmas is not until Friday. It all started on Friday, December 4Th when we to our nephew Nick to the Festival of Trees. We took him here several times before he moved to New York for three years and both Mark and I missed our time with Nick so it was great having him back in Utah so we could all go. He had a great time - got to see many of the trees, watch the performers, have a yummy sweet roll, dinner at Arby's and then got to sit on Santa's lap. Lots of fun for all of us.

Sunday, December 6Th we got to hear a wonderful Christmas devotional put on by the First Presidency of the LDS Church where they shared wonderful messages of the true meaning of Christmas. It is so nice during this busy time to reflect upon the Birth of our Savior and the great blessing it is to each of us.


Thoughout the that week we were able to spend time at family parties and company parties which is always nice to be together with our friends and family. We had a party for my moms extended family and then Mark's company party. I also was able to attend a wonderful Relief Society dinner and program where the focus was also on our Savior and become better women of Christ.

We were also able to go to a couple of Jazz games were we saw the Jazz beat the Orlando Magic but lose to the Minnesota Timber wolves. We are big Jazz fans so it is always fun to cheer them on.

On Saturday, Dec. 12Th we had a great day together. We went and saw the Utah Utes-Oklahoma basketball game where the Utes almost one in overtime then we headed downtown for dinner at Crown Burger and then to see the lights at Temple Square. After the lights, we headed to the Conference Center to see the annual Christmas Concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which featured Natalie Cole and David McCullough. What a wonderful evening of music and inspirational messages. We love to go to this concert as it is a highlight of our Christmas season.

We also attended my company Christmas party and Mark was able to manage to fit a business trip to San Diego in to our busy schedule. This past weekend while Mark was in San Diego I helped with a funeral luncheon for our neighbors son and went to a fun friends part at out good friends the Huemann's home. Wish Mark could have been at the party but enjoyed his business trip where he was with tow of hi brothers and his dad.

On Saturday night we went to see the Zoo Lights with some of my sister, Cynthia's family. The kids loved it and we so loved watching the 3 new baby tigers intact with their mom and each other. Thanks to Matt & Ranae for inviting us to come along we had a great time.

Hope that you have all taken time to enjoy all that this wonderful Christmas Season has to offer and to spend some time with your family and friends. We have been so blessed to have som many good friends and wonderful familes to spend this wonderful time with. May you always remember that if it were not for Our Savior's birth we would not be enjoying this wonderful time of year.

FESTIVAL OF TREES

For the fast four years Mark and I have made it one of our Christmas Traditions to go to the bid night for the Festival of Trees which benefits the Primary Children's Hospital. I have always loved this even since I was a young girl and hoped that one day I could go and bid on some items to help out the charity. I have had many I know who have had to spend time at this wonderful children's hospital and wanted to give back for the amazing medical help that has been rendered on behalf of my family. A few years back my nephew Spencer was playing little league football on a team coached by Mark and suffered a pretty scary hit which caused his spleen to almost tear in half. He spent time in the ICU at Primary Children's Hospital while they did miraculous work to help save his spleen and to get him back on the road to recovery. He spent over three weeks in the hospital but thanks to the wonderful care he has no problems from the injury. It was pretty hard to see him laying there in such critical condition and it was then that I vowed that when I was able I would give to the hospital. It is an amazing hospital and do so much good for the community. We are so blessed today to have had this wonderful hospital so close and that the staff is top notch and concerned about the welfare of all kids not just those who can afford it.

I hope that each of you will take a few moments at this time of year to reach deep in your pockets and give to those who are less fortunate. We have been truly blessed by out Father in Heaven and needed to show him how much we care by making sure we are always serving others. I have attached the link so that you can read about the wonderful organization of the Festival of Trees.

http://www.festivaloftreesutah.org/index.asp

May the true meaning of Christmas permeate you hearts and home this Christmas Season. Remember that it is because the birth of Our Savior so many years ago that we are able to share this wonderful time celebrating with our family and friends.

So Much to Be Thankful For

Oh how I love this time of year! All the wonderful fall colors, spending time with family and enjoying be able to reflect on all that I am grateful for. Here are a few things that I am especially grateful for:

Love all the beautiful surroundings that we get to enjoy all year round. Heavenly Father created so many beautiful things for us to enjoy while we are here on this earth.

So grateful for my wonderful family. They have always been there to lend their to love, encourage and support each other in all that we do. It is the wonderful memories of all the fun times we have shared, the miracles we have been blessed with and to know that we are an eternal family.

What a blessing it is to have married into such an amazing family as well. It was such a blessing to be all together to honor their father & grandfather - Benjamin Ben Evans this past August. They to are a great support to each other and we all love being able to be together, lend love and support to each other. I am grateful to Val and Benda and all that they do for us as a family. Their example of faith and endurance is a strength to me.

How truly grateful to my wonderful mom and dad who lived their lives truly devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have both passed on but their legacy of faith will always be a strength to me in my life. They taught me what it means to be of service to others as that how they lived their lives. I love them both and so grateful to have had them as my mom and dad. This is there wedding photo - what a beautiful couple.

What an honor and privilege to have a living prophet on earth today to guide us, to teach us and to help us know return to live with our Heavenly Father again. President Monson is truly called of God to act in His name and to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today. He also has to wonderful councilors in Elder Eyring and Elder Uchtdorf.

The blessing of the Temple are so special and I am so grateful to be able to have so many doting this great earth so that all can have the opportunity to feel of the great blessing that are given to all worthy members. This is the beautiful Bountiful Temple that I had the privilege of being sealed to my wonderful husband, Mark on November 15, 1996. So grateful to be able to attend often and be reminded of how much my Heavenly Father loves me.

Oh what can I say but that I am so blessed to have such and amazing husband. He blesses my life daily and I could not imagine my life without him. I love every minute I am with him. He works so hard to be able to provide for our needs. I love him with all my heart.

I am so grateful to live in this great country. We have so many wonderful freedoms that we are blessed with living here. I am so grateful for the the men and women who are serving in the armed forces to that I can continue to have the freedoms that we do.

Last of all I am truly grateful to a loving Savior who took upon Him all my trials, test, sins, and joys so that I might have the opportunity to return and live with Him again. He is given given us all that we have. Without Him and His atonement for each of us we would not have any of the wonderful blessing that we do. May this holiday season and always remember all the good things in our life and to remember what we are truly celebrating and that is the birth of our Savior

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH

Over the weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to be taught my two member's of the Quorum of the 70's. Elder Pearson of the 1st Quorum and Elder Curtis of the 5Th Quorum were the visiting authorities to our stake to reorganize our Stake Presidency. What a great opportunity to be able to raise our hand to sustain our New Stake Presidency that the Lord has chosen to guide our stake at this time. The spirit was so powerful as I raised my hand and I knew that these three men were called of God. We also had the amazing opportunity to sustain a living Prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson, and his counselors, Elder Henry B. Erying and Elder Dieter Uchdorf along with the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and all other senior leaders of our church. It is always and honor and privilege to lead by a prophet of God and to sustain them in their righteous endeavors.

Elder Pearson spoke on Lehi's dream and making sure that we are keeping our focus on the tree and not on other things of the world. He reminded us that the things we focus on are what we are going to get so if we want to have the Lord in our lives we need to focus on the tree. Some of the things he said we needed to be aware of that takes our focus from the tree are:
1. Do not criticize the senior leaders of the church. If we are not putting our full support, doing all that they ask of us we are not focused on the tree.
2. Are not willing to serve. Service in the church will bring many blessings and answers to our trials and concerns we are facing in our lives and we should always remember that all calls come from our Father in Heaven. Attend the temple more often. Take advantage of being in the House of the Lord and be reminded of all we need to do to endure to the end
3. Forgetting to pray and read our scriptures. We just have to do it.
4. Justifying our actions. We should avoid things such as movies, books, TV shows, music and other things that are not uplifting to us.
5. We are not forgiving others. We are to forgive all. If we do not forgive those who have done a misdeed we will not be able to focus on true repentance. We will not be happy - we do not need to carry those burdens. Forgive and we can find true peace, joy and love in our lives.

I am so grateful that I was able to be reminded of what we need to do so the we can return and live with our Eternal Father in Heaven and to be with our families for Eternity. I have made it a goal to try harder to do all that has been asked of me - to try to keep my focus on the tree so that I can draw closer to my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I know that we are lead by a true Prophet of God, President Monson. That the atonement is real and that if we use it in our lives or faith will increase and we will be more willing to do all that is asked of us. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is a guide for us. I know that God lives that He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to earth so that we can return to live with him again.

Ring in the Bells
Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

December 13, 2008

We had the wonderful opportunity to go hear the Tabernacle Choir's annual Christmas concert with Mark's mom and dad. It was a wonderful evening. Before we headed to the concert we decided to meet for dinner. We went to the Little America Coffee Shop which is always a nice meal. While Mark & I were sanding in line to be seated the most awesome thing happened. President and Sister Monson came out of the restaurant. What a wonderful experience to see the Prophet so close and to feel his love for all of us. He greeted everyone with a friendly smile and even joked with some of the people. You could see the love radiate from him for each one of us. I must say that was the best part of the whole evening. I never would think that I would ever be that close to the Prophet of the Church. He is truly a man of God sent to direct the church for our days.

The concert was a very special treat. Brian Stokes Mitchell was the featured guest singer along with Edward Hermann who read an thoughtful story about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and how the song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" came to be written. I never knew that he lost his wife to a house fire and later his son to a war injury. It was a touching story of despair and hope. It brought such a wonderful message of peace during these troubling times. It helped me to reflect on all that our Heavenly Father has given us and the peace of coming to know our Savior and his atonement can bring about joy we all are seeking for. I also enjoyed the wonderful songs that were sung by Brian Stokes Mitchel about being grateful and the joy of the Christmas Season. As always the choir is so awesome to listen to. It was a very wonderful evening and we were so glad that we were able to share this time with Mark's parents.

May we all reflect on the Birth of the Savior at this Christmas season. He is why we celebrate this beautiful time of year. We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.