Christmas and Mission Farewell in Snowflake

John and I spent our weekend in Snowflake, Arizona to celebrate his sister, Maryann, departing in a few weeks for her mission to Charlotte, North Carolina. We headed north after our Ward Christmas Breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and orange juice. The three-hour drive was beautiful but delayed just before Heber because of the high winds. An RV trailer had been caught in a gust and had its axle crushed, leaving the bottom and side of the RV pretty battered. Of course, it happened on both lanes of traffic, so everyone was at a stand-still for about half an hour. Luckily, no one was hurt. And it may have only happened because I had to go to the bathroom! We made it to Snowflake by 1:00 PM and were able to spend the afternoon with John's family. His sister, Jolene, had come with her husband, Ji, and son, Deven, all the way from Albuquerque. Matthew and Heather came with baby Kathryn from Mesa, but they arrived later that evening after a blizzard started to hit at the rim near Lake in the Woods. Brian and Julie live next door, and they also arrived from the valley that evening after sliding around on some slick roads. Their three kids, Chelsea, Dallin, and Nathan didn't seem to mind the roller coaster!Saturday night, we had a yummy casserole and played games. We did an early Christmas since John has to work during the holidays and we will not be able to head north.

Sunday morning, after a hot shower, we ate breakfast at Brian's house. Church started at 11:00 AM, and Maryann did a great talk on faith, humility, and missionary work. She will do a lot of good out in the mission field, no doubt! She leaves for the MTC on Wednesday, December 31st from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. She is excited and calm all at once.

John and I left Snowflake around 2:00 PM to try to beat the darkness on slick roads. Luckily, the roads were mostly dry and the ride home was uneventful. I could sit next to that man for hours and not get bored! He is wonderful! We had a nice, quiet evening home alone, just the way I like it! It was a great weekend in Snowflake, and even more fun for an early Christmas. I can hardly wait for Santa to get here!