Christmas in Kingwood

 This year we were able to buy a little tree at Big Lots and even decorate it for our apartment! 

 The Kingwood Stake has a big production each year with their Nativity Displays. It really is quite remarkable and the larger community is invited and they come!

 Here are some of our missionaries who help with the whole project.  Everyone has the opportunity to dress up and have their picture taken in a Nativity Scene.

 Theses Elders are processing the pictures on dics that are a gift to the guests.

 Mission Christmas Conferences are a big part of December. 

 The only time when all of the missionaries come together.  It is a special time.. 

 They are always very excited to receive their Christmas packages from home!

 Here is the beautiful Nativity Scene at the Houston Temple.

  No snow here!  Just beautiful flowers!

 Hal and I tried on some of the cowboy hats that we found to give our family for Christmas!

 We we also invited to attend the Houston Mission Christmas Conference!

Always a treat to be with President and Sister Pingree!

 

 Something we have just love here in Kingwood is riding our bikes in the evening to see the beautiful way they decorate their homes for Christmas!

 

 

Nativities are everywhere!  Here some pictures of just a few of them.

 Christmas Eve was a very quiet one.  We had dinner for four at the Mission Home with President and Sister Crawford.

Christmas morning we opened gifts that had been sent to us from our wonderful family!

We gratefully acknowledge our greatest gift, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are very thankful to be in full time service for Him at this time of our lives.

Home Hoping for a Baby!

I came home the first of December hoping to have a new grandbaby to hold.

Savanna, however, had other plans.

 Finally on December 6th it was time.  Jessie was very excited! 

 We were overjoyed with a beautiful and healthy baby girl, Savanna Tolman.

 

 She was finally here and she was worth the wait!

Hal flew in for a few days to meet Savanna.

 Hal and Savanna enjoyed a quick nap together.

Sunday was the only day we had to spend with Savanna at home.

Sunday evening our family gathered at the Spafford's so we could wish them

 all a very Merry Christmas.  It was wonderful to see everyone!

Monday morning I was able to give Savanna her first bath before

it was time to go back to the mission field.  It was a tender goodbye

but we felt an undeniable peace in our hearts that our family was

being watched over by our Heavenly Father.  It is our time to be

missionaries in Houston, Texas and it was time to get back to work!



We are Thankful to be Missionaries in Texas!

We love our missionary calendar that our family made for us.

It is filled with sweet messages each month that we love to read.

Rachel sent us some Fall leaves from Utah.  We don't have any here yet.

For the most part Texas is conservative, Republican and fans

of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.  Everywhere we go people talk

with us about Mitt Romney.  These signs and much bigger ones are everywhere!

 

We had the opportunity to go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana with some

members of the Kingwood 3rd Ward, Ken and Pam Wilkinson.  They lived there

for many years and wanted to show us around. 

 Hal was excited to visit the LSU Campus.

 

We had the opportunity to visit the Baton Rouge Temple.  It is a beautiful,

small Temple right across the street from their Stake Center.  What a

thrill to come out of Church each Sunday and see the Temple!

 

 

 We just love the beautiful moss that hangs from so many trees in

Texas and Louisiana.  We just don't have anything like this in Utah.

 Wherever we are there seems to be benches

to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

 Hal with Ken and Pam Wilkinson in front of a branch

of a 600 year old Oak Tree!  Wishing we had a camera that

could capture the whole tree.  It was truly amazing!

 Pretty Thanksgiving decorations at the Houmas House in Baton Rouge.

 The Houmas House was a beautiful Plantation with a Mansion

 that was built in 1828. It survived the Civil War! 

It is located right on the Mississippi River.

 For old times sake, Hal tried on a old football leather helmet that was

a little small for his head!

 Citris Trees are everywhere and this beautiful Lemon Tree had a great harvest!

They were delicious!

Texas is Beautiful in October!

The architecture in Texas is really beautiful and they love to decorate for

all of the holidays, including Halloween.

 Here are some of the beautiful and faithful sisters that we have in the
 Houston East Mission.

 We all love Sister's Conference! 

 It's a great time to be together!

 We love these wonderful women!

 They are well taught and loved by President and Sister Crawford!

 A little take home treat to keep them going strong!
 

We helped to prepare and present a Family History Booth in Jennings, Louisiana.

It turned out to be a great experience, very positive results! 

 The booth was right in front of a great old store that has been

preserved since the early 1900's.

 We loved seeing all of the antique items!  The owner's walked away
and it was kept just the way they left it.  Luckily it has been cleaned
and kept up but it was certainly a walk back in time.