Happy Birthday, Sam! / Tree of Life

 

Sam is 35 years young today. We love our beautiful wife and mother!

Blowing out the candle in her bean cake.

Yesterday we visited what Sam and the kids like to call the "Tree of Life," a tree near our home decorated to honor children who battle cancer. The tree is actually called the "Tree of Hope."

Diana likes to see us kiss, and she encourages it. Penny does not like to see us kiss, and she tries to stop us from doing so. She frequently says "it's disgusting!" 

Penny and Diana

Diana

"Hands on hips, smiles on lips" (Diana dancing); Soren goes on a mission!

 

I'm starting this blog post with these two photos in order for you to understand why Diana seems to be doing a lot of "pecking" in the videos below. This is one of the positions they practice to help them have good posture. They hold out their arms as if they are holding a large bowl of popcorn. Because she had an audience directly in front of her, Diana took it one step further and pretended to eat the popcorn.

In this one, the girls were supposed to be perfectly still before and after their turn. Diana decided to continue "eating her popcorn" after her turn, which was clearly shocking to the girl to Diana's left. 😁

Diana with her dance class on the last day of dance for 2023.

My nephew, Soren Agle, began his Church missionary service last week. Joseph (my brother) and my parents had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Soren before he entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo. Soren is my parents' first grandchild to serve a mission. He will spend the next two years of his life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Johannesburg, South Africa mission.

"Mary, did you know?" (Douglas's piano recital); Diana's dance performance; Fox Pointe Ward Christmas party; Grandpa studying scriptures with Granny

Despite fracturing his finger not too long ago, Douglas was able to heal, practice hard, and play well during the piano recital today.

Douglas (middle-left with the Santa hat) with the other performers.

Here is Diana ready for her dance performance, which took place Monday night at Weber State University.

We are waiting for the official DVD of the dance, but in the meantime, here is a video of one of their practice sessions. Diana is front and center.

Sam and the kids with the Grinch at our ward Christmas party last week.

I'm including this photo for posterity. Here is my loving, faithful father at the side of my mother's bed studying the Come, Follow Me lesson with her.

Thanksgiving

 Sam and the kids spent Thanksgiving Day with Sam's family in Cache Valley. The day after, Sam took the kids to Provo to play with my family.

Penny and Diana helping Granny make cookies.

Diana, Penny, Douglas, Denali, Maxwell (behind Denali), Gideon

Joseph and Dad preparing to fill their bellies.

Sam and Penny

Sam serving up the Nielson's Frozen Custard.

This is the usual diet of Joseph and Mudda, but not for Thanksgiving! They splurged a bit.

Playing Rook: Ari, Bella (Ari's girlfriend), and Dad with the "I'm gonna win" look on his face.

Douglas, Sara, Maxwell

Getting ready to bid: Joseph, Ari, Bella

Sara brought crafts for the kids.

Diana, Penny, Denali

Penny and Diana with the Christmas tree ornaments they made.

Diana, Penny, and Douglas made turkeys with the pinecones they gathered while we were in California.

Sam, Taylor, and kids at the Orem Temple; Douglas at the Pinewood Derby

 

Sam and Taylor visited the Orem Temple open house with the kids.

Douglas getting ready to race his Pinewood Derby car.

Beard, Douglas's fractured finger, Veterans Day, kids at the Payson Temple

 

I let my beard grow out a bit.

Douglas fractured his finger playing football outside.

Veterans Day papers from the kids.

Douglas, Penny, and Diana at the Payson Temple for the wedding of one of Sam's cousins (Josh Coombs).