It’s a Wonderful Life - Feeling Grateful
For the first time in 40 years President Quinn and I woke up on Christmas morning without having some of our children with us. Yet, thanks to FaceTime, we were delighted we could spend much of the morning visiting with our children and grandchildren! We also visited with our two mothers. Likewise, each of our missionaries spent the morning enjoying family. Along with our missionaries, I am grateful for the blessings of FaceTime, Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Chat, etc. I don’t want to take for granted how blessed I feel to be able to connect so well with loved ones from a far.
Booker and Maverick Quinn - Welcome to the world 12-23-24
The big news in our family is that our son Chase and his wife Maryssa had twin baby boys on December 23rd and were able to bring them home on Christmas Eve! Best Christmas gift ever! They both weigh 5lbs. 13 oz. and are perfect. Baby A is named Booker Chase Quinn and Baby B is Maverick Douglas Quinn. Mommy Maryssa is doing well. Big sister Odessa and big brother Hank each enjoy having a baby to hold and love. Babies bring so much joy to the world.
It has been a great week celebrating Christmas! President Quinn and I had the senior missionaries over on Saturday for a Christmas party and dinner. We spent some time on Monday P-day with missionaries at lunch and Christmas shopping. We had some missionaries over for Christmas Eve dinner and games. (photos below)
One of President Quinn’s and my traditions is to stay up late on Christmas Eve and make sausage soufflé ( a family favorite breakfast casserole) for Christmas morning brunch, while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It is such a great classic movie. Don’t you just love George Bailey?! That evening, right before bed, in the quiet of the night I walked around the mission home. I breathed in all the smells, sites, and lights of Christmas, I felt a surge of great love from my Heavenly Father knowing He sent His Son to bless the world and offer us all a wonderful life. I repeated to myself my gratitude for the babe of Bethlehem and thanked Him for my wonderful life!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We send our love to each of you!
Below are photos from the week:
A Christmas dinner Saturday evening with all the senior missionaries at the mission home. Photo: Quinns, Nates, Kennans, Wilsons, Whitworths,, Harmers, Sis. Schneider, Folsoms, Harkers, Lemons, and Lindemans.
P-day lunch and Christmas shopping in St. Helena with Hermanas Crandall and Ramirez and Sisters Gordon and Breshears.
Christmas Eve Nativity: Elder Judd -wiseman, Elder Hawkins - donkey, Elder Young - Joseph, Sister McMaster - Mary, Sister Gabrielson - wiseman, Sister Schneider - shepherd, Elder Chandler angel, Sister Quinn - angel. President Quinn not in photo narrator
I brought all of my children’s Christmas stockings with me on our mission.
Mission home
Mission home - notice Big Foot sitting next to the Christmas elf and teddy bear! Gift from Sister Schneider!
Mission home
Katie and Dave Anderson family from Texas - Caleb, Tyler, Mark, Grace, Luke and Lily (Caleb is wearing shorts!)
Melissa and Justin Black family from Boston (w/Justin’s parents) Andrew, Isaac, Lydia, and Matthew
Natalie and Johnny Boswell family from Bentonville, Hailey, Margo, and Clayton
Chase and Maryssa Quinn family from Texas - Odessa, Booker, Maverick, and Hank
Hannah and Ken Francis family from Texas - Sam, Elaine, and Alice
We had Christmas brunch at the Nates where Sister Freeman and Steinfeldt dropped in.
President Quinn’s brother Jeff and his wife Laurie live in Pleasant CA. We had Christmas dinner with them. Here are their children and grandchild ( minus one son and daughter-in-law) Forrest, McKay, Ruby, Grace and Brooks. We are so grateful they are close by and we can spend time together!
