Pictures from Christmas

Hi Nathan,
We went to Montana for Christmas. It was very cold. The opposite of the DR. Here are some pictures.
Aly, Mom Margie, and JohnJohn and Renee HowlettJohn, Renee, John, Aly, Stephen, and Sonya
Stephen, Sonya, Grandma Toots (she's 98 and doing great) Aly, and John
Aly got John a gun for Christmas. He's going to shoot his eye out.
Aly and John
This dog tried to eat me. I ran away. It slobbered on me. Sonya (John's sister), John, and Grandpa Clint making salami.
Aly and Sonya doing dishes.
We made lots of salami.
John making banana bread for everyone. His grandma and aunt said he was an amateur until they saw the finished product (hee hee).
John and BonesJohn and Bones. Bones was very big!
Stephen and Bones. Stephen is from Ghana. He loves to say American sayings like, "You betcha, big-old . . something, and love handles." He does a lot of humanitarian work in Ghana.
John and Bones
Aly and Bones (these pictures are in reverse order). I have about 4 coats on and three pairs of socks.
John and Grandpa Clint making salami. We made 200 pounds!Aly, John, and Grandpa Clint
Mom Renee and Sable the dog
John's dad (also John) and Grandpa Clint making salami.
They mixed deer, pork, and beef.

More pictures of Ryan's Girlfriend- what a cutie!

Wow. I made it on the blog somehow. It sure was great to hear your voice on Christmas Day. You sound like a really great missionary. glad to hear that you are so skinny. We know that the dominican Republic is the place for you.
Now that christmas is over, we are going to have a big gettogether tomorrow night to exchange presents. I am sure that everyone will like the present from mom and me. Quiet, don't tell anyone. Love and Kisses, DAD

Ryan has a girlfriend, Ryan has a girlfriend, Ryan has a girlfriend.

This is my besterest Christmas present ever ever ever ever! (Mary) Rachel Harmon is from American Fork and likes yams. William says "I yam what I yam and I can't be anything besides what I yam."
We met through a mutual friend at the Orem Institute (remember when we ran around campus trying to give out pies?) Yeh. I was kickin' it with my buddy when she came and pretty soon I realized he was her buddy too. Rachel was looking mmmmmm good practicin' sign language with her friend Kim (a.k.a Tygwa). I don't know much sign but she thought I did (mmmkay?). She actually thought I was deaf, how'd I swing that one? When she eventually figured I wasn't , she concluded that I was pretty funny trying to flirt in ASL.
So our buddy set us up, but we were impatient and went to an RM/dinner/dance on Bonnie's birthday before he could say anything about it. Hehh-hehh. Yeh, she just conviently happened to be at the institute that afternoon and my date just conviently happened to cancel with me that morning. Rachel missed two choir performances that night to go out with me (Hehh-Hehh, sucker.)
So after failing a dance move miserably (and I mean mis-era-bl-y), I fell with her on the dance floor and we laughed our heads off about it.
I asked her to play ping-pong the following Wednesday, which turned out to be a date; she helped me study, went to a study group with me, and even waited outside the testing center for two hours while I took my final. That's when I knew it was true love. Hehh-hehh. On our way back I asked her if her hand was cold ;). Sly, debonair man that I am!

Snow Day!

We got so much snow. We are in charge of shoveling for our complex. John has shoveled for many hours today and yesterday. It is still snowing! We will have a white Christmas! Love, Aly and John

Nate, its Christmas time. The kids cant wait for santa to come, ender loves throwing ornaments off the tree. Zeb and I put up lights at my house.

Is this thing on?

Merry Christmas even though it's not quite yet!

Christmas is coming!

Hi Nathan,

We are getting excited for Christmas. We had our ward Christmas party yesterday. John got a big blister from peeling 100 pounds of potatoes, and I made gravy for one and one half hours. There were lots of potatoes and gravy!!! We had 6 turkeys and 4 hams. There were lots of full and happy people at the end. We are tired today from so much cooking and cleaning.

I was thinking today about the difference between power and influence. Missionaries have a lot of influence on those that they teach. Even if they are not converted, they are still influenced for the better. Today in Sunday School we talked about Daniel interpreting the King NebuchadnezzarÂ’s dream about the stone cut without hands that will become a mountain and cover the whole earth. Daniel says that it is certain and sure. I like those two words--certain and sure.

Love, Aly and John

Potato peels from so many potatoes
Christmas cookies















Buying all the turkeys and hams















Peel faster!















We tried out the camera setting that adjusted for background light.
Turned out pretty good.















John will make one of these for you when you get home.

I'm on the blog! I'm on the blog! Sometines I cannot do this , adn sometimes I can.
Big changes at the MTC. I am now the first counselor. That means that I can counsel first. The new second counselor is Brother Rolfe from Salem, Utah.
Our talks in sacrament meeting were on charity. Kara and Mike came to the MTC sacrament meeting. Before the meeting , all three of us ate at the MTC.
We had a good Thanksgiving. Everyone told about what they were thankful for. Of course, we were all thankful for our missionary.
It has been nice here, but the report is, that it will get cold this week.
News flash: mom has the flu. She had strep throat first and now she has the flu. We need to get her better so that we can get her training for another triathlon. Go, Anne, go. Mike and I gave mom a blessing. We pray that it will help her.
We love our MTC missionaries, but we love our own, personal missionary the best.
Thank you for all that you do to bring the gospel of peace and joy to so many. Have you done any welding there? Love and Kisses, DAD

Thanksgiving!!!

Aunt Katie, Bonnie, and Matt playing games.Sarah talking to mom in her baby talk. She is telling mom that she is getting two new teeth.
Boggle game for Nathan.
Sarah is telling mom that she spilled water on herself.
Annalee and Trieste. Annalee and Wes are remodeling their house.

Bonnie, Matt, and Kara doing dishes.
Boggle time.
Ok turkey, I'm going to move my mouth like this. If you get in the way, it's your own fault!
William is waiting for his hanging out partner.
Mom was not felling well. We went and bought Thera Flu so she could sleep.
Katie, Ryan, Kara, Richard, and Bonnie playing games.
There were lots of ads to look at.
The turkey is baking in the oven.
Mike and Matt are hanging out.
Games