A Day With Jena and Wonderwood

On the last day of their semester, I headed down to spend the day with Jena and Megan with Vicki, the director of Wonderwood. (Emily chose to go to a mission Christmas activity as she is currently also serving a Church Service mission.) I just followed them around for the day and then drove Vicki home and Jena to her dress rehearsal for her Friend to Friend performance.

We walked on campus and within five minutes two students greeted Jena by name and they exchanged hugs with her.  Both of them were volunteers with Best Buddies or Wonderwood and friends.  One joined us for a few minutes because Jena was going to do a little piano recital.  Jena has been taking piano lessons once a week in Provo with Taylor.  Jena couldn't attend their recital that he had set up because she had to be at Centerpoint for her dress rehearsal, so he made special arrangements for a room with a piano in the Wilkerson Center and we had our own recital.

On the way through downtown Provo to her apartment

I remember these mountains as they framed my college life at BYU as well.

 Jena and Megan with two of their roommates--Myan and Esther and me of course.

A view out of the Wilkerson Center--

A friend we picked up along the way who came to the piano recital...

Jena played a part of Silent Night.

Taylor, her volunteer teacher, played the "Carol of the Bells."

Our piano players---

We then headed to the library where we had a room to study on the Humanities lesson about music.   

After Humanities, we headed to the Knight Building for Math lab--another group of students who volunteer their time to prepare math studies for the three girls.  We sat in the back while the students worked away on their problems. 

Notice how they have designed practical problems using the students's names for interest.

 We then sang a few Christmas songs and said goodbye for the year.

We then headed home, packed up for the semester, and left a sweet treat for the roommates who still had finals ahead for them.  It was so great to spend the day at BYU with Jena and watch her and her friends walk confidently around the campus.  Vicki told me that on devotional days, they have a spot in the library where they will meet their peers to walk over to the devotionals together.  Vicki said sometimes there are 20 or more students in the group who want to share devotionals with Jena, Megan and Emily.  That is the beauty of a college campus for young adults with disabilities--it allows them to share some of the daily lives of other young adults.

Thanks to Wonderwood for a great day (and a great few years for Jena).  It was perfect.

Zander Turned Three

Happy to have this guy in our family!

Zander is working on talking, loves the ABCs, and thinks Grandma is great.

He also loves his quilt I made for him.  He loves his preschool class, although he will be changing to a new class since he has turned three.

Happy Birthday, buddy!

December Parties to Start Season--Work and Annual Party

Because I know you were all curious how our rain chain looked after the snow and cold weather--

Friday, December 6 was the time for my company party at Family Services and our annual Christmas Party.

--My boss, Dave, is in the Santa hat in the back.

Because our basement is being redone, for the first time ever, we had our Hall Almost Annual Adult Christmas Party at a different location--we rented a space at the Jensen Pond Park.  Our theme this year was "Leaping Lizards--it's almost Christmas 2019" and our invitation told the story of the famous lizard who comes every year to our Christmas party.  So of course, we had lizards on the Christmas tree and each of our guests got to take an ornament home after the party.

We had 90 minutes to set up which included setting up our Christmas tree but we did it just in time (and since usually I am taking my shower about 7:10) that was a win.  We had to be dressed and ready before we even left for the party location to set up.

A different type of space allowed for different types of activities and moving around.  We had Fast and Furious Christmas Games, Teletrations-Christmas version, and Rock, Paper, Scissors White Elephant gifts.

We had fun and clean up was a breeze with everyone helping carrying things out to our car and truck.

 Of course, we had to carry it all back in the house and put it away............

on top of the Thanksgiving decorations which hadn't made it downstairs yet.

We had a fun time, but both Gary and I agreed that we liked doing it at our house.  It felt less intimate and warm--more like a work or church activity. I guess one of the things we like is sharing our home with our friends and neighbors.  Maybe next year!

Here is the invitation although the clip art didn't transfer--- they were lizards.

LEAPING LIZARDS---

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT IT IS ALMOST CHRISTMAS 2019??

THAT MEANS IT IS TIME FOR—

THE RETURN OF THE LIZARD

(a Hall Family legend)

Once upon a time in a land in the East, the Halls received a very unusual white elephant gift—a flatten, very dead lizard.  The lizard had certain powers—for fertility in the ancient land of China and more importantly possession of the lizard guarantees that the possessor of said lizard an invitation to the

“Hall Almost Annual Adult Christmas Party”

the following year. It followed the Halls across the ocean to the land of Texas and then later to Utah where he has resided ever since. Each year, he makes his appearance on only one night (except for special guest appearances at elementary schools.) as a “surprise” white elephant gift at the Halls’ party.  You never know what size of package he will be in, what sound the box might make, or what sweet treat is packed with him.  Once found, he will be passed around, fought over, and eventually claimed by his new landlords who take him home for the year… Only to return the following year!

Friday, December 6, 2019

7:30-10:00 pm

At the Jensen Pond Visitor’s Center

(which is the building off the main parking lot of the park by the flag pole and pond.)

Change in location due to ongoing remodeling in our basement.

RSVP (yea or nays) to Gary and Judy Hall at

801-499-6984.

Texts or messages are fine!

Bring two wrapped white elephant gifts—funny or serious around $5 or so of value and a sweet or savory treat/dish to share.

Be there or be square! 

Don’t miss this bucket list experience!

We wish that all of you who read or will ever read this blog could have been there with us.  Do you suppose in Heaven that we can have Christmas parties??

Now and Then

In the midst of sorting and boxing, I found some photos which I had to send off to Jessica and Tosha.

Jessica:  She must have been about 18 months at this picture--

 

Carter and Alex   (they both have blue eyes although the photo looks like they have dark eyes. Carter's are exactly the same as Jessica's and Gary's --blue with green while Alex's are a bright blue.)

15 months old

Tosha:  At 10 1/2 months old

Ava

11 months old

Even simple photos bring so many memories from the past!

(Of course there are boxes of photos still to be sorted and some of them I have NO idea where they were taken and when--oh, well, a task for me in the future during my free time.)