Each year for the past 28 years, we have spent Black Friday in Morgan, Utah decorating my mother-in-law, Eileen’s. home for Christmas. It’s my favorite weekend of the year! This year Steph and her family joined us, and we had so much fun! It was the Johnson year for Thanksgiving and so we packed our bags to travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house in Morgan, to stay from Thursday to Saturday.

Ron and Steph’s husband, Tyler, were in charge of the outside of the house.

This includes the lights around the edge of the roof, two large wreaths on each side of the garage, five trees on the front porch, lights in her tall skinny pine tree in front, and an evergreen garland draped on her back porch with big red bows.

The inside of the house is up to the women and girls.

The tree and its lights are of special significance. We got them from Modern Display in Salt Lake City for Eileen, the Christmas after John passed away. John LOVED Christmas!!!! I always imagine him sitting on the couch, with a big smile on his face, watching us decorate just like he did when he was still with us - I believe he still is! Each family cross-stitched a tiny Christmas stocking ornament that includes the names of each couple and each grandchild. There are over 40 strands of Silvestri lights on this eight foot tree. And EACH year for the past 28 years the lights on this tree have lit up! As I kneel on the floor to plug the lights in, I say “the light prayer”, and ask that John can be there with us, and bless the lights to all work! Yes, we’ve replaced a few bulbs, and this year we did have to zap one strand of lights with the fabulous “Light Keeper Pro Repair Gun”. (If you don’t have one of these, it is a MUST!!! We have never had a strand of lights it hasn’t fixed quickly and easily! There is one for incandescent lights, and one for LED lights. We have one of each.) But we have not had to replace one strand of lights! This has to be some kind of Guinness Book of World Records for Christmas tree lights!

Eileen is simple in all that she does, and so she only likes plain clear lights that don’t blink or move. She likes them to just be steady and bright – just like her!

This year she shared with us her favorite Primary song from Church. It came out of a very old Primary song book. She played it for us on the piano, and at almost 94 years old, she can still play the piano, even with macular degeneration in both eyes! The first verse goes like this:

Be happy sings the little bird,

On boughs beneath the blue;

Be happy, happy all day long,

And others will be too.

Eileen wanted us to know that she repeats this verse every day to herself, and that we should too. We have so much to be happy about and know that we are blessed! She was born with rose-colored-glasses, and always looks at the positive happy things in life. Even though she has been a widow for 28 years, she is happy EVERY day!!!

We had so much fun decorating, eating her homemade pies – some prefer lemon meringue, some prefer apple, and some prefer pumpkin – but they are all delicious! She made eight pies for Thanksgiving, and then hosted Ron, me, and Steph’s family as well. When we were done decorating, we popped endless bags of popcorn, watched Hallmark Christmas movies, made s’mores out on the back patio, and loved every second of unplugging and being together.

Black Friday for so many is a busy day of shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Black Friday for us, is slowing down, running to Ridley’s – the local grocery store - at 11:00 P.M. for more snacks, eating yummy home-made food on real plates using real utensils, and being together as a family. What a blessing it is to be able to do this every year!!! It truly is The Most Wonderful Day of the Year! As December begins, look for ways to SHARE your LIGHT, every day! If you’re looking for ideas and ways to serve go to – www.LightTheWorld.org There’s a daily calendar for families as well as one for children and youth with ideas on how to serve and Light The World!!!

Love Ya, Les ☺

Family