Christmas 2012 in Arizona

Thanks to all our friends and family for the generous support during 2012.  As we near the holiday season, we realize how blessed we are to be surrounded by so much love and kindness. You are appreciated.

This has been a year of learning and growing.  The Spirit of the Lord has blessed us with more faith.

Nov 2011 -  Lenn's trip to Vegas with Mitch to see the new bridge.  Mitch negotiates a bungee jump with the owners of Circus Circus.  We have a memorable mom and son time of fun and food.  Mitch takes home stuffed animals by playing "chicken flickin"on the Circus Circus midway. The video is hilarious. 

Dec 2011 - Lenn spends nine days with Summer in Denver, helping to re-organize a payment plan for Summer's house.  Summer steps up and takes the Dave Ramsey Financial Freedom course to change spending habits to saving habits. A good winter visit together and some quality mom and daughter time at a woman's holiday party.  Summer is struggling but is determined to manage, despite the poor economy. Trish and Charles have a holiday wedding and we wish them much happiness.

Bob, Lenn, Chuck, Evalyn, Patrick, Sheri, Michelle and Joyce all enjoy an AZ family Christmas dinner together.

Jan - 12th anniversary / holiday open house party. We so enjoy celebrating the beginning of a new year with friends and loved ones.  We are happy to be back in AZ to enjoy the mild winters and familar smiles. However we still had a fire in the firepit ...just to enjoy the 40 degree chill.  Sweet other-mother Robin goes to Denver to be with Summer and offer encouragement. Her love and support much appreciated.

Michelle's good friends, Carla and Treavor Wirth,  come to visit for three days.  Neighbors, Ken and Fran join us and we all go to Glendale Glitter and hot air baloon glow.  Quite a spectacular holiday event.

We celebrate Patrick's 38th birthday with him and Sheri at their favorite restaurant, Out Back, and have a tiny "no sugar added" cake to share.  Patrick is still thinking of ideas and screenplays for future movies.

Feb - Tyson has completed truck driving school training and is grateful for a job after a long dry spell.  He must drive long-haul with anothr driver, but his goal is to have a job that allows him to be home more.

Big boy Jacob's 4th birthday and G'ma Lenn arrives in KY 2.27, so we celebrate then instead of 2/25. He is a happy boy and loves to play and learn.  While in KY the entire Morris family and G'ma assemble nameplates for a MTS contract Mitch has with a military base in San Antonio.  Also, Evan and I go out to shop for jeans in tornado weather!! We get to have lunch with Uncle Frank and Lee, then, I take him to his YW/YM event, volly ball in the dark!  Julie played a lovely piece on the piano which was like a heavenly concert.  Of course, Mark and I played soldiers and chess. Caylyn was super busy as usual and has band practice until late...but still finds time to date.

March - Lenn travels to Denver for a beautiful and precious five day trip to be with Summer. The ladies celebrate with massages, a lovely dinner at a fine hotel with Tom Schoppet and his date, Sara.  Summer invites a few friends, Kelly, Michael and Bonnie over for a birthday dinner on March 6th.  She is celebrating birthday #36, but looks so much younger.  We take pictures and have her favorite, carrott cake ('cause it's a vegetable!)  Summer is struggling financially and is attending recovery meetings to deal with addictions that keep her from realizing her dreams and goals.  Always positive, Summer signs up for court reporting classes to, hopefully, suplement her income during the real estate slump.  The time with her is a treasure for eternity.

April - Overwhelmed by life, our precious Summer has a terrible accident and dies April 6, 2012.  Our hearts will never be the same. Friends and family gather to console...faith is tested and we can only hope that it was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father to take her to a place of peace she so richly deserves. Mitch travels to CO from KY and helps beyond measure. We celebrate Summer's life at a memorial 4/14 in Phoenix, where friends and family share stories and pictures of this beautiful and brave young woman. Robin, Kristi, Holly, Michelle, Carrie and many others prepare food, flowers and guest books for the 60+ people who love Summer. Summer's special friend, Isa, comes to Phoenix from Florida for her "send-off".  Patrick, Sheri and Ty kept spirits light, sharing fun stories with old friends.  On April 16, Verletta and I spend special time with Summer and then the family participates in a church memorial with beautiful music provided by Steve Coffin.  Tyson gives an especially tender talk and reminds us...families are forever, Summer is sealed to us for time and eternity and will be in heaven to greet us. Summer is lain to rest in the Mesa City Cemetary and Michelle plays Summer's requested music.  Bob, Mitch, Frank, and Lane are especially supportive. On April 23, we have another memorial service at Summer's church, Thorncreek Christian, and many CO friends attend.  Bob puts together a powerpoint to celebrate Summer's life in pictures. Shawn and Jessica Christensen, Tom Schoppet, Tony Silva and his girlfriend, Mariah, were very supportive.  Toni Wilkinson, Summer's roommate when they were flight attendants, generously came all the way from Lexington, KY and was a "sister/daughter" strength in helping with the Denver memorial.  Little Hannah and her dad, Josh, say a sweet and full-of-love good-bye to Summer.  We are all truly glad for the 36 years of Summer's smile and full-of-life memories.  Her brother, Patrick, is maintaining her memorial website at www.summerchandler.com where you can still add comments. Every day is a gift.  Be sure and tell loved ones often how much they mean to you.

May - Grieving is a process...and life goes on with God's help to heal.  Lenn travels to El Paso to spend Mother's day with Mollie.  They have both lost daughters so there is a special kinship.  Shawn and Elora are excited about moving into a new home and there is a fun Mother's Day cook out at Angela's house with Doug, Garrison and Shawn at the grill.  Mollie adores Doug's mom, Ann.  There are sweet and constant phone calls to Lenn from all the kiddos, all day long, to give "air" hugs and express much love, which is soaked up and appreciated.  Bob celebrates by joining Michelle, Evalyn and Chuck for dinner at Blue Adobe.  A good day for all!

Kristi and Ted Kupchik are married 5/18 at a family ceremony on a CA beach, and then have a huge Phoenix reception 5/26.  Kristi is a stunning bride and Holly a beautiful brides maid.  Robin and Vince host a lovely outside dinner and the event is a great beginning for the new couple. May they live happily ever after!

Memorial Day, Patrick and Lenn go to the cemetary to re-decorate Summer's grave with a shiny red/white/blue heart and then spend some time together in the old Mesa neighborhood. We share stories about relatives and honor their memories and gifts of encouragement their lives provide to the living. We honor Bob, Grandfather Huff and all veterans that sacrificed for our freedoms. Chris and Jennifer come visit a few days before going to see family in AZ City and before Heather gives birth to cute Hunter in June.

June - Evan joins us in Phoenix for a week+ visit and is willing to be proxy and baptized for brother, Ray, who died 5/23/11. Evan takes this priesthood ordinance seriously and we feel the spirit as he is baptized for his uncle Ray and then graciously is baptized for 5 or 6 other people while in the Mesa Temple.

We so enjoy Evan being around the old folks to cheer them.  GrandBob takes us on a fun trip to the Grand Canyon for a "fancy" lunch at El Tovar, and see native american dancers; a stop at Camp Verde Fort, an interesting evening at the Lowell museum to view Venus through a telescope...oh yes...and listen to the Big Willie Om-pa-pa Band....Evan's favorite (not)! Back in Phoenix to the Science museum, spend 5 hours at Bass Pro where Evan scales a wall and considers buying a Civil War repleca gun.  Michelle treats him to swimming pool time at her place and we even go to the water park.  Evan sweet talks G'ma into going down the waterslides together!  G'ma's spine and neck will never be the same...but what an awesome memory!

July - 7/1/12 Lenn celebrated 40 years of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It was a life changing event that has blessed Lenn and the family with happiness and purpose.

Bob goes to El Paso to celebrate Mollie/Mom's 89th birthday 7/4.  What a good son...and his reward is and playing golf with Doug at the Rio Ruidoso Country Club (sweeeeet), while Angela nursed a hand infection (saddddd).  In Phx, Michelle and Lenn celebrated 7/4 with dinner, a movie and 3 verses of Janis Joplin song "O Lord Won't You Buy Me A Color TV".  Truly an accapella red-neck prayer.

Good friend, Steve Coffin, serves as proxy 7/12 to do Ray's endowment.  Steve and Lenn were proxy for Ray's parents, and performed the sealing ordinance for Ray to be joined for time and all eternity with his family.  Steve, Barbara and Lenn go to lunch afterward and celebrate getting this important work done.  Good friends are a blessing and it's great to build memories that deepen that friendship.

Aug - Lots of Leo birthdays....Mitch Morris 8/7, Kristi Kupchik 8/9, Bob 8/15, Lenn 8/20, Trish (Robertson) 8/25 and Evan Morris 8/31. Frank and Constance give the perfect gift....a Blue Adobe certificate. Bob and Lenn are treated to a long (cool) weekend at Doug's place in Rio Ruidoso NM. Angela and Lenn shop while the guys play golf....it works!  Several deer come close to the house to be fed.  The last night we visit the Inn of the Mountain Gods....amazing resort on a lake.  Very beautiful at sunset.

Lenn travels to Long Beach, CA to visit Tyson and he arranges for a comfortable hotel room at the Aires. He is having a yard sale to try and make more room in his studio apartment. The sale goes well...except Lenn (Ty's "sherpa" for the day) keeps wandering off to look at other yard sales.  There are interesting political discussions over meals. Ty is really an excellent economist and would excel in a job of that type. Ty's ward members love him and are glad to see him on the Sundays he is not on the road.

August 31, 2012 Bob officially retires and it's Evans 13th birthday....reasons to celebrate.  Barbara and Steve Coffin invite us to dinner....cherished friends.

Sept - Official retirement family brunch for Bob at Blue Adobe....a new beginning of more golf and possibly helping Mitch with his Military Training Support business and the new Young's Bridge Adventure in Kentucky.  Bob has served his family and his country well and now has the time to enjoy every day just the way he wants....about time! Wishes for a long and fun retirement, sprinkled with interesting adventure.

Lenn spends 10 days in Sedona taking care of puppies while Bonnie and Barry look for a new home in IA.  Tony and Mariah bring Summer's puppies, Gracie and Reggie, to live in AZ.  Lenn sorts Summer's photos for a memory book. Bob and Lenn go to KY 9/26 for Mark Arron's baptism by his Dad.  Lenn, brother Frank and Evan go on a road trip to OH to see Aunt Aline while Bob and Mitch golf. Jacob gets a new tricycle and Bethany introduces her fiance, Rick, to the family.  They plan a Feb. 14, 2013 wedding.

Oct - An awesome 14 day Celebrity Infinity cruise for Bob and Lenn from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Guatemala, Costa Rica, through the Panama Canal to Colon, then to Cartagena Columbia and finally dock at Ft Lauderdale, FL.  Spent two days in FL visiting Bob's NY friend, Tom Nedlinger and Jean Saxton, Sandee Mitchell and family.  A surprise trip to the ER....but all turns out well for Sandee and we have a lovely visit.

Nov - Mark and Jacob participate in their first primary program.  Mitch finalizes the exciting purchase of Young's Bridge.  Michelle returns to school to work on her masters and is working with a real estate company developing charter schools.  She graciously hosts Thanksgiving for the family at her new home in Mesa.  Ty is fortunate to be in Phoenix for the Thanksgiving holiday, so he joins us with Patrick, Sheri, Evalyn and Chuck for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner together.  Lenn attends the Mesa Temple each week and is reuniting with friends from the Gilbert days....Bill and Susan Wilde, Tammy Van Cleve, Julie Dunn and Carolyn Dey.  She also learns from her church calling, teaching the 4th Sunday RS class.

Dec - Many holiday cards are sent to soldiers with love and appreciation.  Handsome brother Frank celebrates birthday 56 and Aunt Aline celebrated birthday 89 in Nov. Bob and Lenn host Christmas Day dinner and family comes together again for a feast and reunion in gratitude.  Shawn and Elora announce their engagement.  Laurie, Angela and Doug travel from Texas to attend the open house party Dec 29th.  What fun to have them in AZ and, yes, Bob is still romantic and brings red roses.  Bob and Lenn celebrate wedding anniversary 13 at the Ranch House, Lake Montezuma AZ and welcome 2013.

We are grateful for all the blessings God has given this family and close this year in peace.