Hyper-Connected Christmas Eve

A great tradition of our family is to gather at the kitchen table after Christmas Eve festivities, drink hot chocolate and talk with each other. As we did so this year, we suddenly realized that we were all connected to the Internet, interacting on Facebook, Twitter and blogs using a variety of devices – extending our Christmas Eve chatter to people far removed from our physical home. Not shown in this photo are my iPhone and the desktop computer on the kitchen desk behind me as I was taking the photo.  Just another example of how technology has changed and enriched our lives. 

With sincere apologies to Holly for a very unflattering photo!

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Merry Christmas from the Dixon Family

A Christmas Card from our family to yours. May you have a happy holiday season and wonderful new year!

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Sacred Places

Last week, after business meetings in Rochester, New York, I drove to Palmyra and visited the Palmyra Temple, the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah visitors center. Photos really don’t capture the special spirit in those sacred places, but serve as reminders of my tender feelings when I spent a few moments there.

The Palmyra Temple is located in beautiful woodland setting. This shot was taken from the west side of the temple, facing east.

The Smith family farmhouse, where Joseph lived when he experienced the first vision and where he first met Moroni, is located near the Sacred Grove.

Spending a few minutes in the Sacred Grove at dusk is a humbling, enlightening experience.

A thick carpet of multicolored leaves is a fitting covering for this sacred ground.

By the way, these photos were taken with my iPhone camera and edited with TheBestCamera iPhone application.

Wonderful Kids!

Well, it’s been too long since I’ve posted to this blog.  The best photos I found to share featured our grandkids and Holly.  Here are some of the best poses:

Olivia is really trying to crawl.  She rolls all over the place and captivates us with her big eyes.

Iris has taken her first steps and celebrated her first birthday recently.  She has a beautiful smile.

Chloe loves preschool and is always singing us the fun songs she learns.  Of course, she had to take her teacher (Granny Goose) an apple on the first day of school!

Eve keeps us all entertained with her big hugs and infectious smile.  She knows how to really touch Grandpa’s heart.

Devlin is a big six years old now, and firmly entrenched in first grade.  He loves space and science and amazes us with his reading skill and ability to remember scripture stories.

Then, we have beautiful Holly!  She is a sophomore in Mesa High School.  She keeps busy with cross country, choir, piano and good friends.  She was on the Mesa High sophomore homecoming float this week and helped serve at the dance.  She is really growing up!

So, that’s what keeps us busy and happy!  We are blessed beyond measure.

Sisters

One of the fun things of visiting Utah is seeing Claudia with her sisters, JoAnn and Diane.  They really enjoy being together.  The love they share is wonderful.

So … in three different locations, here they are!

On the Shoulders of Giants

Referring to ancestors who have gone before us, my Dad likes to say "We stand on the shoulders of giants." This summer, we paid tribute to Aunt Gwen, a giant of a woman in a little body, who blessed and enriched our lives with her humor, compassion, straightforward talk and impeccable elegance. We were able to attend her graveside funeral service at the Salt Lake City Cemetery while we were on vacation in Salt Lake City. My picture of the casket seemed so impersonal, I didn't include it here.  We'll treasure our living memories of her and anxiously await our reunion on the other side.

After the funeral, we had lunch at Gwen's ward chapel.  It was great to mingle with relatives we hadn't seen for a long time.

We caught a photo of the two remaining "Giants" in the James and Sarah Dixon family - my father Ken (with my mother Dixie) and uncle Dick (with Aunt Norma).

After the luncheon, we drove back through the cemetery and visited the spot where Great, Great Grandfather Archibald Gardner was buried, with some of his wives.  More "Giants" upon whose shoulders we stand!

Welcome Lexi!

We are pleased to announce that Alexis Paige Bartle, our ninth grandchild, arrived at 2:49 pm on Saturday, May 16, 2009. She weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 21 inches long. Her proud parents, Heidi and Garry Bartle, are delighted to add Lexi to their family of three sons. Mom and daughter are doing just fine, and Granny is thrilled to be spending the week with them in Colorado Springs.

Happy Birthday Amy!

This afternoon, we celebrated Amy Redd's birthday at our Sunday dinner - several days late, but fun just the same! The kids love to celebrate birthdays, whether by themselves or helping Amy!

What joy it is to have Amy visit! We are really grateful for the time she spends with us.

Blessed Olivia!

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Olivia's blessing. She was given a name and a sweet blessing by her father at our ward fast and testimony meeting. What a powerful spirit attended that tender ordinance! We are so grateful for the love we share and the sealing power that binds us together eternally.

Chloe and her dad share a tender moment ...

Happy Easter - A Few Weeks Late

I'm catching up on a few family photos.  The week before Easter, we had an Easter Egg hunt in our back yard.  Devlin, Eve and Chloe had a great time searching for the eggs, treats and other surprises. We had a great time watching them run around the yard in pure, unadulterated joy!

Happy Birthday Chloe!

This afternoon, family and friends gathered in our back yard to wish Chloe Happy Third Birthday!

Chloe was really excited about the party, and delighted us all with her exuberant celebration.

The cousins had a great time together, and even paused from play for an impromptu photo shoot.

Princess Chloe will be a big help to Granny by watering the flowers.

You can see more birthday party photos on Mark's Flicker page.

Baby Olivia!

Meet Olivia Dunn, #20 in the Dent-Dixon clan (MCLHGZTGDRDEIAMCOERH)! We are so delighted for her birth last Friday.

Granny is really proud ... and so grateful for the safe arriva of this little spirit from our Father in Heaven

What a wonderful thing it is that Olivia was born to faithful parents within the covenant of the sealing power. We are profoundly grateful.

You can see more photos on Mark's Flickr photo stream.

Older than Dirt

Our kids frequently remind us that we are really, really old fogies. Six years ago, to celebrate my 50th birthday, they made a video which included a few things, though they were really hard to find, that were older than Dad.

While on a business trip to Monterey, California, recently, I found a t-shirt which, once and for all, pointed out that I am indeed pretty ancient. It puts everything into perspective.

Actually, in the eternal scheme of things, this is the absolute truth. :)

Holly on Stage at Taylor

Thursday, we gathered at Taylor Jr. High to hear Holly perform with the Treble Cleffs chorus. We continue to be amazed at her musical talents.

Holly's friend Kylie isn't always this glum - but we did like the expression on Holly's face!

Happy Birthday Eve!

We celebrated Eve's birthday a few days early with pizza, crazy hats and family in Countryside Park near our home.  Eve loves to dress up, so we all wore crazy hats to help her celebrate.

We ate Little Caesar's Pizza, which seems to go hand in glove with Countryside Park.

Eve had great fun opening her presents. She received lots of new clothes, new hats and dress-up costumes, which she loved.

All the new headgear had to have a turn!

Devlin was close at hand to help Eve whenever she needed it.

It's time to go ... all dressed up in a new swim suit, complete with gold lame sandals, new water bottle, cabbage patch doll, sun glasses and the old standby Nemo hat!

Happy Birthday, Eve!