This week we had the Collinses to visit:  Sean, Kristin, Stephanie and Vince, and Rachael and Scott.  We had almost 5 days with them and the Barneys came over sometimes to make it a really fun family time together.  Sarah and Scott played and played in the treehouse and did lots of fun things there Wednesday evening and Thursday during the day.  Thanksgiving Day was slow and easy and fun to just hang out together and watch the kids play.  They played a tic tac toe game over and over with lots of exciting competition.

Friday we went to NASA and saw moon rocks and the lunar lander and some of the many other artifacts from the space exploration era.  We also learned that the exploration of Mars is still ongoing and they are continuing to learn lots of new things with their little rover that is traveling around there.   Do you know why the planet is red?  I have always wondered that and they said it's because the surface is mostly rusted iron dust.   There is water actually flowing in one place and there is evidence of the elements that are necessary for life.

Saturday was Kristin's birthday and all us girls went to get our nails done.  Kristin and Lara and I got pedicures and Rachael and Stephanie got their fingernails done.

In the afternoon Kristin and Sean and the young ones went to see a friend of theirs play football in the rain and Stephanie and Vince and Dad and I went to see Mockingjay 2.  Stephanie hadn't seen any of them so she and Vince had spent hours seeing all the previous movies so she would be ready to see this last one.  We all loved it.  Dad and I had seen it earlier and we were happy to see it again.

In the evening we all met up in the Woodlands (which is between where they went to see the game and where we live) to have dinner together for Kristin's birthday.  It was a really nice Italian restaurant and it was nice to be together.  

Today we went to church and then had lunch at 230 or so before the Collinses had to leave to go home.  Dad was finally able to give his lesson and do the 3rd hour presentation that he had been worrying over for weeks.  He finally was done with it and able to relax.  It was about the Just Serve program that is getting started in most areas.  It's always nice to finish up something like that.

Life is good for us.  We are grateful for so many things:  family, the gospel in our lives and how it gives us peace and joy and faith in the future.  The church as a platform from which to serve in different areas and grow in abilities and friendships.  We are so grateful for health with so many around us the same age failing.  We are happy here with things to do that are useful to others.  We are so very grateful for everything in our lives.