I was in charge of hannah's school party, so I did the theme "The Grinch meets the polar express" I made up a poem based on the orginal Grinch Poem, the kids sat in a "Train" of chairs and listened to my brother in laws voice on Cd has he read it. Then another group played "Pin the heart on the grinch" the other group of rotation tied blankets and collected hats for the less fortunate & cancer patients. I had a picture of the little poor boy on The Polar Express in this group. We had a hot chocloate bar, frosted cookies, and played pass the bucket around to the "polar express " Soundtrack and when it stopped you got to keep a present. All in all, I think the kids had fun!

Here is the poem if anyone wants to use it:


The Grinch Meets the Polar Express
Every Who Down in Whoville Liked helping The Polar Express a lot…
But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!
The Grinch hated Beleiving in helping others for the whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes,
He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown,
At the warm lighted Train below, coming into town.
For he knew every Who down in Whoville below,
Was busy now, waiting for the train whistle to blow.
“And they’re Helping others!” he snarled with a sneer,
“Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop The Polar Express from coming!”
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Who children that believe in helping others,
would bring smiles to all they helped , from Parents, to Sisters & Brothers!
And then! O’ The noise of the train steaming around
going in circles round and round.
That’s one thing he hated! The NOISE!
NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the Whos would get their hot chocolate ready to drink.
And they’d ring their bells close to hear them tink!
And the more the Grinch thought of this whole helping out,
He wanted to pull his hair out and Shout!
“Why, for Many years I’ve put up with it now!”
“I MUST stop this Helping Train from coming! But HOW?”
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” The Grinch laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick conductor hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “What a great Grinchy trick!”
“Now, I just need a ticket punch that can entered town.
Whos were all waiting, he thought with a frown.
He hopped onto to the train as the breaks hissed,
And he opened the doors with his hole punch in his fist.

“ALL ABOARD” he said for a moment or two.
Then he stuck his tongue out as the children came through.
He saw the children holding giving blankets & hats in a row.
“These Blankets & hats,” he grinned, “are the first things to go!”
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
He sat the children on the train as they handed him their giving presents!
He grabbed the hats that were to help others feel happy
And as he took the warm blankets, He thought “O This is so sappy!”
And he stuffed them in bags in the back of the caboose,
“And NOW, I will hide them back at my home” He said with a boost!
And the Grinch grabbed the bags, and he started to shove,
When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove.
He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who!
A Little Who Boy, that was older than two.
The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who Child,
So he preteneded to be the conductor and smiled.
The boy stared at the Grinch and said, “O conductor, why,”
“Why are you taking our Helping Bags? WHY?”
But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick,
He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick!
“Why, my sweet little tot,” the fake conductor lied,
“I found some blankets that weren’t done being tied.”
“So I’m taking the bags to the back of the train my dear.”
“I’ll fix the blankets down there. Then I’ll bring it back here.”
And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted his head,
He got him a drink & told him to sit in the seat that was red.
And when the boy went to the seat holding his cup,
The Grinch grabbed the bag and lifted it up!
Then the last thing he took was all the hot chocolate!
Then he jumped off the train as fast as a rocket.
He ran Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He carried the load to the tiptop to dump it!
“PoohWooh to the Whos!” he was grinchishly humming.
“They’re finding out now that no helping others is coming!”
“They’re just Figuring it out, their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry BooHoo!”
“That’s a noise,” grinned the Grinch, “That I simply MUST hear!”
So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Were ringing their believing bells! Without any presents at all!
He HADN’T stopped Beleiving in helping others from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!”
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
And what happened then? Well…in Whoville they say,
That the Grinch’s small heart Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,
And he brought back the Helping blankets and hats!
He said he was sorry & started to help real fast
So now you see, we have a lot to do
So let’s start believing in helping other whos
For Some go without and some are freezing cold
And others just need loving hands to just hold
So here is a bell to ring when the time is just right
To remember all those you can give a helping hand in tonight
...

For thanksgiving, we went down to St. George to stay with Trent's Dad. We went a little bit earlier than the rest of the family. It was good to talk to bill, and have family down there. It's amazing how much family can help the mourning process and bring strength and warmth. I love ALL of his brothers and sisters & their spouses. I know at times I have been shy or flat off the deep end... but deep down I am SO grateful that I married into the Coe's. I will spare all the details, but needless to say it was still comforting to feel Martha's love and memory all around. I know without a doubt she is watching over us and my testimony of the gospel has expanded with it. I decided to play with my kids like Martha did, and all I can say is that woman had a lot of patience~! I tried keeping the kids busy with little pictures to color and making cookies & a try at pie. My lovely sister in law took these pictures at Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you!

For Christmas Party at the Coes, we met at Kim's house and exchanged kid gifts. Then the siblings handed out little handouts they made if they had any. (I love the simplicity of it) This year we went to temple square to hand out notes that said something along the lines of " Just to let you know someone is thinking of you today" We got the service idea out of the book that has become a help to us, and something that martha read before she passed, "The Message" Austin gave some out, including to a skater kid standing by himself. I think this one touched me the most. While we walked away he just stood there looking at the note. Then Austin gave one to a bunch of teenage girls who thought it was the cutest thing ever. Then he gave one to an old man with a funny hat, and he chuckled as did his wife. Hannah gave one to a "grandma" . I loved the idea and hope to continue the tradition.