Our Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Early this fall my mother sold her home and moved to Arroyo Grande to live with us. This has been an adjustment but a wonderful blessing to our family. We built this home with a large guest room with private bath for this very purpose and it is working out very well. Mom will be continuing her celebration of her 95th birthay by going on a cruise in a week to the Mexican Rivera. She isn't slowing down yet.

Mariah is fifteen and is a pleasure to raise. We couldn't have been blessed with a better child. She continues to keep her straight A's, plays the cello, activity in ASB (the only sophmore in the class), loves her friends, and is currently in the Mia Maid presidency. Knowing that in three years she will be gone away to college makes us sad.

John and Becky live in Irvine. As a parent there is nothing better than seeing your children marry well. They are happy and expecting their first baby in June. We will be grandparents, kind-of hard to believe. We are very excited!

Another Christmas has come and gone yet the spirit of the season we celebrate is with us all year. How grateful we are for the birth of our Savior and the atonement. We miss you and love you all. Thank you for your cards this year we have enjoyed them. Take care.

With all of our love,

Leo, Vickie, and Mariah Bunting

Sara's 95th Birthday

The Birthday Girl

Mom, Leo, Mariah, Megan (Mariah's friend), Vickie

We celebrated Grandma Sherrill's 95th at Disneyland. It had been over forty years since the last time she was there.

Going to City Hall for Mom's birthday button was worth the wait. She was no doubt the only 95th birthday girl in the entire park. Mom could not believe how well she was treated. She felt special all day.

Cast members went out of their way to wish her a Happy Birthday and the public added their congratulations. She enjoyed no waiting in the lines, escorted to see Mickey (Mickey even danced with her), given a convented Pixey pin, VIP seating for Fantasmic, and so much more. It was definitely a special day.

For my mother nothing can compare to being with family. We gathered downtown Disney for an late lunch.

To top off the day- the waiter asked Mom to look out over the balcony, to her surprise everyone in the restaurant sang happy birthday to her! What a thrill!!!

Grandma Sherrill's 95th birthday was more than any of us could have imagined.

This is what life is all about, the memories we build as families.

Twilight at Midnight

Mariah, Leo and I joined a large group from our ward to view the midnight showing of Twilight. Stephanie Myers is one of Mariah's favorite authors. We had a woman from our group set up chairs and a table at 9 AM that morning. We couldn't believe it, she is a die-heart Twilight lover; even her seventeen year old son, but he doesn't want anyone to know.

Our group was the first in line of about 200 people.

Sitting holding our spot took some work. Thank goodness for teenagers and Dads who didn't have to work that day. Mariah and I didn't show up until about 6PM ready for a six hour wait. Leo was the smart one he showed up at 10PM.

We had a blast! The time went by fast. Mariah and her friends walked to

Wal Mart to buy shirts to decorate while they waited.

The tee shirt says-

front "DOES YOUR MAN . . ."

back "SPARKLE?"

They turned out cute.

The theater handed out vampire teeth when we entered. Mariah won a

Twilight poster answering trivia questions before the movie started.

A few hours later the day was greeted by tired mothers and a few dads,

small seminary classes, and several high school teenage zombies.

It was worth it.

FHE with 105 Pro Prop. 8's

One sign waving was fun but the second was better!!!

We joined our ward tonight for FHE on the corner of Grand Ave. and Oak Park. At one point we had up to 105!!! It was a thrill. The spirit was strong as we stood together.

Leo enjoyed visiting with those who apposed Prop. 8. They were mostly high school students.

After a hour Mom was getting tired of standing and was going to call-it-a-day. BUT when she heard the local news was across the street she hurried back to front of the sidewalk.

Tonight we will be clued to the TV.

This has been a long fight but our family is grateful to have been apart of it.

94 and Going Strong

This is the first time my mother has ever used her right of freedom-of-speech in a public place. Mom said she enjoyed herself, especially when the cars honks with approval.

Mom is on the right hand side going strong.

Our Stake President issued the 'last 100 hour' call to the entire Stake. This morning our ward hung 'vote yes on 8' reminders on doors. Then this afternoon we got together and stood with our signs in front of our Wal Mart shopping center in Arroyo Grande. We had about 60+ strong. We were really pleased with all the positive responses we got from cars passing by. There were some who voiced their 'vote no' opinions but most of them were to young to vote, so they don't count.

Hey, I even recruited our RV buddy (renter). He drove passed us and stopped when he saw me. He was more than willing to hold a sign.

Sam and Bret (from our ward) drove this truck up and down the 101 freeway most of the day. They both said it was worth the gas. The drivers really got a kick out of the sign. It was a very good day. Just three days to go!!!

Eleven hours long

Brooke, Mariah, Molly, Sara, and Megan

Mariah celebrated her 15th birthday by spenting seven hours

doing what girls love to do, shop.

Standing behind the girls Vickie and Mariah's favorite YW leader, Susan

For a small college town San Luis Obispo has some uptown clothing stores, make-up stores, and great restaurants. We had a fabulous time laughing and watching the girls try on gowns, and all sorts of strange clothes. Susan and I love the youth. For us there was nothing we rather do than spend the day with these great girls.

After seven hours of shopping and spending hardly any money they were ready for pizza and two movies--the long hours and late night was clearly visible on the girls the next morning at church. Mariah had such fun she wants go to Santa Barbara shopping for her seventeenth birthday. Susan and I will be ready!

If you are wondering what happened to her sixteenth-keep watching and in a year from now you will see.

Happy Birthday Mariah