Corless Clan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 11 December 2011

Dear Family,

Christmas Celebration Preparations - Celebration plans are firming up and gift preparations are proceeding full steam. Hopefully,  everyone got our Christmas cards and letters. Dad helped Grandma Nilace with a some Christmas decor and a few outdoor lights - another Happy Customer! Dad distributed the Christmas gifts from Grandpa Ross.

Colon Clip -  Amelita’s 15 cm (5.9“) colon polyp removal in Porto Alegre was a difficult, but successful procedure. There was great family jubilation and celebration and an outpouring of gratitude. Thanks be to Heavenly Father!

Wedding Whirlwind - After much effort by the whole team to follow up with the non RSVPer’s, the guest list and the location of the M&M wedding reception is confirmed and Mom finally had a good night’s rest.  We are keeping the Troy building as the venue, even though the attendance total is slightly above the maximum Ryan and Mom found seating arrangements for.   We are hoping some of the “will comes” will end up “not”.  Now the execution of the plan details is the focus of Mom’s time and energy. Go Mom - you are awesome!

Handyman Corner -    Dad helped Ryan finish the installation of the console and screen valance in the projection room including all the electronics, which needed to be disconnected and reconnected in the new console. It looks very good and, most importantly, Maureen is a happy customer.

Pumpkin Pied - Dad baked a few more pumpkin pies and gave a couple to Holli for her birthday. She had come to visit Grandma Nilace for the afternoon.

Tuesday Temple - Dad and Mom helped in the baptistry with the Troy Ward youth and got to see some old friends. Dad saw Jim & Vanessa as they were leaving to pickup Sam from swim practice. The temple is a great place to meet family and friends.

Service Mission - Friday evening Mom & Dad had dinner with Bro. & Sister Rich at the “Rusty Bucket” before leading their respective Support and Addiction Recovery meetings.  Based on the attendee comments, during and after, the meetings were successful. It is always good to serve others, but servers are always the most blessed. It makes a positive difference in the lives of all those involved. This program could be very helpful to many, many others, who suffer from even relatively minor issues to major issues, if they would only give it a chance.

First Winter Snow - Gone are warm, sunny days, shorts and t-shirts as well as the green leaves from the trees. Here is pure-white snow blanketing the ground, warm coats and boots, and the warmth of the Christmas season.

First Snow Fall

Family History - Grandma Nilace’s Sorenson Grandparents. James Lewis and Johannah were married in 1875 and immigrated from Denmark to Richmond, Utah~1879 with the two oldest children. Grandma’s father, Alma Born 24 Dec 1886, is sitting on the lap of his mother Johanna. James Lewis (Jens Lauritz) was born  on 10 Jan 1849 and Johannah was born 11 Dec 1851 (160 years ago today)

Sorenson Family ~ 1888, Richmond, Utah

Love y’all,  Mom & Dad

Corless Clan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 4 December 2011

Dear Family,

Seminary Substitute - Early on a cold, rainy Tuesday morning, Dad taught applications of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 21-24.  He used Mom’s well marked Bible to lead the class through examples and associated blessings. No one fell asleep as everyone was involved. What great group of young people we have in the ward.

Christmas Celebration Preparations - This week Mom & Dad spent a few more hours writing, editing, publishing, signing and mailing the Christmas card and letter to 97 friends and family around the world.  We hope it will bring joy to them. What a relief to have that big job done. Dad helped Grandma Nilace unpack a few more boxes to find her Christmas decorations and set up her new 7ft pre-lit Christmas tree.

Dashing through the Snow - Mom & Dad “dashed” through the wet snow fall to get home from serving in the Temple Tuesday evening. The next day was a good day to stay home and nurse the cold symptoms Mom and Dad have been cursed with. Grateful for a good night’s rest afforded by “Nyquil”

Brazilian Christmas - Mom dazzled the sisters of the Relief Society Thursday evening with her presentation of Brazilian Christmas celebration and her beautifully arranged fruit salad. Grandma Nilace said her presentations were the best of all. No surprise to the rest of us!

Sam Swims - All of the hard work of swimming thousands of yards paid off. Samantha entered six events at the Swim Meet with 10 other clubs this weekend and she placed in all of them. She made Junior Olympic time in one of the events. Go Sam!

Handyman’s Corner - Dad brought a few tools and helping hands to assemble the new 10 ft. long console to go underneath the screen in their projection room/corner of the basement. It will look really nice when it is completely installed.  They are so excited to have that finished. Future “fun” to repair a leak in their basement wall is on the schedule!!! Stayed tuned “sports fans” for future episodes of Handyman’s Corner and/or Adventures with Ryan.

Wedding Whirlwind - In spite of the busy Holiday season, the preliminary reception attendance reports are greater than anticipated, which is a great honor for Michael & Melanie and, perhaps, an indication of the fame of the “Wedding Planner Extraordinaire”.  Mom has shifted into high gear investigating possible alternatives with her “advisory council” to accommodate all the guests. 

Homeless - Thursday morning, Dad left Mom at home to “find” her lost voice and went downtown Detroit with Sister Pix and the Missionary Elders to serve the homeless at the Fort Street Presbyterian Church. Dad handed out clothes, while the others served on the food line. As you can imagine, some of these guys are real characters.  It is a joy to help out those having a hard time, especially those who are appreciative of what they receive.

Two Years Old - Rex Stuart turned 2 on Friday the 2nd of December. The family party on Sunday was a joy for the Clan. 

Happy Birthday Rex

Ginger Bread house - The annual Ginger Bread house decorating was held after Rex Stuart’s Birthday party at Ryan & Maureen’s.  Actually, they are made of Graham crackers, but who can even tell.

Decorated Graham Cracker houses.

Love y’all,  Mom & Dad

Corless Clan Christmas Connection - 2011

Corless Clan - 2011

It has been another eventful year for the Corless Clan.

In March, Rex and Myriam packed up the MKX and visited clan members in Alton, Illinois, Denver, Colorado and Caldwell, Idaho.  In April, Guilherme (Myriam’s teenage grand nephew) and in July, Eduarda (Myriam’s college student grand niece) came to spend a few days here.  It was wonderful to get to know them better and all were sad to see them go.  Myriam and Rex enjoyed biking in the Clinton River Trail this year.  Covered by trees and following the meandering river, it brought beauty and cool refreshment on the hot summer days.  Myriam served as Ward Relief Society President until November, when she was called with Rex, on a Stake Service Mission to support the Addiction Recovery Program.  They still serve as workers in the Detroit, MI Temple.  Myriam recovered from a case of shingles earlier this year, just in time to be the “wedding planner”.  Rex enjoys his photography hobby and publishes the weekly Corless Clan Connection with photographs of the various activities and gatherings.  He still is Assistant HP group leader.

Jim & Vanessa (MI) are keeping up with two teenagers, Tyler & Samantha, and two preteens, Joshua and Olivia, in their busy family. Jim works for GM and serves as the early Morning Seminary Teacher. Vanessa was Ward Young Women President and now enjoys teaching music to the children in their very large Primary.

Daniel & Holli (MI) are serving in a branch in Detroit. They attend there with all four boys, Nathan, Joseph, Joshua and Isaiah. Daniel works at AAM and teaches at Henry Ford Comm. College.  He is a Scout leader, which included taking Nathan and several scouts to the LDS Encampment this summer.  Holli wears several hats in the branch Primary. 

Ryan & Maureen (MI) are busy with two (Preston & Jacob) in school and two (Sophia & Rex) preschoolers at home. They served as Ma & Pa in the Stake Youth Trek this summer. Ryan also works for GM.  He was Scoutmaster and now is the Ward Executive Secretary. Maureen is a counselor in the Ward Relief Society Presidency.

David & Jana’s (TX) time is well filled with the three boys (Adam, Peter and David) in school and Mary at home.  In June, “Dr. David” graduated from dental school and moved their whole tribe from Illinois to McKinney, Texas. They love it there and feel it is a great place to raise their family. David works with the Young Men program and Jana serves in the Primary.

Dan & Lara (ID) are busy with one (Abby) in school and two (Sarah and Sam) preschoolers. Sam was born in March, which precipitated a visit from “Papa and Nona” to ID.  Dan is a Deputy Sheriff and has been using his skills & tools on several home improvement projects.  He is a ward missionary and Lara is in the ward Primary Presidency.

Ryan & Rachel (CO) are enjoying their two (Mia & Lydia) preschoolers. Ryan is in his last year of Pharmacy School, which is series of 6 week rotations at various locations.  He serves as Ward Sunday School President. Rachel worked in the Relief Society, but now is the building schedule coordinator and Ward Christmas Party planner.

Michael (UT) is back in school after a summer internship in Michigan with an automotive supplier, Getrag.  He served in the YSA Ward as Executive Secretary and Elders Quorum Counselor. He plans to get married to Melanie Riehl in the Detroit Temple, this December. Back to Utah in January, Michael will attend BYU and Melanie will continue LDS Business College.

We are grateful that our children and grandchildren are doing well.  It is clear that we and our whole clan have been blessed by Heavenly Father with many opportunities to provide for ourselves and to serve others in meaningful ways.  We treasure your friendship and love, and pray that this has been a happy year for you.  Above all, we are thankful for the wonderful gift of God’s Holy Son and the hope and joy He brings to all.  It is true.  He was born.  He lives still.  Rejoice!  “GOD IS LOVE”!

We wish you a very Merry Christmas

 and a Happy New Year!

Rex & Myriam

Corless CLan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 27 November 2011

Dear Family,

Thanksgiving Feast - Mom set the tables in  her usual extraordinary, praiseworthy and of good report manner and Dad baked 18 pumpkin pies and prepared the turkey for roasting in his usual ordinary, but tasty  manner. Everyone brought something yummy to eat and we all enjoyed the feast together.  

Ebenezer - As part of the Thanksgiving festivities, Mom organized an Ebenezer (Stone of Help) activity, in which everyone wrote or drew on a rock something they were grateful for. The stones will be added to in the future to be part of a ‘‘rock gratitude garden” in the back yard. 

Christmasified - After two days of hard labor and much attention to detail, the home is completely decorated inside and out with Christmas trees, lights, garlands, and, of course, the 6 nativity scenes. 

Handyman's Corner - This week Dad helped Ryan fish wiring through wall and trim his basement around the projector screen. Dad, also, to Mom’s satisfaction, repaired and refinished the second of two corner shelves, which now stands in the corner next to the piano, filled with pictures of grandbuddies.

Traumatic Thanksgiving Trip - Michael and Melanie drove most of the way to Denver to spend Thanksgiving with Ryan & Rachel. Unfortunately, in the middle of a cold and windy night, Michael’s car stopped halfway between Rawlins and Laramie (definition of the middle of nowhere) and had to get towed 46 miles to Laramie for repairs. They stayed the night with Duane & Pat Rhoades (longtime friends). Rachel drove to Laramie to bring them to Denver because the repairs could only be done by Friday.

Turkey Bowl - Dad photographed the high level of expert footballers, which included Ryan, Jim and Tyler plus a bunch of alumni from Jim’s high school. They all had a good time. Dad and Jim worked together by the afternoon to get the 124 edited photos on Facebook for all to enjoy. See the Photos - http://gallery.me.com/rcorless#101363

Love y’all,

Mom & Dad

Corless CLan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 20 November 2011

Dear Family,

Mom is Red Eye - Mom’s right eye is swollen and red - after a few phone calls back and forth she got an appointment with an optometrist. He didn’t real know what it was, but prescribed some steroid eye drops, which hopefully, will fix the problem. Talking about being “red eye” (Ready) - Mom has organized more of the myriad of details in preparation for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and The M&M Wedding. Dad, hampered by a fever and clogged sinus, has been working on his “Honey Do List”. He refinished one of the two corner shelves to better match the new furniture in the family room and insulated the garage door.

Veteran’s Day Observed - Monday, Dad helped Ryan finish installing a plywood floor and about thirty feet of shelving in their attic for seasonal storage.

Attic Storage Project

It may not have the best way to honor our veterans, but without their sacrifices we probably would not have homes or the freedom to improve them when we see fit. Thank you to our veterans!

Power Outage - While Mom & Dad visited Ryan & Maureen on Monday, the power was off for about 6 hours at home.   This a very rare occurrence, but it tests how ready we are for an emergency. Dad went on his scheduled home teaching visits anyway. Later, Mom & Dad made the best of it by going out for dinner. Thankfully, the power came back on and all is well.

Double Temple - Mom & Dad served in the temple baptistry on Tuesday evening and saw Jim & Vanessa. Wednesday evening Dad served in baptistry with the youth from our ward and saw Ryan & Maureen. It is a joy to serve, and it is double joy to see our children with their spouses in the temple.

Tough Mudder - Saturday, Dad missed going to watch and photograph Ryan run a 12 mile obstacle course “Tough Mudder” in Indiana this weekend. The good news is that Ryan not only survived the cool, windy, cloudy, 50 degree, weather, but finished the race covered in mud with only a mild case of hypothermia. For info see: http://toughmudder.com/events/indiana-2011/

Look under MEDIA for videos and photos .These events have raised over $2.3 Million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project. http://toughmudder.com/wounded-warrior-project/

Go Ryan!  You are awesome, a little crazy, but totally AWESOME!

Ryan pulls himself through a Pipe

Tyler’s 15th Birthday - Jim & Vanessa hosted the annual Tyler birthday party. With lots of food and fun and good times. It is such a joy to see them all have so much fun together.

Tyler’s Party Crew

Love y’all,

Mom & Dad

Corless Clan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 13 November 2011

Dear Family,

HUH? - Suspicions confirmed. Dad has officially been hearing tested and found with significant hearing loss in the left ear. He was told he is a candidate for a hearing aid, but he is way too cheap and impatient to fool around with one. Besides, “I can hear just fine.”  (Famous last words...)  The next morning he had an Auditory Brainstem Response test which was 30 minutes of a little jack hammer pounding in the one ear then the other just to find out if the ear and brain are connected.  I wonder if there is a test to see if the brain and mouth are connected?  :-)  

Wedding Planner and Doer Extraordinaire - With only 7 weeks to the wedding, Mom has lengthened her stride and quicken the pace and gone beyond exhaustion. She has been on the phone working out details with caterer, scheduling of the temple ordinances, purchasing stuff, preparing and mailing 109 invitations, over seeing the decorating plans and preparations, etc. If her desire and effort are any measure of success, this will be an awesome affair. Go Mom your are awesome! And thanks to Maureen, Ryan, Vanessa and Samantha for their help. 

Free at Last - Mom has officially turned over the reins of Relief Society President to the new President and was released today. She has been very loving and caring to the Relief Society sisters and they love her back.

Cool Biking - The weather has been much cooler, but not so cool as to stop biking. For instance, Saturday morning Dad picked up Vanessa and her bike and they biked a total of ~ 10 miles along the Clinton River Trail and back.  Proper attire is key to keep warm, but not too warm.  The leaves are mostly all fallen which puts a thick carpet on the forest floor.

Addiction Recovery - Nothing is as simple as first appears.  Mom & Dad are still learning to be ARP meeting leaders and grateful for the patience of Brother & Sister Rich. It is, in many ways, different than leading a leadership meeting, speaking, or teaching a lesson. The process has a language of it own, which needs not to be violated. Some situations can be very delicate depending on who is at the meeting and the individual problem(s) each individual is struggling with. However, it is, as with any church meeting, the Spirit who must be allowed to guide. It promises to be a challenging and rewarding opportunity to love and serve others in need (if we can get it right).  ;)

Mr. Fixit - Dad hung three mirrors for Grandma Nilace, repaired the electrical short in the basement stair light fixture, replaced a broken electrical receptacle, replaced the broken bracket in basement shower, replace the shower stem with brushed stainless in the master bath, cleaned the disgusting mouse mess in the basement cupboard, helped Ryan put a floor and shelves in his garage attic, and, believe it or not, all of this without using any duct tape - what is this world coming to????

Family History Photo - 

This Gatti Family & friends photo was taken during the 1950‘s at the stone wall on beach of Cassino. It shows the wind driven rail cart that still is used to propel people to end of the stone wall.  Mom’s father (Vo Gatti) is standing above Amelita, (Mom’s Sister) and Armando (her brother), with Sister Suzana seated on the far right

Love y’all, Mom & Dad

Corless Clan Connection - Sterling Heights, Michigan - 6 November 2011

Dear Family,

Halloweening - Papa, Nona and Grandma joined the Halloween festivities hosted by Jim & Vanessa including Trick & Treating in the neighborhood with Ryan & Vanessa and the grandbuddies. Unfortunately, Preston was diagnosed with strep throat and had to stay home. However, many kind neighbors and Nona had treats to take to him.  A bounty of delightment, excitement and “candiment” prevailed in the evening.

Enlightenment Week - Mom & Dad as part of their new calling attended: a Stake committee meeting Wednesday evening; an Addiction Recovery meeting on Friday evening; four hours of training in Lansing, for all the service missionaries in Michigan, on Saturday. It is becoming clearer as to what needs to be done and how to do it. Hopefully, with the help of the Lord, Mom & Dad will not only survive this refining process, but help many others and themselves become much better, in other words, more prepared to return to our Heavenly Father. Also, Mom hosted a luncheon for the sisters after a RS temple trip on Thursday, and taught the RS lesson on Sunday.  It all turned out really well. She is grateful!

Family History Photo - Skill Tradesmen

This photo was taken in 1951 at the Shelley Processing Plant in Burley, Idaho. Pictured are Dad’s Grandfather Bert Corless (70 yrs) (far left) and his father Ross Corless (26 yrs) second from the right and Bob Carrier (Ross’ nephew) on the far right with their co-workers.

Love y’all, Mom & Dad