Christmas is coming

It's beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas even if there isn't any snow (though Hannah, Glen, Eric, and I were in Reno on Thursday night and got snowed on...and had to drive through it very carefully for a bit).


For the 3rd year in a row, Glen was involved in helping to put on this Christmas musical. "The Forgotten Carols tells the story of a nurse whose empty life is changed when a new patient recounts the story of Christ's birth as told by little known characters in the nativity story. The accounts from the Innkeeper, the Shepherd and others help her discover what the world has forgotten about Christmas, and open her heart to the joy of this special season."

The Forgotten Carols is the story of Constance, a rigid yet competent nurse, too practical to be bothered by Christmas. She is assigned to care for an aged gentleman with alleged psychiatric tendencies over the holiday season. But this unlikely patient, John, is nothing like the senile “crazy” she expected. With warmth and spunky kindness, John eventually breaks through Constance’s iron-clad exterior as he walks her through the untold carols of the more “forgotten” characters in the Christmas story and guides the young nurse to the Christmas carol waiting to be sung inside her own heart. - See more at: http://www.asugammage.com/shows/asu-gammage-welcomes/the-forgotten-carols#sthash.7pyOFXGA.dpuf

The Forgotten Carols is the story of Constance, a rigid yet competent nurse, too practical to be bothered by Christmas. She is assigned to care for an aged gentleman with alleged psychiatric tendencies over the holiday season. But this unlikely patient, John, is nothing like the senile “crazy” she expected. With warmth and spunky kindness, John eventually breaks through Constance’s iron-clad exterior as he walks her through the untold carols of the more “forgotten” characters in the Christmas story and guides the young nurse to the Christmas carol waiting to be sung inside her own heart. - See more at: http://www.asugammage.com/shows/asu-gammage-welcomes/the-forgotten-carols#sthash.7pyOFXGA.dpuf

"Let Him In" a song sung by the Inn Keeper in The Forgotten Carols (this is not a video from our production, however)

We decorated our gingerbread houses and I made some chocolate reindeer.

Hannah's house with my reindeer

Hannah's

Glen's

Alex's snowball fight scene

Eric's

Mine (which I don't really like so I think I'll make another!)

I had a nice birthday this week. Had dinner with my family and the missionaries on Monday and breakfast with good friends on Wednesday. What more could I want? It was great.

I shared my birthday week with Mom P. There was a get together for her where we played games (Minute to Win It style) and had cake and ice cream. It's always a good time when everyone gets together.

We now have 3 trees up, but only one has decorations on it at this point.Hannah and I are aiming for a forest.

Teaching Old Testament this year in seminary led me to buy a mini-menorah. Hanukkah is such an inspiring story.

The Church is promoting a #ASaviorIsBorn campaign this year that is just fabulous.

Why we need a Savior:

I love Christmas music and the videos these days are so fantastic. #ASaviorIsBorn has produced many great music videos. Here are some of them as well as other Christmas music links:

Peter Hollens x 6 singing "Mary Did You Know?"

David Archuleta and Nathan Pacheco's "The Prayer"

 Jenny Oaks Baker on the violin "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Two of BYU's A Capella groups Vocal Point and Noteworthy "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

Firefly singing "Baby Boy"

Plácido Domingo and The Piano Guys "Silent Night"

Rob Landes "I Wonder as I Wander/O Come Emmanuel"

Lindsey Stirling "Hallelujah"

Amy  Grant "Breath of Heaven"

"Mary's Lullaby":

Linus's monologue on the meaning of Christmas:

And for fun: "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"

Chipmunks "Christmas Song"