Saturday, December 12, 2015

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"

Thursday, December 3, 2015

wonderful week together, H's bday, and temporary retirement...

Thanksgiving Break

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with everyone coming home. Ryan got in Tuesday night with no problems. Andrew had to teach on Wednesday, so they wound up literally driving all night long in the snow, getting in at 5:45 am, but they made it safely.

We had a wonderful time while they were here. Henry isn't quite crawling yet (which made life easy for us as we didn't have to baby-proof the house!), though he scoots around in a circle. And he definitely says "Mama." Andrew says he also says "Dada," but I didn't get to hear that.

Thanksgiving dinner was at Mom and Dad's with games at Kathy's the next day. Hannah, Heather, and I did just a little bit of Black Friday shopping in Reno. Hobby Lobby is such a fun store, especially during the holidays. I am now mostly done with my Christmas shopping. I think the last time I was done this early is the year Eric wound up in the hospital for almost 2 weeks with a burst appendix. Hoping I just get to enjoy being done...

Anyway, we took some family photos to send out with our Christmas cards, since Hannah wasn't pleased with the ones we took this summer. Don't know yet which we'll use.


Henry got to open his Christmas gifts since he won't be here then
Eric's classes

We signed Eric up for his classes, and then the college sent us a list of how the classes Eric took at WNC match what he needs. We were able to drop 2 of the classes he had signed up for and add others because it turns out that he only needs his art classes for his major and the required religion classes. That means he might be done in 5 semesters, so we are happy about that.


Only one teenager left in the house

Hannah had her 20th birthday on Tuesday. However, she was in Reno most of the day for classes, so we haven't really celebrated it yet. Seems our family is rarely all together these days, but we'll have cake and ice cream soon...I hope.


Forced temporary retirement

My subbing license is about to expire. I turned in my renewal one month ahead of time, but the Nevada Dept of Ed is running 1 1/2-2 months behind. They are currently working on applications for 3 weeks before I submitted mine. I won't be able to sub from Monday on until they renew my license...which looks like it will be right around when Christmas break starts. Although the money would be nice at Christmas time, I'm actually happy to have more time at home so I can enjoy the holidays more.