Our ward has its Christmas dinner on the 12th. Eric got to be Santa's helper. He lightened his beard and then put powder in it trying to match Santa. It was fascinating, but not surprising that his beard was strawberry blondish after being lightened. He shaved it off the next morning in stages. He had to shave it off before going to school in 2 weeks anyway, so before church was a good time to say good-bye to it. However, I have to say, I really liked his beard when it was shorter. I will miss it.
before
after
Eric the elf
having some fun
I love the look on Alex's face here
Michael looks happy. Eric doesn't. Santa looks...amused? resigned? not sure.
everyone's looking happy here
poor Santa--he was probably tired of big kids on his lap
time to say good-bye to the red whiskers
going...
going...
gone!
My sub license renewal finally came in Thursday afternoon, so I will be able to sub once the new year starts. I'm glad, but I sure enjoyed my little vacation.
Thursday's sunset
Eric attended his last BYU-I Pathways class on Thursday as well. I'm glad he had the chance to participate in that program, but I am also glad that I won't have to drive to Reno every Thursday night and worry about the weather and whether I will feel too tired to drive home.
Ryan arrived home from college safe and sound Friday night. Words can't describe how wonderful it is to have most of us all together. Heather, Andrew, and Henry will spend Christmas with her family in Arizona.
I went to a friend's annual Christmas dinner party on Friday and had a wonderful time. Dinner was "Hot Brown," which is a famous casserole from a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. It's made with bread, turkey, ham, cheese sauce, tomato and bacon. Delicious.
We do a white elephant gift exchange every year at the dinner...and some things are a bit scary. I think that award this year goes to a snow globe that you can put a photo in and it plays the Captain and Tennille song "Love Will Keep Us Together." Then there was the box full of things that had been at last year's party. Things liked a used candle and bags that advertise optical lenses. I was very lucky to come home with something I love and can use. It's a subway art Christmas plaque. We also bring little gifts for everyone, so even if you don't score a good white elephant, you leave with some treasures. It truly makes me feel richly blessed to be able to associate with such wonderful, fun women.
my white elephant
Sunday was my parents' 59th wedding anniversary. Wow. That is a lot of years. Glen and I will celebrate our 27th in January and that seems like nothing. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
And I finally finished decorating.
shiny tree
animal tree
all three (the third tree has the ornaments that aren't just shiny or animals on it)
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"
