The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I were talking about the magic of Christmas. We both agreed that as a child the magic just happens but as an adult I've found that I need to MAKE the magic happen. It's easy to get caught up in the busyness and stress of the holidays so my goal this year was to really enjoy the season. I was able to spend time and have fun with family and friends and to remember my Savior and what Christmas is really all about. Here are some snippets of how I enjoyed my Christmas season this year.

Jake and Stephanie had bought tickets for their family to go on the Polar Express and Mom and Dad were going to join them. Unfortunately, Mom wasn't feeling up to going but fortunately for me I got to use her ticket. Thanks Mom! It was a wonderful time and so much fun to see how excited Elisabeth was and Nathan really liked it too.

Ellie wouldn't stand alone with the conductor for the picture so Jakob got to be in the picture too.

Ellie, Aunt Kath and Nathan

The Heber Valley Railroad did such a great job at re-creating the Polar Express. There were elves and waiters that handed out hot chocolate and Mrs. Claus' famous chocolate chip cookies. They read the Polar Express story and we sang Christmas songs. The highlight of course, was when we stopped at the north pole and picked up Santa Claus!
Books were handed out so everyone could follow along and Nathan was very interested in the story.

The big guy the kids had been waiting for.

Bethany, Shanowa and I went to the Interfaith Creche Exhibit in Midway. There are hundreds of nativities from all over the world beautifully displayed throughout the church building and there is live Christmas music being performed in the chapel. It certainly put me in the Chrismas spirit.

Here are lots of pictures from our family Christmas party. We had it quite early in the month because Mom was leaving for Texas to help Sheena when the baby came. We're wearing crowns that came in the party favors.

It's our tradition to have a talent show each Christmas. Here Mallory and Keaton are singing Jingle Bells. How cute are they?
Elisabeth is singing Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam with some moral support from Grandma.

Libby and Mallory had colored some beautiful nativity pictures and were telling us about them.

Kierra did the most precious dance she had learned in her dance class. She danced to the song, When Christmas Comes to Town from The Polar Express

For Jake's talent he extracted DNA from peas. Can you tell he's a science teacher? The kids were enthralled with it.

Dad loves to make and build things so for his talent he had made each family their own set of musical pipe chimes. Thanks Dad! We played several songs on them and the kids did quite well.
Mom loves to sew and made each of the grandchildren a set of new pajamas. Nathan and Kylan got train pj's, Keaton got BYU, Kiki and Ellie got princess, Libby and Mallory got Curious George and Maryn (who lives in Texas so wasn't here for the picture) got her favorite, Elmo.

Nathan wanted nothing to do with Santa. Maybe if he'd known it was Grandpa he would have been okay.

Ellie and Santa

Libby, Mallory and Santa

Keaton, Kylan and Kierra with Santa. Kylan felt the same way as Nathan about Santa.

Each year several of my friends get together for a great Christmas party at Kathy's house which is always decked out for the holidays. Everyone brings hors d'oeuvres or dessert so we have lots of yummy food to eat. We have a gift exchange which is supposed to be kept secret but for some reason I feel I must find out who everyone has beforehand. Some friends cooperate with me, others do not! We always gather around the piano and sing Christmas carols while Karen accompanies us. This year I brought my new musical pipe chimes and they were a hit!

I have seen the musical "Forever Plaid" too many times too count and this year I wanted to see the Christmas version called "Plaid Tidings". It was playing at the SCERA so Dorian and I went and saw it. It was just as entertaining as the original! Do you love the program cover? My good friend April designed it...she works at the SCERA.

Music is an important part of my life and one of my favorite things about the Christmas season. For the past few years I have sung in the Provo Parkway Stake Christmas Choir and I continued with it this year even though I have moved out of the stake. Now this isn't just any stake choir.......we are really good. We practice twice a week, at 7:00 am on Saturday mornings and on Thursday evenings beginning in October. I wouldn't get up that early to sing with just anyone, but our director, Mike Austin, makes it fun and totally worth it. And singing all the beautiful Christmas carols really puts me in the Christmas spirit. We present a Christmas musical fireside and they record a CD of it each year. This year it was even streamed live on the internet.

My friend, Gina's, birthday is just before Christmas so for her birthday party we went caroling and had a white elephant gift exchange. I'd tell you what gift I ended up with but I don't think it's really appropriate to write here. :-) I hadn't been caroling in a long time and this was a fun group to go with. It was also fun because Gina is in my old ward in Springville so we caroled to many people I knew.

It was a real treat to have Gina's friend, Shane Jackman, come and do a cozy little mini-concert for us. He is working on his Christmas album to be released next year and he played some of the songs for us as well as played his guitar and harmonica. It's not the best picture but that is Shane in front of the Christmas tree.

No Christmas is complete without visiting Temple Square to see the lights. Bethany, her friend Susan and I went one freezing cold Sunday evening. My favorite part is the reflecting pool with the nativity scene in the middle.