Merry Christmas, May the Traditions Ever Prevail!

I almost don't even have to write this post. It wasn't too many years ago when I was feeling sadness and loneliness about our lack of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions. But at this point I feel like I'm repeating myself every year because the traditions are so strong. This is something I'm so grateful for and in which I take great delight. I love love love our traditions.

Christmas Eve - of course, breakfast at the Bucherts, while listening to the King's College Choir on BBC radio. Becca made egg and potato casserole, I made an overnight french toast with berries. Fruit, friends, frivolity. Becca and I exchanged gifts, which was delightful. I gave her this cool natural slab of wood meant to be a cheese board. I got these little vintage Santas that are just slightly on the bizarre side and I absolutely love them. They are those plastic little figures that are coated with a velvety substance, plus they have sequins pinned onto them. Love at first sight! What a joy to have friends like the Bucherts.

And naturally we next headed up to Honeyville to soak our cold tired bodies in the warm waters of Crystal Hot Springs. Time just seems to totally evaporate while we are there. Troy's mom asked us if we were going to "go swimming" again this year and that made me giggle a little, since there is absolutely no swimming whatsoever. We just sit in the hot water and let our minds wander away. It's fantastic. We went a little earlier than usual this year, and we beat the crowds. We left around 3:00, which gave us ample time to get home, get cleaned up and settled before making our traditional Christmas Eve dinner - waffles and wassail. Troy went and picked up his mom while I cooked, and we tried to keep our eyes open for the annual viewing of The Muppets Christmas Carol movie. I was not entirely successful.

After dinner we included Carol in something we tried for the first time this year. I purchased this cool wooden wreath which holds 25 candles. At the base of each candle is engraved one of the names of the savior, and there is a scripture that goes with each name. Each night in December we would light a candle, read the scripture and talk about that name of Jesus. It was fun to include Carol on our day 24. It was quite the blaze by the time all 24 candles were lit. It brings a special spirit to take the time to do this, along with listening to my sweet Troy reading Luke 2. 

Christmas this year was on a Sunday. We had a church meeting at 11:00 which I don't mind at all. I think it's wonderful to attend a one-hour service and listen to sweet music and one or two speakers. We didn't attend our own ward this year - Romney was invited to sing in a quartet with three of her madrigals friends. (The same ones seen to be strangling each other in the photos in the previous post.) I was kind of sad to miss my own church family but happy to hear Romney and friends sing. They sounded beautiful.

But I skipped the part with the presents! I had asked the girls if they wanted to sleep in and do presents after church, but they both emphatically stated that they wanted to get up early for presents. Cute. So far my kids have all proved to hang on to their inner-little-kids in the best way possible. So we got up early for presents. 

 

Highlights:

    Troy - cool shaving stuff and also cool beard-growing stuff, a book by Bono, a cruiser t-shirt, a Utes lawn ornament

    Rachel - a yarn-winder, a pepper-grinder, Harry Potter 5, and an apron

    Romney - art books, flower legos for when her room is done, snow boots, a bathrobe, play tickets, yellow shoelaces, a sweater vest, and a hoodie

    Emma - myth and legend books, jewelry to honor Matthew, an ear cuff, slippers, doc martins, a wooden model hand, and also a hoodie

After church everyone chilled out for a bit while I made food. I was putting together a buffet of salad and appetizers - stuffed mushrooms, little smokies, artichoke dip, chicken potstickers, and other healthy stuff like that. While that was happening Romney had one last gift to deliver - a sweatshirt for her friend Daffodil. She really wanted to wrap it in some funny way but couldn't decide how to do it. Finally I suggested that she put it on and then we wrap her. She thought that would be hilarious, so Troy made it happen - she looked so funny, especially while walking down the street towards their house. 

 

Once the food was ready and Romney was back, it was time. We snuggled up and started up the Fellowship of the Ring, which we got 3/4ths of the way through before our eyes were drooping so much we had to call it quits. I wasn't sure we'd watch the trilogy again this Christmas since we had just watched it in September before Chase left. But it was unanimous - it just wouldn't be Christmas without LOTR!!

Merry Christmas to all. It was a wonderful holiday season, even though all three of us girls got sick at one time or another. (Actually I'm still coughing.) As always it's hard to say goodbye to the music, lights and sparkles. I might be listening to Christmas music as I type this - can't help it! I'm just not done. Never will be. 

Death by Madrigals

Here's the thing. We love Romney's choir teacher. He's wonderful. However, he does have a tendency to slightly overschedule his students during the month of December. And when I say slightly, I actually mean massively. He loves to have them perform at schools and care facilities. They have concerts and bus rides. They have early mornings, bus rides during the school day, and call times early in the evening. And it just about did Romney in this year. (That means it also just about did us in as well.)

Here's another thing. There are the cutest kids in this madrigals choir! Wonderful friends. She has had so much fun with them, while at the same time, suffering miserably and being totally and completely exhausted.  What has added to this delightful situation is that sometimes Romney copes with the stress and pressure by leaving with her friends late at night and we wonder where she is. She gets simultaneously way happier and way sadder when she does this. 

Here are some photos of this bunch-o-crazies at some of their events this year. 

They sing so beautifully. I didn't even mind the "winter musicale" concert that combined all three different choirs, a band and two orchestras and lasted over two hours. It was so lovely. I even got to participate - Mr. B the choir teacher held a rehearsal for everyone who wanted to sing in the Hallelujah chorus. One of my favorite things ever. So fun! So it was a tremendously busy, tearful, hilarious, wonderful, awful, silly, fabulous, sucky month for choir. 

Here is Romney coming to the last day of school, laden with many burdens she was required to have with her that day. The look on her face basically sums it all up. 

The Jolly Holidays

 We did stuff. All month long. I think I'll cram it all into one long post.

Christmas in Color!

This is probably the third year in a row that we have met up with Troy's brother Sam and family to eat Mexican Food and then drive through the "Christmas in Color" super obnoxious yet fabulously beloved light display out at the Equestrian Park in South Jordan. That was like an instant tradition - we did it once and loved it so much that we decided it had to be the same every single year, Mexican Restaurant and all. Part of the tradition is also me asking Kathleen to remind me AGAIN the name of the restaurant and where it is. 

We didn't have Chase or Noah with us this year, but what we did have was Sam's big truck. Troy and Sam sat in the cab while the rest of us piled into the truck bed, thankfully under all of the quilts that Kathleen brought. I brought one. I was dumb. Luckily I also had an Emma on my lap to keep me warm. Why is this so fun? I just have no idea. It's so silly and loud and seizure-inducing. Kathleen and I hope that we will still be doing it even when it's just the two of us little old ladies in the back of the truck. 

 

 

Happy 92nd Birthday Aunt Alta!

My mom's older brother was 12 when she was born. I think. Something close to that. And he and my mom passed away within about one month of each other. He was close to 90 and she was 75. His wife is someone I love beyond words. Her name is Alta, and ever since I was small I was drawn towards her warmth and love. I loved visiting her home in Kaysville whenever we visited Utah from Colorado. They had a lot of land and grew millions of peaches there. I remember riding around with my Uncle Charles on his tractor. And they had four kids, the youngest being a few years older than my big sister. We ADORED them. And we still do. Aunt Alta was one of the most loving and supportive people when my dad was passing away, and she and I reach out to each other occasionally just to say I love you. In the fall I attended the temple with my friend Misty and who was seating a few rows behind me in the chapel, but Aunt Alta. I rather inappropriately got out of my seat, kneeled on the bench, and gave her a bear hug. She just glows with love. Is that enough gushing?

Alta turned 92 in December, and my cousin Shelly hosted a lunch for her. You know, when I was a kid, I thought that grownups were seriously so boring. All they did was sit around and talk and talk and talk. FOR-EV-ER. Well that's what we did, for hours! My Aunt Alta and her three daughters were there. My Aunt Norma, who passed away 30+ years ago, had three daughters and one daughter-in-law there. They are all closer to my mom's age but now I feel closer to them than I ever have. It's funny how getting older just makes you cling to dear family members and friends like you haven't before. 

Anyway, we talked for three hours before I finally tore myself away to go pick up car pool. It was absolutely heaven and I missed my mom like crazy. I was so happy to celebrate my dear Aunt.

Carolyn, Me, Camilla, Michael, Alta, Shelly, Pam, Marilyn, Andrea

Music and More Music!

Is the best thing about Christmas the lights or the music? I can't decide. So luckily they often go together. We had the opportunity to go to many performances this year. So many. And I wish I could go to more. For starters, Romney had about 1000 choir performances, but I'll post about that next. We got to see Peter Breinholt and company with our good friends the Behunins and Blackhams. That was a delightful evening - not only did we get to listen to a great concert with great people, but I bumped into about 12 other beloved people including Aunt Alta's son who wasn't at the lunch. 

Another great concert was the Carol Service at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. These are not easy tickets to secure - I was online at 9:55 on December 1st, waiting for the tickets to be available. I nabbed them on the stroke of 10:00, and by 10:10 they were cleaned out. Happily, we were able to get tickets on the same night as the Bucherts and the Pehrsons. It was an absolutely heavenly evening, listening to the glorious voices climbing into the eaves of the nave. 

Concert #3 I attended all by myself - the tickets to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square are harder to come by and Becky could only get me one, and I was so grateful to even have that! I snuck away one evening to dash downtown and attend the concert. It was wonderful as always. 

Gingerbread Houses Of Course!

We almost didn't get to make our gingerbread houses this year with the Mayfields. It was just so hard to find a time! We thought we had a time, but then it didn't work after all. Even then her only child there would be the youngest, who is delightful and a total pleasure to be with, but we would miss the other kids. Luckily Misty had a stroke of inspiration and we decided to get together for lunch on a Saturday closer to Christmas. It was so awesome! Her girls were home from college so we got to enjoy the company of all three girls. (Well, the middle gal had had surgery and was a little miserable but still so cute. And her boyfriend was there to take care of her.) We had a nice long afternoon together - usually we are pressed for time, meeting on a Sunday night, needing to get the kids home and into bed. But it was leisurely and delightful. 

What a fun month! As always, I never get quite enough Christmas, but it's not for a lack of trying.

The Weather Outside....

 ....is ACTUALLY frightful!

Once Thanksgiving was over and our tree hunt completed, Christmas time was officially on. (I mean, we started listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween but still.) Bring on the snow! Most years I get a little bummed out when the "Let it Snow" variations get played because it never feels like we get much snow anymore, especially in December. Not so this year! We had a big storm bring us a foot or so about halfway through the month. My first reaction was to delight in the festive weather, but really, our region is so starved for water that Christmas or not, all the snow was greatly appreciated. This snow lasted just long enough for Christmas before things warmed up and we got rained on, which was also welcome. Hopefully this will be a record-setting wet winter.

Two Great Men

I need to pay homage to two wonderful men.

First of all, Bob McGrath. This man started out in the very beginning of Sesame Street, and I grew up knowing his voice as well as I knew anyone's. I swear, his singing and speaking voice is a part of my DNA at this point. He is just a part of my genetic makeup. He passed away at the age of 90 early in December. 90 is a good long time to live, but I was still so sad! Luis from Sesame Street passed away earlier this year and I love him too, but his voice isn't quite as deeply entrenched as Bob's. Rest in Peace, dear Bob!  

Ok the next man I need to pay tribute to is happily very much alive and I even actually know him personally. My very best friend since high school, sometimes referred to as "The Becky" married a terrific fellow by the name of Jon. You can find him these days creating a podcast called Scripture Gems, which is a study of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's a wonderful podcast and I learn so much from it. Also, Jon is quite the tech wizard and generally knowledgeable person. It has happened several years in a row, right at Christmastime, that I have had a sudden epiphany about a gift idea, but it usually is something technical (like playlists put onto actual cassette tapes for my 80s-loving nephew or digital versions of my childhood home movies). And I always go to Jon. And he always comes through and helps me out.

Well this year, my senior in highschool was in charge of a fireside for her seminary - called a morningside. She had to find the speaker. We both tried for a while to find someone and as the time grew closer we both began to panic. Then the thought occurred to ask Jon, since he has this cool podcast and is a good speaker. He of course agreed, because, would it even be Christmas if Jon wasn't going out of his way to help me? No, no it would not. 

I owe him dinner. And also the chance to be Preslar-free for one whole holiday season.

Jon is on the left. He's so great.

Tree Hunt 2022

This was our 13th year to go on our mighty Christmas Tree Hunt. Most things about this weekend are so much the same as the previous years that it isn't very exciting to write about them. There were a few differences this year, though. 

For starters, we were down a man! As this trip has become more and more a part of our family Christmas celebration, we have known that eventually things would start changing and not all of us would be able to come each year. This was our first year in which one of the kids had grown out of the trip. We really missed Chase. The cabin was slightly roomier without him there, and we all had to really pick up the slack on eating leftovers. It was kind of weird to not have him with us. We had to send him a photo of the remains of this poor deer that got stuck on the fence years ago - we look for it every year and every year, it's still there, in a greater state of deterioration. 

Also new, we were a little more prepared for the cabin to not be working properly. It has definitely had its troubles functioning, and the tiny little thing just isn't a huge priority for Thom, Mary's brother, who owns it. He's in the middle of a hundred projects. Luckily we did have a little heads-up that the power might not work right. Thom and Mary thought it would, but just in case, we brought a lot of light sources with us. Plus Mary had a small generator we could use for one appliance at a time. That made all the difference when we couldn't get the power going at all. Having light just kept the bleak cold at bay. Plus, with the generator, we were able to watch a movie each night. That shouldn't be as big of a deal as it is, but I can't help it. We just enjoy those Christmas movies in the evenings. Plus we had heat and just barely enough water to wash dishes (slowly) and flush the toilet as needed (not more than every half hour but hey that's better than nothing!).

Sooo Many Good Naps

One really fun change was that the kids could drive up to the cabin together. They all piled into one Tahoe, and the 3 adults enjoyed time together in the other. The kids were so excited when we told them they were adult-free for the drive up.

Another change that seems greater every year is how many other people now come to the canyon as well. We got up there early and didn't have much company. But as the minutes went by, more and more people kept showing up, and it wasn't long before Troy found himself helping get cars unstuck and we were waiting for others to move so we could leave. It's not the best. 

We got a huge kick out of our friends taking a massive tree and AnnaKay putting warning cones all over it for the drive home.

We found good trees though! And we loved spending time with our beloved Burnetts. 

 

A (maybe?) cougar print on the road

We marveled, as we do each year, at how those kids interact. They are constantly mobbing each other, either in anger or in affection, and there never seems to be a time when they aren't piled on top of one another. Sometimes they are wrestling, and sometimes they are sound asleep. We love it! But we are not like them. At all.

Wonderful year! We got home early enough in the day on Sunday that we had time to do all the Christmas decorating at once, tree and all, while Grandma came over and watched a Hallmark movie. The movie was not great, but the tree and the decorations definitely were!