Christmas Wrap-Up

Just when I get on a blogging roll, my computer gets a virus, so much for my expensive anti-virus program, Oh well.  Thanks Paul for fixing it!  You computer whiz! 

Our ward Christmas party/ dinner was pleasant.  Sophie and Sage were angels in the nativity, very fitting!  I made a Red Velvet Bundt cake and my favorite sweet potato casserole.

   

Our girls continue to improve on the piano, they were asked to play piano solos- Hark the Harold Angels Sing & Deck the Halls by Sage, and a beautiful Carol of the Bells/ God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen medley by Sophie.  Less then 2 weeks to prepare, it wasn’t easy but they did great, although they were the first to say it wasn’t perfect, they had many compliments!  They’re little hands amaze me. I had to help with something and didn’t get picture of Sophie :(  A nice evening to kick off the Christmas season.

 

Trevor’s favorite Christmas tradition is seeing A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater, they put on a fabulous show (play)!  This year we took the girls, now that they’re old enough to handle the scary parts.  We all loved it and the kids look forward to the huge cookie and drink we always get at intermission. 

The girls friend was in the play, her older sister played the ghost of Christmas past and Tiny Tim’s brother (left), she was awesome.  With Scrooge on the right, what a great actor!  Trevor wants to audition here sometime soon.

 

Our friends had a delicious, fun cookie exchange party.  I’ve never seen so many cookies and Christmas treats in one place, topped off with a chocolate fountain and many fruit options (my favorite), the kids were in heaven.  This is only one of the tables, everyone brought their favorite Christmas treat for a delightful mingling evening!  Thanks for the invite Devon and Crystal!

Sage’s favorite Christmas event is going to “This is the Place” for an old fashioned Christmas evening “A Candlelight Christmas”.  We met Grandma and cousins there this year, had dinner and enjoyed the festivities.  It was such a cold night, I didn’t get pictures, but we enjoyed dancing around the Christmas Tree, seeing the Live Nativity in the barn, making homemade ornaments, and seeing Father Christmas.

Snow queens heading out in the snow.

 

Well, S & S are smart little 10 year olds and have Santa figured out this year, they questioned it a couple years back but we held on to the Santa belief as long as we could.  Mixed feelings, but I have to admit, it’s kinda nice not having to sneak around and do the Santa thing, and it’s just as special as we focus on His birth and celebrate with our loved ones.  But they are growing up super fast.

Hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas!!  So happy for my friend Kelleyn in China right now, just adopted her beautiful daughter Avery!  Follow along here

Christmas Piano Recital

Sophie (left) playing “Away in a Manger” and the girls duet (right) playing “Joy to the World”, see Sage behind Sophie?

we’ve utterly enjoyed their Christmas songs in the home this year, now that they’re playing so well

Trevor playing “March of the Three Kings” and a duet with his awesome teacher, he’s come a long way in a year

and Sage was the finale (out of over a dozen students), playing “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and “Sonatina”  Beautiful!

Concert Pianists in the making, keep up the fantastic playing! (I’ll show a video clip soon)

Then dinner at Olive Garden, kids choice, to end a special evening.

Glad both Grandmas, Uncle Mike, and Josh could join our Christmas recital!

Piano Recital

Sage playing Sonatina by Muzio Clementi

 

Sophie and Sage have taken off in piano this year.  They have a great teacher nearby and their brothers teach them current songs from the radio, I’ll have to post some.  Sage played this a little fast, but pretty amazing how her fingers jump around since her little hands can’t span the far notes, with her toes barely touching the ground.  Making it look effortless.  It’s nice when they get past the plunking stage and it starts sounding beautiful…

 

Well done guys

 

Sophie played the song “Perfect” at her piano lesson last week, she learned from Josh, her cute piano teacher was impressed and asked Sophie to teach her the song :)

 

Trevor & Girls choice for dinner, Costa Vida it was!  Yum

When it Rains it Pours

Literally. I would much rather be doing a cute Christmas post right now, but this week hasn’t been exactly that. I was looking forward to the holiday break (busy month with work) to relax and enjoy my family this week while Nick is home for Christmas and the kids are out of school.

Week in a nutshell- Monday we found out we’re a victim of Credit Card fraud, we froze everything and spent the next day going through the red tape. That day water started seeping into the girls room due to a seal on the rain gutter gone bad, Paul’s been working on that, hard to seal in the snow and rain though, the garage door was malfunctioning, plus half that day the neighborhood was out of power. That was the day Paul had off this week to “enjoy” his family. (we did escape it all and take the kids to see Tangled, a nice break, the girls loved it). Still trying to find time to organize the Primary for the new year, was going to work on that Monday & Tuesday. At least I got my Christmas Cards out and neighbor gifts delivered over the week-end or it may not have happened :). Today I got my final shopping done (I never wait this long), then came home to a flooded basement (not kidding), our water heater has given out. Really, all I could do was laugh, I’m sure to keep from crying. Our home isn’t that old, had it built 7 1/2 years ago, but everything seems to happen at once, even on the week of Christmas. So who knows what tomorrow will bring, Christmas Eve, but for now we have no running water (I can handle no power much better then no running water). Can you tell blogging is my therapy today? So, chocolate and Christmas treats that neighbor friends delivered for dinner tonight. I guess you could say this is a memorable Christmas.

In the whole spectrum of things, I know these are little things to deal with, although it may not feel that way right now. It may not be a perfect Christmas, but we are blessed with good health, a warm home, the gospel, friends & family… that’s what really matters.

To end with something pleasant, Trevor and the girls first piano recital (Sophie left, Sage right). It was fabulous, for just starting lessons the month before, they have a great teacher and they’re learning fast. Love these cuties!

Have a Merry Christmas! Hope it's dry