December means Christmas

It's December and that means CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!!

 Maddy got her ears pierced. Again. She got them pierced once before but when she wore a cheap pair of earrings and they got infected, she decided to let them grow in. I was at choir that night and when I got home and she didn't have earrings in, I told her we should just put the studs back in and start over. But she couldn't stand the thought of the pain with one more insertion of earrings and so they grew in. After some time it was decided that she was now ready to be more responsible, and I was ready to put my foot down with regard to veto on cheap (while cute) earrings and we tried again. So far so good.

We joined our ward for a Christmas activity where the Taylorsville High School Madrigals performed and I loved every minute. It was such a treat to reminice to that time when I was going around to ward partys to perform, and fun to hear them sing many of the same songs that I had sung so many years ago in madrigals. As always, the best part is actually meeting Santa and then posing for pictures with friends on the stage.

Ruby Marshall, Lily Knudsen and Maddy

 

 

As pre usual, Maddy's school put on a Christmas program. Each grade has a scheduled time so the moms and dads and grandparents rotate in and out with the kids. It's a fun tradition and a bit of a mad house. Such cute kids.

This girl. I can't get over how silly she is. I guess it's good that we have a secret agent in the family to make sure we are safe from bandits.

Christmas isn't Christmas without a couple of Sally Bytheway Concerts. The men this season sang "Run Run Reindeer" and had hats and sunglasses as props. They get all the fun numbers and we women sing either something lovely or something suited for the women's chorus at the high school so it's silly stuff. Don't get me wrong, sometimes those are fun to sing, but the boys get all the really great numbers!

Barbara Beckstrom with mom and dad and Katie

"You Shall Not Pass"

Ran into Santa in the parking lot at Harmons. Had to take a picture to show Maddy.

 

This time of year in my work world means lots of continuing professional education credits (CPE) so I can keep my CPA license current. The best part of that is it tends to be a XANGO reunion at the UACPA winter conference. It amazes me how many wonderful friends I have made over the years in this job. Everyone is now at different places but we always catch up at least once a year at training. (Left to right Jason Pierce, Cassie Jensen, Travis Ogden, Reggie Rappleye, Andy Nelson, Me, Ben Davidson, and Spencer Seaquist)

December also means the XANGO Christmas party. This year we rented out a theater and invited our spouses to come see the new installation of the Star Wars Saga on opening day. It was a great movie with popcorn and drinks and prizes and dress ups... my Princess Leia buns were on point!

With our owner Gordon Morton

Me, Yoko Little, and Brian and Leslie Gallacher

Pretty, Pretty clouds

Some of my favorite men from choir are Larry Duncan, who I used to stand by season after season, and daddy who I got to stand by for the first time this season. It is such fun to stand mixed up so that we get to hear all the different parts blended together.

Fun also is cousins Liz Birnel and Joy Laudie who sing and play violin, respectively, with SBC. With mom, dad, Katie, Sarah, Uncle Craig and these two, we have quite the family attendance at each concert.

We picked out a paint color and got paint on the walls! Scott put beadboard on the ceiling and I love the way it looks! This is going to be a great looking bathroom.

We had tickets to see the Mormorn Tabernacle Choir concert this year with special guest Laura Osnes. She performs on Broadway most recently in the revival of Rogers and Hammersteins "Cinderella" as well as "Bonnie and Clyde" She was wonderful! I love her voice and she is just so pretty to look at. It was the first time I've been to the Christmas concert despite trying to get tickets many years in the lottery. It was a fun way to end the evening, which actually started with a choir performance at the Assembly Hall.

It's wonderful to have family that enjoys music and that we see each concert. I love that Uncle Craig has a venue to show off his mighty clarinet talents and pleased as punch when he gets solos (that he rocks) and everyone is so impressed with his skills.

Once a year we also get together as "Ladies Who Lunch" and have a Christmas Sweater lunch and gift exchanges. This year Georgia couldn't join us but we were delighted to find that she wore her sweater anyway and sent us a picture. These ladies are just the best.

Maddy and Ruby and I had to make sugar cookies. Mom's tried and true recipe with no frosting but sprinkles instead are my very favorite. It's always more fun with a friend to. Also, I hate to bake, but this tradition is worth it anyway.

Christmas Eve was spent at mom and dad's house in Payson. Cody, Hayley and Harper as well as Uncle Dennis and Tempy and Ben and family were there. We read Christmas books and played Christmas "Taboo" and had a nice evening wasting away the hours before Santa could come.

Christmas Eve comes with new pajamas for everyone. We've had this tradition since I was a kid and I remember those years when mom used to make them herself. Over time she realized that it was worth the money to purchase 5 pairs of pajamas versus making them. I just decided that she must be right and skipped over the making stage right to the buying. Scott always gets new jammies to but won't pose with us.

Christmas day was a flurry of presents (I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of opening presents!) and then we took Maddy the neighbor, Emma, out for rides in the snow. Scott drove the 4-wheeler and I sat on the back and watched over the kids, sometimes hauling them this way or that to ensure they were on snow and not the road. The best snow we found was actually in the back yard.

Harper was the best the whole day - well, Harper and the box.

We came home to lovely snow in the yard, a very pretty, welcoming house, and in the coming days
gathered with the Daltons for a party and gift exchange. Rachel, as unfortunately usual, had to join us via FaceTime. What did people do without FaceTime?

Tile down in the bathroom... :)

We headed back to Payson on New Year's Eve by way of Scheel's because Melinda and Marcus and kiddos were in town as well as Jeff and Channy and the best person - cousin Khloe! I love watching Scott with his siblings. It's fun to see them interact with each other.



"Cold Bellies on the Window" or "Flashing". It's awfully close

And we'll leave you with a few more pictures from the concert. Linda took the first while we were practicing before the concert. Clearly we were practicing "Hark the Herald Angel's Sing" but we had to work our air chimes. What a wonderful song by Dan Forrest and horribly difficult, wonderful bells to play. Turned out to be one of my favorites, once I learned to sing and chime.