End of 2017/Start of 2018

Time to (finally) blog a bit about Christmas!  It was a very busy and eventful couple of months, which was at once a bit frantic and a lot of fun.  There were the usual traditions (family musical soiree wherein I led a sing-along of Rutter's Angels' Carol, pajamas from Nana, more Santa excitement than ever, sooooo many treats, Christmas movies and shows, ward choir program, etc. etc. etc.) but there were lots of exciting new happenings too.  I'll just let the Instapictures tell the story.

Wherein I offer a 50% off commission sale and have a nice response!  See our art blog for a collage.

Wherein we go to the Christmas In Color drive-through light show!  Feliz Batty-Bat!

Wherein we go to the adult ward Christmas party and I sing Mele Kalikimaka/Christmas Island and wear my favorite shirt and hat (repeat picture post but it's relevant).

Wherein we brave the crowds of downtown SLC and have fun but decide never to to the Temple Square within a week of Christmas again.

Wherein we watch a Christmas classic and are forcibly reminded by Cindy Lou Who of a certain someone.

Wherein we go to the kids' ward Christmas party and it's our best roller skating outing yet. 

Wherein Wife and Baby come hear me sing Bach and Williams with the TSO.

Wherein my favorite Primary tradition continues for the 4th year!

Wherein I am amazed at how marvelous this movie is.

Wherein Little Mister and I are vest buddies on Christmas Eve.

Wherein we try out our new phone with a front-facing camera!

Wherein I try out my new at last running shoes.

Wherein I pose cheesily with my favorite Christmas present, which I call Coco.

Wherein we go to a merch pop-up of the Wizarding World of HP.  Almost like almost like the real thing!

Wherein this wasn't anywhere to be found in stores so we bought it ASAP (even though I know you can listen online... it's just nice to have).

Wherein we cling to the gingerbread feeling by finding any and all local light displays (this was at University Mall, er... Place).

Wherein the NYB pulls through yet again.

Wherein the kids are very fancy with their breakfast beverages.

Wherein The Wife figured out an ingenious way of getting the Christmas cards to stop falling off the front door every ten minutes -- take them off and hang them up somewhere else. 

Wherein The Boy Who Lived rings in the New Year on my desk at work.

Every time I have choir things coming up I have this underlying and ominous dread that something will happen the day before and I'll get really sick or lose my voice or whatever, but luckily another Christmas season has come and gone with much singing and no serious illness, so I think that's reason (for me at least) to rejoice.  It was a really lovely Christmas with lots going on and so much fun and going to church the day before was a perfect way to keep grounded amid all the festivities and remember the Point in the first place.  2018 is going to be just marvelous.

P.S. These days we get sleepy pretty early and one or both of us heads to bed shortly after the hour hits double digits, but this year I totally scored my NYE midnight kiss. ;*

A Merry and a Happy 2016/7

Quick, before it's February!

We did have a great Christmas and here's a little rundown of the funtimes leading up to the Day.

In the months before, it should be noted, I was participating again in a fun local choir, and then when I went to my sister's orchestra concert and saw that they were teaming up with a different local choir to do John Rutter's Gloria, I was like, oh hey, I should go to that!  And then I was like... oh hey, I should BE in that.  So I looked them up and joined my third concurrent singing group (if you count ward choir, which I do) just so I could check this little number off my list:

Helloooooo, there.  It's been a while.

Yes, it was glorious, and yes, I am so glad to have sung JR's Requiem, Magnificat and now Gloria.  It was great to sing with the TSO again, even though scheduling conflicts prevented my sister from participating this time (though she could attend in the audience, which was fun!) and even besides the Gloria it was a reaaaaally great program of orchestral and choral music (Rutter AND Wilberg AND Silvestri AND Anderson AND Handel in the same concert??).

That did of course take up a lot of time in the evenings (thaaaaaank you Wiiiiiiife) and led to a few scheduling conflicts but I enjoyed it so I'm really glad I was able to sing in both.  Ah, the life of a musician at Christmastime.

Then it was winter!  We went on a cool drive-through lights show in Provo (thanks, KSL Deals) and listened to a lot of Christmas music and enjoyed delivering treats to neighbors.  We also have had a lot of snow this year so I put the little humans to work.

Earning their keep at last!

The we had our ward adult Christmas party, including a talent portion, for which I engaged the services of Dad and Brok to sing Star Bright.  My limited guitar skillz were more than adequate and I'm so glad, after hearing my mom and sisters sing together so beautifully for so many years, that we boys have had the chance to do the same a few times.

I only messed up the words once.  I don't think anyone noticed.

We took the kids to see a live Nativity at the mall, which was fun and interesting and featured free cider and rolls and live local choirs, including one gospel group that were so into those Handel selections.  The animals were present pretty early on but the human portions took a little time getting there, but when they did we had a great time and the kids were into it and it's always great to have more opportunities to talk about the reason for the season.

Live Nativity!  With a camel and everything!

There was no shortage of festive wear and appropriating decor at the house:

Li'l reindeers love eggy breadies.

And then when we found out about the Yule Ball happening at a nearby event center (that is literally a castle) we had to go!  We teamed up with one of my oldest friends from junior high and her new beau and picked up some nachos supreme beforehand and then headed up for all the fun times, including dancing, (terrible) trivia, animals, (literally) snacks and cheeses, fairly good HP-themed beverages, fun photo opportunities, and a Horcrux hunt (we found them all, sorry, Big V).  If they do this again next year I think we might feel like going again.

Though this time we'll bring our wands (which I remembered until it was time to go).  WHY OH WHY did I forget our wands?  I'm a bit ashamed about it.

See??  A castle!!!  It was made for this kind of event.  And also apparently wedding receptions and probably proms and such.  But especially this.

The week before Christmas we had our 3rd Annual Primary Christmas Concert, which is always a good time.

This is one of my favorite new traditions.

And then our Temple Square appearance concluded all my Christmas choiring (except if you count the ward choir program on the day, which I do).  I carpooled with Mom and Dad.

They are so nice and good to support all my musical endeavors for all these years, including schlepping all the way up to SLC and sticking around past their bedtime (especially since they were my ride).

We had tree struggles this year since our usual outlet of Costco sold out much earlier than expected, but our Lowe's backup was all right, though it never quite stood up straight.  But we bought some new all-silver decorations (and will need new lights next year, bah, don't ask) and called the result Fleur Delacour.

Redecorated just in time for the big day, and ambiance enjoyed by Sir Waffles.

Then we had Christmas Day!  Of course it started out bright and early with our church meeting with the adjusted holiday schedule.  I must confess that I was preeeeetty miffed when I heard about it (it's hard enough to get toddlers ready and out the door by 9 on a regular day, let alone an hour earlier on Christmas morning!) but it worked out fine, mostly because:

This is what happens when your stake decides your ward's meeting at 8 am. *facepalm*  Get dressed super quick and scurry scurry scurry down the stairs!

And then we had our program and I sang O Holy Night and Santa Claus apparently came while we were gone and took down those sheets and a lovely gifting was had by all.

See, he did come after all.

And how!  Super Kitty and Baby Dolly with all the trimmings!

Yayyyy for us.  I'm glad that for now Santa still remembers the parents in this house.

And it was such a nice day overall and we had the usual Eve and Day traditions and were so glad dearest youngest sister and fam are back in town so they can participate.

Who needs to take a family picture??  But really, it would have been nice to take one, but this will have to do.

But really church is a great place to be on Christmas Day, early AM and all.  We took time to watch the Nativity video (thank you, YouTube) and Mickey's Christmas Carol and have been making efforts to really instill in these little ones the importance of that Night and that Star and that Baby and they are really starting to get it, which is so touching.  How grateful we all must be.

And then here's the P.S. you've all been waiting for.  The New Year's Baby continues to grace us with a nighttime visit.

Don't laugh about the sock bouquet or the wedged-in Malt-O Meal, we were both really excited about them.

And then it's always hard to head back to work after a nice long break, but it was nice to be driving again under this banner:

Thanks to all the conspirators who aided Santa in delivering this hidden in my whale-shaped butter dish (don't laugh about that either, I'm so glad to have one with a handle, you have no idea).

And that's it for now!  It felt busier than last year but still really pleasant and nice and memorable.  A lot of people keep hating on 2016 and it's true there were some really awful things for a long time but overall I thought it was a good year and ended in a much better place than I ever thought possible all things considered, so I'm looking forward to 2017 with cautious enthusiasm.  I'm trying to limit negative things in my life (and hopefully be less of a negative thing in others' lives) and focus on what's really important.  There's so much to be thankful for and to look forward to, so that's what I'm trying to do.

We Wish You a Merry... and a Happy... (2015-2016)

Just a quick post with more details about Christmas before I forget them all...

What a wonderful Christmastime was this last!  It was busy and crazy but fun and snowy and all the things that Christmas should be.

:D

We thought this tree looked like a Weasley.  Pigwidgeon it is.  (I will also say that I felt really bad throwing our tree out a couple weeks ago... It stood tall and strong and beautiful without being watered for days on the back patio and even after I put it on the curb.  Well done, Costco.)

Let's make a little list:

I was... recruited to sing with a fun community choir, which ended up being a lot more of a commitment than I expected, but also really enjoyable.  We had a handful of concerts in various venues (Temple Square was fun but a drive, and the AF library atrium is interesting for a chance, and a high school auditorium always brings back memories, though the Alpine Tabernacle is probably the best overall), and it gave me a chance to wear a sparkly bow-tie and cummerbund, so there is that.

 Our family Christmas portraits turned out beautifully and arrived just in time to put on display:

Thanks, Kami!

At work we had a white elephant exchange party, and in true white elephant fashion I found whatever I had on hand (not that I forgot until I arrived at work or anything...), and it turned out my gift was pretty popular and was traded around a few times.

If you think that I just found something in my car and put it in a gift bag... well, you're right, but I also embellished with a couple of wintertime accoutrements.

I didn't end up with this remarkable piece, but it was enough for me to know that it even exists (it's a musical box that plays The Entertainer).

We also had a team building activity building "gingerbread" houses. Mine is a miserable failure, but hey, I went out on a limb and tried to tie it to HP.

Sorry, Hagrid.

Then of course Star Wars was a thing going on, so we went to that eventually (we didn't plan on seeing it right away, but the threat of spoilers grew too great).  This was a Sunday morning art activity, which ended up featuring a certain young Jedi.

Wife, Rey and Baby Jesus.

 For Primary we had our 2nd annual Primary Christmas Concert, where each class takes a turn singing one song in front of the rest of the group and it turned out to be really great.  Some classes went above and beyond in preparing visual aids or learning sign language.

While I was at my Temple Square concert I took a few minutes to walk around and look at the lights in the rain.

 Then it was Christmas Eve and the kids were in bed and Santa was on the way and we realized that we haven't watched this in a while:

And then it was Christmas morning!  It's been interesting with two kids, one getting older and realizing what Christmas morning means, and trying to find a good balance of gift giving, and I really felt great about what we gave and how much.  It's hard because there are soooo many fun things and I feel like I said, "oh, he/she would totally love that" like a hundred times, but in the end they would love quite a lot of things, but that doesn't mean they NEED all the things.  As it is it's been almost a month and he's still not tired on that train or those tools.

We love Santa!  (But we love Jesus more.)

As for us, we treated each other to fun and great things, from literary adaptations (Jonathan Strange!  Far From the Madding Crowd!) to books (art and HP music and AG!) and some great supplies for my cubicle, and some unique touches as well.  That Hogwarts sweater quite becomes our favorite Gryffindor.

I'm kind of thinking he doesn't quite grasp the concept of stockings?  Or maybe he does and we're the ones who don't.

And then I decided I better take an extra day off work to spend the day with these three beloveds:

(The inclusion of the train was a coincidence in the first two, but totally planned in the third.)

We spent plenty of time with family and having the usual fun and foods (fondue) (pullaparrrrts...) (little buffet at home), and webcamming with our family in the Midwest and generally having a nice time, enjoying being home together, and watching the snow fall off and on.

as

My top Instaposts of the year.  Is it surprising that every single one features Poopsie?

New Year's Eve was fun with family goings-on and then, well, watching the ball drop on YouTube at around 10:37 and calling it a night.  Then of course it was time for the annual shave-and-a-haircut, which this year evidently meant going full-on buzzer without even the shortest attachment.  Brr.

Don't be deceived by her puzzled expression, she knew her daddy.

This middle step we like to call the 24601.

This was a really interesting year, from a lot of highs (a certain arrival in mid-March, lots of family visits, actual road trips) to a few lows (lost job, insane societal issues, new sleeping schedules), but we're the four of us standing tall.

I really think it was the merriest Christmas yet, at least for me, and there were many times when I just sat and observed and it was like Christmastime was all brand new again for me, whether sitting back watching my little ones just doing their thing on Christmas morning or learning some new Christmas songs or snuggling with my darling girl.  It's always sad when it's over, but hey, we're already 2/3 through January, right?

Bring it, 2016.