Ward Christmas Party!

Before the party, RJ and Sam excited!
Santa is not just for little kids!

Check out his blue, blue eyes! And yes, he wore cowboy boots again!

Maxwell in Concert A'Cappella Choir

If you don't have time for anything else today, listen to this one! Love it, love it! You can hear Max, deep low voice, loud. I was impressed with the sound this small group projected--we are in the back of the school auditorium. Thank you, Handel!

What do you love? What do you collect?

Do you love something so much that you collect it, surround yourself with it, people know what to get you for any celebration?

Once I collected rabbits (my living in Iowa phase) and then it was copper tea pots for awhile. I used to collect rolling pins until the number reached more than 20 and it was too many...I still collect cookie cutters, fabric, friends!

Now I beg people to let me paint their walls. Today I moved some of these small Lucy-isms to this wall, grouping them, and that left the pink wall free for me to paint!
Sonia inherited vivid red countertops and has always loved Lucy. She has a collection and found a theme for her kitchen after being inspired by another friend who has a "Gone With the Wind" living room!

We are NOT travelling for Christmas

Celebrating all December

Yesterday was Christmas Street Parade, downtown. All the local fire trucks come, dogs are dressed up as reindeer, soldiers, boyscouts, cloggers, dancers, 4 school bands. My favorite part was the bagpipes (we are Scottish), but I waved and cheered for everyone that came by. There was a girl in Roxie's class that recognized me from being Patriot Program mom. You know you live in a small town when you see the high school principal across the street with his grandkids and all the councilmen not only look familiar but you know their names before you see the signs on the sides of the floats. Almost all of the friends that came to Suzu's party walked down with us and we sat by another family from Church.
I love to see our kids be buddies. It warms my heart when they help each other, sit by each other, share...
Stewart reading a link from our Advent Christmas Chain. Each day has a devotional thought, scripture, hymn to sing, and a service activity suggestion. Today's was "Give away 2 of your toys and a bag of groceries anonymously."
12 snoman cupcakes (they look like lightbulbs) with coconut & cream cheese frosting, friend birthday party.
Suzu and G-ma Sandy share a homemade German Chocolate Cake today with family. I always make double the frosting, cousin Palmer-family style!

Dinner & Dancing Date

The adult Christmas Gala is something we look forward to every year. But every year I would end the night grumpy and nearly fighting. Why? Max has a concert on the exact same night, and we go from the dance to the Boychoir parking lot and sit and wait and wait (one time for nearly 2 hours) for his bus to come. I am grumpy-tired, usually need to go to the bathroom, and just want to be home already. All the good feelings gone. This year we had a plan: I was going to drive home from the dance with John's parents. But somehow we missed Max's drop off time and he missed the bus like he was missing his uniform tie (there is a family reward out for the finder). I feel bad that he missed his concert (he gets graded for each one) but it simplified our night.

The theme was International and the dinner entertainment included a visit from St. Lucia from Sweden, 2 blonds, 5 redheads, and one brunette, all from our ward!
Our camera had limited juice, and the flash was not cooperating, but I caught some action on the floor. Nicely attended, just under 100 people or so. Food was good, catered from the Bombay. Music started slowly, but with a DJ plan: all the group dances were first, the Cha-Cha, Electric Slide, Hooky Pooky, etc at the beginning, and then the slow songs and the 50's stuff and more slow and Funky, Salsa-ish (churn those elbows!), Conga, 2 Cowboy songs and even Boy George.
I bought a silly turquoise petticoat (a square dancing underskirt) and sewed it to the bottom of a sparkly tank top and wore it under a new black dress, all from the thrift store. Total outfit cost $11.50.
I look flushed and not as glowing happy as I felt--if the flash had been working you could see some SMILES! Whoohoo, especially when "Footloose" was played! John stood and just watched me go for a couple of minutes. We had a sweaty, great time. Life is perfect when it includes a foxtrot with a box-twinkle! (His tie matched my flaring skirt, which was really fun to spin in and fell the swirling fabric!)

Glad for Birthdays: 13 years ago Lucky!

Today is Grandma Sandy's birthday! 13 years ago I gave her a present that grows every year: Suzanna's birthday is also today!
I took this photo this morning of her! Great smile, and interesting to me that she cocks her head to the right naturally when she smiles. New teenager!
She wanted polar bears in her room. This was my gift to her. I didn't realize PB were on the extinct list--30 years estimated before they will die out living naturally. So this was like painting a Dodo bird on her wall?