One of my favorite parts about Christmas this year was participating in the Mormon Chorale and singing many beautiful songs about the Savior. I enjoyed playing the piano for two of the songs, as well. We had three concerts and did the same program every time (aside for the soloists—for the first concert Kenneth Cope was our soloist), and I loved every minute of performing (except during the last concert when I had to keep sitting down because I was dizzy and on the verge of fainting). During the second concert I had an especially wonderful experience. We were singing for a ward in my stake at their ward Christmas gathering, and somehow there was some scheduling confusion and we only had a very small audience. At first I was disappointed, but as we started the concert a very special feeling came over me, and I knew that there were people in the audience that needed the message of the music that we were singing. During “Redeemer of Israel” (I never would have thought until then that it was a Christmas song), the words of the song sunk in like they never had before, and I felt a great love for the Savior and an overwhelming desire to share the message of His life and mission with others. I couldn’t keep the tears out of my eyes (and anyone that knows me knows that it take a LOT to get me to cry), and that feeling stayed with me for the rest of the concert. I’m having a hard time capturing my feelings of that night into words, so I’ll just say that my testimony was strengthened and I felt a great deal of joy.
Other highlights of Christmas time: decorating the house with Sally, baking with Sally and delivering our baked goods, teaching Sally about the nativity story, FHEs around the Christmas tree telling stories about Jesus and service, playing Christmas songs on the piano for Sally to dance and sing to (and for my nieces on Christmas evening), spending time in Utah with my family, taking Sally to Temple Square, getting Neal a gift that I’ve wanted to give him for along time and having him like it, enjoying a quiet and relaxing Christmas morning with Neal, Sally, my parents, and Grandma B. (Sally slept in until 9:00!), spending time at Al’s house (playing the Wii with Al and Neal, watching the BYU bowl game with the family), seeing Neal enjoy playing basketball with the brother-in-laws, and seeing Sally interact with her cousins and have a great time and very few sharing conficts.
There were just a few low points: on the way to Utah (Sally and I were alone, Neal joined us later), Sally threw up about 6 times in the bathroom in Denver (only the last 3 were in the toilet), again in the airplane lavatory, and once more all over me during the final descent into SLC. Also, Sally started to get homesick during our long stay at Grandma’s house. On Christmas Eve on the way back from the family party, she said “Mommy, where’s my brown car?” (we drive a brown Nissan), and before she started crying, started singing “Oh where, oh where my brown car go? Oh where, oh where cab it be?” (I’m sure you know the tune). Over the next few days she asked me several times to take her to “my own home, my own bed!” It was hard to explain to her about the distance between our house and Grandma’s house.
Some pictures from the Utah trip:
Neal and Sally at Temple Square. I knew that Sally would like Temple Square, but when she fell asleep in the car as we were looking for a parking spot, I almost told Neal to just drive back to my parents' house instead. I'm glad that I didn't, because, much to my surprise, Sally enjoyed every minute and didn't complain a bit about being awakened from her sleep and removed from the warm car and carried out into the frosty night. She loved seeing the nativity scenes, the temple, and, of course, the lights.
Me and Sally enjoying our outing.
The cast of the yearly Christmas Eve pageant at my Grandma Dickson's house. Neal was a good sport and agreed to be a wise man. After the pageant we had a sing-along, and Sally made herself the center of attention by dancing around the room while everyone sang.
My attempt at getting Sally to smile for a picture.
Neal's somewhat more successful attempt at getting Sally to smile for a picture.
Sally discovering her choo-choo train from Santa.
Sally and Neal.
Our family on Christmas morning.
Playing dress-up with our gifts.
I hope everyone had as nice of a Christmas as I did. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful family to share the holidays wit. I'm also so thankful that Neal didn't have to work the week of Christmas--I never expected that he'd get assigned that week for vacation out of all of the other weeks in the year!
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