What a Great Christmas Get-together!

The evening started with everyone filling their plate with food and heading for a place to sit down and eat
Most were too busy eating to pay any attendion to the camera.

Ditto.

Ditto again.

Then it was off to the living room to watch the Christmas Pagent.

More Pagent watchers.

First, Samuel the Lamanite (Bob) told of the Jesus yet to come.

Then Mary (Katie) was visited by an Angel (Carly).

Eventually Joseph (Bill) and Mary (Katie) welcomed Jesus (Jack).

They were visited by shepherds (Camilla, McKinley, and Will) plus a sheep (Sarah).

The shepherds in another pose.

Polly and her sheep put in an appearance too.

Close up of the Angel (Carly).

Wise men (Joel and Alex) joined in also.

Katie holds Jack while Aex looks on.

Jesus #1 (Jack) in the manger.

Jesus #2 (Lily) was almost too big for the crib.

Jesus #3 (Bruce) in a safer crib.

Next came the program led off by McKinley at the piano.

Sarah followed next.

Then Joel.

Molly and Amanda followed with a duet.

Finally, the Lundberg girls and their mom sang with Bruce in attendance.

Singing of familiarChristmas Carols with Norda at the piano came next.

Some of the singers.

The next day Will played in the snow while part of the family went skiing at Beaver.

And, finally, proof that we really did have a White Christmas!

Many thanks to all who could make it to Logan and we understand why some of you couldn't make it this year - maybe next time.

18th Ward Nativity Extravaganza

This morning we had our annual ward Christmas breakfast. This year the primary volunteered to join its quarterly activity with the breakfast so we were all treated to a wonderful nativity pageant complete with Samuel in Zarahemla and shepherds in Bethlehem. Marie was in charge of the music. It was great. She had all 16 of the activity day girls over to our house last Tuesday for a rehearsal. They made quite an angel choir!
The Sunbeams were the stable animals. Will was to be a sheep (with a real fleece from Aunt Jan like the other one in the photo), but when his friend Trevin refused to participate unless he could be a horse, I gave him a brown tunic to be a horse and then that was all willful Will wanted to be so he got a recycled star wars tunic and the two of them were happy horses. The two horses and the black and white cow (Jackson) started to buck during the final singing of Silent Night. As the cow was kicking up his back legs, his front arms failed to hold him up so he collapsed down on his face which gave him a bloody nose. He started to wail. Luckily his mother was quick to scoop him up and take him out.
Joel was the best singer and best out-fitted of all the shepherds. Notice the crook I fashioned out of a shovel handle, a curverd spare dryer part and some brown bag strips.
Sarah has a beautiful voice and a beautiful angel face.
The angel, the shepherd and the manger horse.

Christmas Past - The lasting tradition of the Christmas Pageant

1983 - Baby Paige in the role of Jesus with Allison, Kristin, Adrienne and John (L-R)

1983 - why has the pool cue fallen out of favor as a shepherd's staff? Kristin and Adrienne

1984 - Name this baby Jesus. Brian or Melissa?

1985 - It's a miracle, baby Jesus can walk!

1988 Laura, Brian, Melissa, Michael, John, Emily, Allison, Adrienne, Kristin, Paige

1990 - a year without a real baby Jesus. This year there will be three - Lily, Bruce and Jack (and if Mindy delivers early there could be FOUR)

1998 - some amigos, err Shepherds, are happier than others....

2000 - Joel, in his debut as baby Jesus, looks for a familiar face - and finds one!

2000 - Is that a camel in the middle of the picture?

2004 - Another miracle, Joseph found his long lost hat and the wise women from Russia visited in their fur hats

2007 - Polly negotiated her contract up until stage time while Jack wanted a costume change.

2007 - Jack channeling Brian from 1985

tongue twister

Can to guess who tongues are being displayed as part of Sarah's science project?
Lost in the David Archuletta corn maze at Thanksgiving Point.

Springville soccer season

Joel has blossomed into quite the soccer player. Participating in a BYU soccer camp last summer certainly helped. At the beginning of the season a neighbor offered his son $5 for any goal he made. Joel then came to me with a similar proposal. How could I say no? I had to keep up with the Hodsons. Joel's first three goals came on the two nights when I had work duties. I finally got to see a goal last saturday. I'm now happily out $20, but have added a new rule that there is a $20 limit on the season (at least coming from my wallet)

This kick resulted in his fourth goal of the season



While Joel plays soccer, Sarah has blossomed into a babysitter extraordinare. She entertains the gang of four kids on our street (all have big brothers on Joel's team) with all kinds of creative play. Two moms were so appreciative of her kinder care while they watch the games that they gave Sarah $20.

Will and his new spiderman back pack for his first day of two-mornings-a week pre-school.