Merry Christmas

Our ward (church congregation) celebrated Christmas this year with a religious theme (i.e., de-santa-tized ). The gym was transformed into ancient Bethlehem and we dressed in clothing that was typical of the period. After enjoying some dates, nuts, unleavened breads, sheep cheese, etc., we gathered in the chapel and watched a brief film about the nativity.

A family that may have stayed in
the last vacant room of the inn [sorry, Mary]

The following night (Saturday) we invited my parents and all my siblings and their families over for a festive dinner. We had breakfast that morning at my parents' house. My dad greeted us with a tissue covering his bleeding nose. Unfortunately, he ended up having to go to the hospital to address the problem and missed our festive dinner, but luckily he made it back home that night.

Sitting down for dinner with 75% of my siblings
(and their respective families)

Between breakfast at the parents and dinner at our house, the boys and I went sledding on a giant hill near our house. When a big snow comes again we'll have to repeat the trip and bring our camera along.

On Christmas Eve we gathered at my parents' house and had "A Night in Bethlehem." My mom made costumes for everyone and we ate a variety of "Bethlehem" food on the floor of the "tent."

Our tent is full

My dad narrated the story of Christ's birth as we acted it out. Risa, my sister, was Mary (she is actually pregnant) and her husband, Collins, was Joseph. Their daughter, Lanelle, was their dutiful donkey. Logan (son of Alicia, my sister) was the baby Jesus.

Christ is born

Angels in heaven sing praises and hosannas

The shepherds in the field were sore afraid

St Matthew (Dad), the narrator

Kings from the East are sent by King Herod

King Herod and one of his little kinglets

Between scenes we all sang carols

We received some nice gifts during the gift exchange that followed. We were especially impressed with the quilts my mom made (featured below). The boys' names are embroidered on them and they match the themes of their rooms (Thomas-trains and Matthew-sailing).

Quilts for the boys

Remote control trucks that zoomed
around our feet most of the evening

Later we sang more Christmas carols in four-part harmony accompanied by live piano music. Marshall (my bro) and his wife, Kirstin, felt the impulse to jump up and dance to one of the more lively tunes.

Marshall and Kirstin strut their stuff

We got home late and the boys went down almost immediately. Then we waited for Santa to come. He surprised us with some gifts by the tree and one large one that was in the basement. Thanks Santa!

Our new air hockey/pool/ping pong table

After opening presents and playing (and napping) for a while, we went over to my parents' house again for a Christmas lunch and more games and visiting.

Erika had the bright idea of displaying some of our Christmas cards on a door near our entryway. It's almost as if our friends all came for a visit. In addition to the cards, we have been pleasantly surprised with an unprecedented number of Christmas gifts/goodies from neighbors. I say unprecedented, not because I feel we deserved more in the past, but because we have never lived in a neighborhood like this where we are close friends with so many of the neighbors.

Our Christmas Greetings Door

Since this blog post is entitled "Merry Christmas" I started with our Christmas events. But a very special event occurred just prior to that: Matthew's 5th Birthday.

Birthday Breakfast
(with a gift created by Thomas on left)

Oh, to be 5 years old again!

Matthew was honored at preschool with a green crown.

Thomas and Erika attended preschool
to hear Matthew's birthday "spotlight"

A Christmas program (featuring Matthew) at a neighbor's house

Thomas went to a Christmas party at his good friend Josh's house. Afterwards, a couple friends from the party (Nick and Caleb) came to our house to play. Having just received some magnet toys on Matthew's birthday, Thomas and his friends found an interesting use for them - faux body piercing.

A disturbing, but funny, glimpse of our son as a punk

At work this week we had an office Christmas party. The managing partner started us off then strangely he just disappeared. A few minutes later, a hobo Santa barged in and danced around in his red PJ's with buttons pinned all over, a canteen full of fake booze, sunglasses, and a trucker's cap. He had various attorneys come sit on his knee to receive gag gifts (e.g., a survival kit in a sardine can to a new associate).

Last week our ward fasted for a couple people in the ward who have been diagnosed with cancer. With cancer weighing on our minds, Erika prompted me and I agreed to have a strange little lump in my arm taken out. We joked that it was as close as I would get to experiencing a C-section. The strange lump was a small white, likely harmless, little ball of tissue that now sits in a jar in a pathology lab somewhere.

My "C-section" scar

That's all for now. Erika has challenged me to a match of pool and I shan't be late.