24 December 2023

We hiked Upper Table Rock to celebrate the Winter Solstice, getting to the top before sunrise. Which wasn't too bad since sunrise was at 7:37 am. The valley was fogged in below us, but we got a little blue sky and a bit of the sun up on top.

Helen wanted to make gingerbread houses. Becky mixed up the dough and Helen and Gibson took over from there with each of them baking and decorating a house.

Gibson built a traditional A frame.

This is a photo of their completed houses.

Our friend is currently the activities director at an assisted living facility. She called Brandan to ask if a group from our church could sing Christmas carols for the residents the week before Christmas. Between holiday travel plans and sickness, only one other family was able to join us. The residents gave us a warm welcome and invited us back for next year. This is a photo of Gibson with the event calendar for December. We're listed as carolers from The Church of Later Day Saints. Close.

After caroling we visited Andy and Willie to play Christmas music. Helen and Gibson played several pieces and then Helen accompanied us on the guitar so we could sing.

Abe arrived Friday morning and Sofi and Nate came on Saturday. We baked sugar cookies on Saturday morning.

The kids got a little nutty making cookie mashups like a moose-bear, a centaur and a bird-cupid.

We had an appointment for baptisms at the temple at 2 pm. It was great to be in the temple together.

We had the Thurmans for dinner on Saturday night since their kids being in town overlapped with our kids for a few days. After dinner, we decorated the sugar cookies we made earlier. From the left are Johanna holding baby Emi, Tyler, Khaloni, Kaleesi and Blake.

Here's Sofi with Emi. Emi was born in September and is wide eyed and watchful.

Camden is in the corner of this photo with Helen, Ed and Gibson.

Abe decorated a cookie to look like an American bison.

Later we watched a Christmas movie and played Bingo.

We accidentally left the raspberries out of our Buche de Noel and cut it open to slide them in before we frosted the cake.

A thick layer of chocolate ganache disguised the surgery.

Christmas Eve was Sunday and a special Christmas service at church. Helen played the piano in a trio with Beka and Helen on the piano and Andrea on the organ for Angels We Have Heard on High for the opening hymn. The meeting was packed with music and ended with Brandan giving a talk about the happiness of savoring Christmas.

We finished the night with our traditional Christmas program, including reenacting the nativity story. This year Nate was Joseph, Sofi was Mary, Helen was the narrator/piano player, Abe was the angel and Gibson, Becky and Brandan were innkeepers, shepherds and wise men.

Here's another photo from Christmas Eve.