'Tis the Season

Here is what Christmas morning looks like at the Smith house...

*Everyone liked their gifts. Hooray! There are a few exchanges to make, but for the most part I was successful! This brings me much joy. Kent has been very busy, so I pretty much did Christmas all on my own this year. He mentioned to me a few days before Christmas that he had no idea what anyone was getting. I told him to enjoy all the surprises!

*For the first time, all the kids did their own gift shopping this year. I had no idea what any of them were getting for each other, or for Kent and I. It was delightful to see what they came up with. It added a new dimension to Christmas that I absolutely loved.

*Our tradition of eating out on Christmas Eve was my favorite EVER! We went to Tepanyaki, where the kids were mesmerized by the Japanese chef who prepared our food on a flaming hibachi grill right in front of us. It was so fun. Afterwards we saw the adorable Disney movie, "Tangled" at Rachel's movie theater. She was working at the time--and she'd already seen it twice--so we waved to her as we passed the concession stand before and after the movie.

*When she got home a couple of hours later, we had our annual Christmas Eve devotional and singing of our favorite Christmas hymns. Kent read from Luke:2, and shared his testimony of the Savior. We ended with family prayer.

*I couldn't help but reflect that this is our last Christmas with all my chickies living at home. Mixed feelings about that! Next year Rachel will come home from college for Christmas. That will be great fun too, but this is definitely the end of an era.

*Kent is an amazing chef, every year I get him a new gadget or fancy appliance to help him expand his culinary skills. This year it was a George Foreman grill. He was thrilled, and he used it on every meal for the rest of the weekend. He made crispy bacon for breakfast, grilled burgers later that day, and barbecued chicken kabobs the next day for Sunday dinner. Awesome!

*Stefanie really wanted a new ripstick which I bought for her on sale a few weeks ago. I hid it away, and then totally spaced it until several hours after we were finished opening presents. She mentioned that was one thing she wished she would have received...and then I remembered. She was delighted when Kent brought it out, and was very forgiving of me for forgetting. I felt dumb, and have committed to being better organized next year!

*Overall, a great Christmas. The end.

She Knows the Secret

This year Stefanie finally admitted to me that she knows the truth about Santa. Hooray! I thought I'd be a bit sad with no more "Santa sneaking" at my house, but actually it has been a big relief! And now finally I can take credit for all my shopping and wrapping! She had fun with Santa anyway, taking a picture with him, and leaving cookies for him on Christmas Eve. It's a tradition!

Christmas Card, 2010

This was probably the most fun I've ever had creating a family Christmas card! I started by handing each member of my family a blank sheet of white cardstock paper, and making them pose with it. After about a week I had all the poses I wanted, and then came the fun part...Photoshop!! I love Photoshop, it is magical! Here is the finished product...

And here is our newsletter...

...this just in...we now interrupt the 2010 holiday season for a Smith family update...

*Kent's basketball team makes it to the final four of the state tournament * Stefanie fractures both bones of her left forearm in fall off a trampoline * Rachel takes the ACT test and begins applying for college * Braden turns 15-years-old and gets his driving permit * Kent and Janeal celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in New Orleans * Rachel earns her young women's recognition award * Stefanie, age 11, excels in her last year of elementary school * Smith family spends spring break hiking in Snow Canyon * Braden enters his first year of high school * Rachel sings alto in high school madrigal choir * Janeal finally passes both Praxis tests and retains her elementary teaching license * Braden's club soccer team are runners-up in the 2010 State Cup finals * Janeal and Stefanie make four batches of strawberry jam * Braden's braces are removed after two years of orthodontic treatment * Stefanie performs in her first dance recital * The family travels to Illinois for a Smith family reunion * Kent and Janeal attend a broadway production of "The Lion King" * Braden completes his Eagle Scout project collecting shoes for the needy * Rachel is named "maid-of-honor" at her aunt's wedding * Braden takes an ambulance ride to the emergency room after a collision during a soccer tournament in Denver * Kent attends a basketball coaching clinic in Las Vegas, Janeal tags along * Stefanie becomes "Alice-In-Wonderland" for Halloween * Braden wins a high school cross country race * Rachel's lacrosse team wins a fall league tournament * Smith family walks the highwire at a Kindred family reunion in Heber * Braden makes the high school sophomore basketball team * Rachel celebrates her 18th birthday the day before Thanksgiving * The Smith family wish you all a merry Christmas and a joyous new year *

...please excuse this interruption...we now return you to your regularly scheduled holiday activities...

Sunrise

This morning as Rachel was rushing out the door to school, she hesitated at the doorstep to call to me to come see the sunrise. It was spectacular, with fingers of light stretching out through the sky. I was overcome for a moment with feelings of happiness and gratitude, and then I ran to grab my camera. What a way to start the day!

Christmas Music

Oh, how I love Christmas music! This time of year it constantly fills my home, my car, and my classroom. My kids love playing and singing Christmas piano music...sometimes all of three of them at the same time!

This is my fourth year of directing my elementary school chime choir, I founded the group after my principal ordered a set of chimes for the school. They are not cheap, a six-octave set costs over $2000 dollars, but they make the most priceless, beautiful, heavenly sound. Directing this group is A LOT of work, but so much FUN! It is an audition group, I hold try-outs every October. I require that my chimers have had at least one year of piano lessons, and be able to understand basic timing and notation. It breaks my heart when I have to make cuts, I have more and more kids trying out every year, and I can only keep twelve, I wish I could keep them all! (I keep Stefanie every year!) We practice in my music room every Wednesday after school, and have had many performance opportunities. This year so far we have performed at an evening concert, two community events, and a school assembly tomorrow morning. Next week we have two more. Yesterday we performed for an hour for the shoppers at the local Walmart--that was a hoot! We had crowds of curious shoppers gathered around us, applauding after each number.

Rachel loves singing with her high school madrigal choir. This year they have performed many places, including Temple Square and several concerts and community events. Her choir director is amazing, she is a member of the Tabernacle choir, she directs, accompanies and choreographs every number, Rachel loves her. I'm so grateful she's having these wonderful experiences with her choir.

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I am constantly either listening to, humming, singing or directing a Christmas song...I made a list of my top ten favorite Christmas songs, they are...(don't laugh)

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#10: All I Want for Christmas Is You...Mariah Carey

#9: Last Christmas...George Michael & Wham

#8: Little St. Nick...Beach Boys

#7: Do You Hear What I Hear...Martina McBride

#6: Santa Baby...Eartha Kitt (the 50's version)

#5: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Andy Williams

#4: Where Are You Christmas?...Faith Hill

#3: Breath of Heaven...Amy Grant

#2: Mary Did you Know...Wynona & Kenny Rogers

#1: O Holy Night...Josh Groban