'tis the season

Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in the mundane. You all know the drill: schoolwork, laundry, dishes, meals, messes, snotty noses, diapers. Sometimes it seems to suck all the energy right out of me. On the other hand, I really try to focus on the good things. When it starts to feel like its too much and I just can't take it anymore (funny how this seems to coincide with that certain time of the month), I try to buck up, sing a little Zippety-doo-dah and get back on my merry way.

Since this is the season to be jolly after all, I've been trying (and sometimes failing) to do just that. Once again we are doing our Advent Activity calendar. Some of the activities have not worked out for one reason or another but most have. Among other things, we baked sugar cookies, colored Christmas pictures, watched Christmas movies, drank hot chocolate. I got to go see my sister in A Christmas Carol.

Last Saturday was Christmas Around the World. This year was the 50th anniversary. In the morning, Dave and I attended a reunion breakfast. It is always great to see old friends and once again recognize how fantastically blessed we were to have been folk dancers. My parents were in town to see my brother and his wife in the show. They graciously took the kids to the BYU employee Christmas party with the Daniel grandparents. After the breakfast, we met up, sent the kids home with Dave so Emma, Mom and I could spend the rest of the day shopping. It was my semi-annual day of shopping. I only do this when Mom or my sisters are around. We finished the outing with dinner at Shoots.

Then it was off the Marriott Center for the show. Before the performance, they had a video playing on three ginormous screens of performances of Christmas Around the World through the years. It was really fun to catch a few glimpses of myself up there. The show itself was great this year too. Yeah, folk dance!


Last night, Dave and I were given tickets at the last minute to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. Despite the bitingly cold temperatures and having to sprint the five blocks to get there, we enjoyed it. I do not think Natalie Cole is much of a singer but I love listening to the choir.

This morning we turned up the Christmas music nice and loud and danced around the kitchen. I definitely tend to the more subdued side so the kids always find it hilarious when I bust loose a bit. Tonight we will be attending our ward Christmas dinner. Emma and I will be playing Christmas music with a string ensemble as prelude. Afterwards, the kids are planning to sleep by the tree. Tomorrow is the ward breakfast with Santa.

My photos have been rather sparse so far this month. I must remedy that situation. I must document the rest of our activities like seeing the lights, making fudge, graham cracker houses, and caroling. Christmas is only two weeks away!