Remember Christmas 2017?

Christmas is such a magical time of year. It draws us closer to the Savior and to each other. In spite of being busier and more distracted than ever, we have increased capacity to feel deeply and poignantly. And, it's thrilling to see it through the eyes of a child.

I thought it would be fun to let the little kids help me place the trees and people around the Christmas village and wow did they ever do a good job. Calvin was so focused and careful with setting up every single tree and person, that I left everything in the middle of the living room floor exactly the way he arranged it, until a couple of days before Christmas, and then I moved some things under the tree.

The "Light the World" campaign the church did for 2017 was genius. Whoever thought of using vending machines is a genius. It had the power to connect our effort to contribute money toward helping those in great need, and then actually see a packet drop down into the bottom of the vending machines that said "ONE CHICKEN" or another tangible item. I did a presentation about it at the conference center, and went over to the Joseph Smith building first and chatted with a missionary who informed me that we weren't actually buying a chicken, but the amount of money we were giving would go directly to purchase something (possibly a chicken) to help those in need. I was a little disappointed. I wanted an actual chicken registered in my name.

This picture was on my camera roll when I downloaded everything from my phone and it's kinda funny. Like I mentioned earlier I have to do a "resource" presentation to my Monday shift every sniggle week. That's a lot to come up with. So what I've been doing is thinking of all the different buildings and sites we see when we're standing on the roof of the conference center and then using one every week as the focus of my 4-minute ditty. People always ask me "What's that building? (pictured here) and I am never sure what it is. So, one day I stopped by the recommend area and asked the elderly gentlemen at the desk what that building was and they had no idea what I was talking about! So I went out and took a picture with my phone and went back in and showed it to them and said "THIS!" And they still weren't sure! I'm pretty sure it's a chapel that's hardly ever used.That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

We also got to go enjoy the lights at Temple Square with Tony and his family. Isn't it awesome that we all have cameras on our phones? When I worked at Valley, 25 years ago before this explosion of technology, one of the 20-somethings who worked part-time for us would rhapsodize about hiring a personal photographer to follow her and her family around and document their life. Now we have it. We're our own personal photographers.

Reagan must have been off being her own personal photographer in this photo!

There we go, all nine in one frame!

There are lots of places to see Christmas lights, but none quite like having the Temple in the middle of everything. Such a peaceful, yet vibrant feeling everywhere.

Tony's arm makes the perfect length selfie-stick.

A December robin.Thanks for sticking around.

It was awesome to watch the stage being built for the Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert. I saw the side panels pictured here with the four circles in them and wondered what it was going to end up being. Turns out it was representing a SHIP! The whole stage was turned into a SHIP!

I went online to try to get tickets but didn't get any. I also tried to get a couple tickets to Hamilton last month (for Tony, I've never listened to the music myself) but wasn't successful at that either. I'm not a conspiracy theorist per se but sometimes I feel like there are strings being pulled behind the computer when tens of thousands of us jump on at the same time to try to win the virtual lottery for a ticket (but my conspiracy theories have one interest now, after reading a biography of Lyndon Johnson oh my GOSH I think he actually may have conspired to have Kennedy killed!).

But lo and behold I have someone who pulled strings! Denny scored three tickets from her friend who sings in the choir (and her friend said she doesn't give tickets to people if they ask for them, she only gives tickets to people if they DON'T ask!). So thanks for NOT asking, Denny! (It helped that the lady owed Denny a huge favor ) And thanks for not being able to go Joey! And thanks for picking ME Denies!

Here's Lou when we picked her up from the airport from Rexburg and on her way to fly home for Christmas and go on their cruise. It's been so great to be able to see her more frequently since she's out West! We sure love her tons!!

Whenever I take a picture of food I always think of Forrest. He liked Emeril Legasse and got to eat in his restaurant in Las Vegas and I will always remember his pictures and excitement.
This is a picture of a sublime seafood salad I got to eat for the second time, at Willow Creek Country Club. See the little net over the fresh lemon? WHO KNEW? It's to keep the seeds from coming out when you squeeze the fresh lemon juice!

We were guests of our friends Rich and Shari Gibbons (they are the South Jordan equivalent of the Hancocks....as in we try to know someone lots richer than we are!). Pictured here: The Allens (Rich and Shari's new neighbors who I don't know very well); Rich and Shari; the Sweats; Roger and Marcie Halterman.

Happy Christmas Eve 2017!

I'm so glad Tony remembered that I love to turn off the lights for a minute and just have candlelight. I'd forgotten all about that! But I DID remember to have macaroni and cheese :-)

And we let the candles burn right down to the nubbins.

For the tenth year in a row, Jane was a sheep.

Angels from the realms of glory and a King waiting in the wings of the hallway.

King Calvin presenting frankincense in a stately, mature manner....................

 .....much more dignified than the unrighteous dominion as a shepherd exhibited when he was two...........

 ...................or his smoldering shepherd from a few years ago :-) (with good old Jane playing the part of a sheep.....).

.............although this year King Calvin did tire toward the end..............

Truman was a "free-range" shepherd in 2017.

And then he got a horse for Christmas. He loves horses.

Lauren got Heinz 57 sauce, keeping the tradition alive. And Reagan must have really liked whatever she just opened!

I really kinda love this picture! A few years ago I helped with the RS Christmas party and Debbie and I made matching scarves for all the ladies who sang (but obviously didn't let them keep them ha!).

Tony channeling his inner Hugh Jackman?

Music and Christmas.......and FYI, looking toward our family reunion this summer!!!  I'm seriously considering renting a recording studio when everyone is here the first week in July and cutting some Sweat grandkid tracks.  Seriously! I talked to a dude and told him his website looked the least scary of any of them I found doing a google search. He was very proud of that.

Then on Christmas day our tradition is to drive to Springville and see their presents and eat Cindy's home made Cinnamon rolls...............

.... and this year oh my gosh they were in matching PJ's!

And finally, to close out 2017, I zipped out to Sagewood on New Year's Eve. Mom and dad were good sports about wearing the party hats (although it's almost like the employees at Sagewood are dealing with pre-school kids and handing them birthday hats, you know?). Mom and dad are naturally so dignified. But, hey, it brought a smile to my mom's face over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over....every time she looked into a mirror and she'd see the hat it made her laugh.

And yes, we called it good at 9:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve! At least I didn't iron this year. I did for a couple of years. And LIKED it! Love, Mom