Christmas Eve

 The excitement ran high on Christmas Eve!  My brother Scott's family and our family traditionally share this special evening.  All of Scott's children but Elizabeth were with their inlaws this year, but what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in drama and high spirits.  After our very traditional dinner (I fix the honey-baked ham Scott and Jean give for Christmas, they bring fruit and pie, and I make rolls, salad, and scalloped potatoes),  we settled down in the living room for the Christmas Eve program.

Each guest told something special that happened to them this year, from Sam starting kindergarten to Emilie and Grant returning from missions and my discovering three of my eighth great grandmothers.

 I then moderated the talent show, youngest to oldest.

 Sam sang the "snowman" song his kindergarten class learned for their Christmas program, complete with hand actions and a bow at the end!

 Henry jumped up, sure he wanted to sing something, but not knowing what.

 He finally settled on "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

 Ezra gave Henry a "high five" for his performance.

 Mia did the dance she performed with Ballet West in The Nutcracker.

 Mia is an amazing gymnast, and jumped straight into the air!

 Alyssa played a piano solo, "Peace in Christ," which was the LDS Young Women's theme for 2018.

 And Bryce recited a poem by William Wordsworth, 'The Table Turn."

 The audience was most appreciative, including clapping and crying "bravo" for everyone's efforts.

The crowd's favorite, each year, is Scott and his sons singing, "Hang Up the Baby's Stocking," with Elizabeth chirping in "beep, beep," at just the right moment, to show what the baby doll says.  With Scott's sons out of town, this Christmas, in Portland, California, and Key West, the more musical Spendloves and Flindts stepped up to help--Spencer, Jonny, and Kyle (behind Elizabeth).  We finished with the old standards--Scott reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and me reading the Christmas story from Luke.  Another year, another sweet evening together.