Christmas Eve (12/24/23)

On Christmas Eve each year, my brother, Scott, brings his family for dinner and a Christmas program.  We sing "Holy Night" and "Away in a Manger," we listen to the Christmas story, read by me from Luke 2, Scott reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas," and the males in Scott's family sing "Santa Claus will Come Tonight", with Elizabeth chiming in to sing "Beep, beep" when they reach the part that says, "and a doll that says...".  This Christmas, Scott's son, Grant, and his grandson, Truman, joined the song, as did Jonny and Mike, to make a quorum.

Liz was in town from her first year as a Ph.D student at Harvard.  In this photo she is holding the family history gift that I give out each year.  This year the booklet is called, "Who Converted the Calders?" It contains the stories of how each of my great grandparents--the Calders, the Hamiltons, the Eyrings, and the Romneys--was converted to the LDS Church.  I obtained the names and profiles of the missionaries who converted them, which included two of the original apostles, Orson Pratt and Orson Hyde.

We eat a traditional dinner of ham, sweet potato casserole, consomme rice, and Scott's expertly prepared fresh fruit.

I love how my children's families intermingle--Steve and Jono are in Camille's family, Grant is in Lisa's family, and baby Calder is in Michael's family.

Audrey sang a song for the Christmas program, as her mother accompanied her on the recorder.