Santa and All That

Dave and Gretta spent a lot of time on the phone, since Lisa, Camille and their families celebrated Christmas at home in Seattle and Boston. We missed them, but understood their hesitation to brave icy roads and crowded airports, as storm after storm pelted Utah and turned our world to white.

We enjoyed the Spendlove Christmas party on December 23, Christmas Eve at Grandma Calder's house, and breakfast Christmas morning with all the grandmas and grandpas, Michael, Jenny, and Jonny.

All of Scott's kids were home for the holidays, and it was fun to talk, on Christmas Eve, with John and Jacquelyn about Philadelphia and thier new baby due in May, with David and Vanessa about their move to San Francisco next spring, and with Grant and Jamie about the major remodeling to their condo overlooking the city. Tara was in Oregon visiting family, but Scotty was at the party with a new, bushy beard. Elizabeth was just back from the BYU Center in Jerusalem, and told about visiting Bethlehem, sealed off from Israel by a 30-foot concrete wall. We got together at 8 p.m., and everyone was having so much fun that we didn't head home until 11!

Grandma read the Christmas story from the Bible, Scott's family sang "Hang Up the Baby's Stocking," and Jonny read an original poem on lust, heritage, his facial hair, and the American dream. He had composed the poem for his East High friends' annual Christmas party. Jonny was appropriately dressed, to create ambience for his poem, in tight jeans, huge silver belt buckle, beige vest, and turtleneck sweater.On Christmas morning, we didn't have the entire living room filled with Christmas gifts, as when the Flindts and Eberts are home, but we still had plenty.

To foster the Christmas spirit, Dave made a fire and bought a new ornament for the mantle.Jonny made crepes, which we filled with nutella and berries for a Christmas morning feast.We relaxed and just enjoyed each other's company!

Starry Seattle

The Flindts didn't make it to SLC for the holidays, so Gretta went to them. The big event was Michael K's 15th birthday on December 13. Gretta, Kyle, and Lisa took Michael to dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant, where he ordered a huge plate of enchiladas and fried ice cream. We also celebrated at a family dinner, with a chocolate cake and candles.

While Kyle and the big boys completed a Scout project, Lisa and Gretta took Kirsten, Bryce, and Alyssa to the Museum of Doll Art in Bellevue. There were rocking horses, dollhouses, and room after room of dolls from many countries and ages.


We also stopped at the Bellevue Art Museum, with craft displays inside and an irresistible metal sculpture outside that we could stick our heads through!
Kyle and the boys joined us Saturday night for a trip into downtown Seattle to see a collection of gingerbread houses with the theme, "Superheroes."
We then had treats in a downtown plaza lighted by the Christmas star on Macey's. Kyle and Lisa took Bryce and Alyssa for a ride on the carousel, while Michael, Spencer, Grant, and Kirsten all had "elephant ears," fried in an outdoor stall and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Our adventure filled us all with excitement for Christmas!

Strange Folk

They were a deceptively normal-looking crowd, as they sat for a holiday supper on December 7. Then, someone suggested that everyone make an "ugly face" for the camera, and their true selves shown through:

The Party--all Purple and Gold

The triumph of spiritual over secular, baroque over simplicity! After our 1940s party last Christmas, the bishopric wanted something with more of a Christmas message (wasn't recognizing the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 6 message enough?). Our theme this year was "King of Kings," with the cultural hall swathed in purple butcher paper covered with 100 gold foil stars cut out by David in trade for Gretta's services, and 100 pictures of Jesus from the ward library. The West High choral group sang carols, the Primary children sang carols (dressed as shepherds, angels, and Roman legionnaires), and we wandered amidst a display of creches from ward members' homes. (That's Catica Cole's little boy posing in front of his grandmother's creche.)

There was lots of good potluck food, served to lots of good people in their Christmas sweaters. The people were the best part of the party--Roger Young and Wynn Johnson in their red Christmas ties, Julie Monson with Marianne's little blond-haired boy, the Sandstrom daughter with "my two cousins," and Venice Rogers with the Brinton's son, enjoying a hug.

Gretta decided that making 300 chocolate covered cherries and wrapping them in gold and purple foil as table favors was a bit much, even for a lover of the baroque. David was relived when the party was over and he could return to his goal of simplicity in all things. In hindsight, the party was lots of fun.

Four Days of Thanksgiving--the St. George Gorge

We were few but special. Michael, Jonny and Jenny, and Grandma Calder joined David and Gretta for the Real Deal. Michael and Jonny told their mom that they wanted their Thanksgiving dinner absolutely traditional--none of that chile rub on the turkey and no pumpkin cheesecake. Gretta cooked the meal in five hours flat--turkey and corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy (fixed by Jonny), sweet potato casserole, salad, homemade rolls with jam, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

We then congregated in St. George for the rest of the holiday weekend, watching football games, playing board games, and eating. Michael brought his friend, Tom Woolsey, and the two of them drove to Vegas.
We ate the second Thanksgiving dinner of the weekend on Friday--Grandpa Spendlove's leftovers. He bought a $44 Thanksgiving special for four at Smiths. It was actually very good, and it was fun to be with Grandma and Grandpa. They brought out their domino game and also told us how much better Grandma's back is now.
Dave enjoyed running with Jonny. Part of the pleasure is that, even with his 11 minute mile, Dave still did better on the last couple of miles of the 6-mile run than Jonny did. That might be changed with a little practice on Jonny's part...
Michael's beautiful rendition of Chopin's Polonnaise was improved by the visit of the piano tuner on Saturday morning. The piano hadn't been tuned in eight years, so it took three hours for the piano tuner to nurse it into shape!
Dave and Gretta spent Saturday afternoon at Zion National Park, feeling gratitude for the spectacular redrock country.