Wow, so much fun in one month. It seems like we just go from one good time to another -- not to mention from one eating frenzy to another!
School
December is actually the beginning of a new term at school, so the kids spent the three weeks of school getting used to some new teachers and new classes. Elliot and Clark spent a fair amount of time rehearsing for the school Christmas Concerts. The school always records the concerts and so now we have a copy of Elliot playing the vibraphone and the marimba as part of a special percussion ensemble. If you click on the following links you will be able to hear it too -- fun! Elliot is the one you hear very first beginning We Three Kings, and then is the melody that you hear throughout Sleigh Ride.
This year my sister Megan decided to have a dinner in honor of our parent's December 2nd wedding anniversary. She wanted to use the Danish dishes that she inherited that had originally belonged to our Great Grandma Breinholt. All the siblings were able to come -- except, of course, Matt and Elasha who live in Pittsburgh and whom we miss terribly. It was a very nice evening and we got to sing Happy Birthday to Melinda's husband Jared who has a December 2nd birthday.
And so it came -- a mission call to McAllen Texas for Loren! He will be entering the MTC on February 22 and we are all very excited. Loren is very nervous and excited. He will be teaching in Spanish and in English. Elliot who is taking 6th grade Spanish was excited to have a language buddy until Alan let him know that in the first week at the MTC, Loren will learn more Spanish than Elliot has in the whole year!
Funny thing, this year Tess went to the Christmas Dance with Jarom Chung, the same boy she went with last year. He asked her with many intricately cut snowflakes hanging from her bedroom ceiling -- no two alike -- they are amazing.
Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's
As per tradition, we spent the Saturday before Christmas having "Christmas" with Alan's parents. We have a traditional breakfast -- this year Tess learned how to and helped make the family famous Potica. Then we sit around and open presents. Quite a lovely way to spend a day....
Cousins Christmas Get-to-gether
In the past all of the Morgan cousins have drawn names and exchanged little gifts. This year instead of gifts the cousins got together to play and to decorate gingerbread men. They don't get to just play together very often and so it was fun for them -- not to mention it was an unusually warm day and they were able to play outside for a change. Of course, the cookies decorating was great fun with a lot of creative use of frosting and candy!
Well, we had another nice Christmas. We always do -- we are so blessed with the bounties of life. Alan's parents and his Aunt Shirley came over Christmas Eve for dinner and then we watched some of our home movies of past Christmases when the kids were a lot younger. We finished the evening with dessert and with our "Gifts from the Heart." Then, thank goodness, Clark remembered to put egg nog and cookies out for Santa.
Christmas morning we see what Santa brought us and then we sit down to our own traditional breakfast. After gaining nourishment, we move on to opening gifts. It is fun to watch each person open their gifts and see their reactions.
I loved that Sunday was on Christmas this year. I think it is entirely fitting to be in church on Sunday remembering the greatest gift of all -- Heavenly Father sending his Only Begotten Son to atone for our sins. And of course, singing Christmas music as a part of the choir was rewarding as well. I wish we could go to church on every Christmas day....
This year we planned an extra fondue party to include my siblings and our cousin Morgan Anderson and his wife Sara. We have been wanting to get together with them for years, and this year we finally did. It was so fun to get caught up on family news and to renew old memories. We even pulled out a video of the old home movies my Dad took millions of years ago that showed us all as children sitting on Santa's lap at various Morgan Family Christmas Parties. How fun to laugh at us as children and to see our now deceased parents as young parents. We miss them, but know that they are watching over us and know our "doings."
We finished the month and the year up with our usual fondue party where we ate way too much and stayed up way too late.
Alan put together a page with our various online Christmas letters, including this year's. It also includes the lyrics to Grandfather Kringle and Grandpa Breinholt's birthday song (sung to the tune of 'Twas the Night before Christmas).