Stratford Family Fun at Christmastime

It is usually just once a year when our entire family gets together - 

Thanksgiving one year and Christmas the next. 

This year there were 34 of us - Sadie and Jake are on missions and Sydney and Jake Walker live in Hong Kong.

Thank you Mindy and Jeff, for taking it on!

And thank you, each of our five kids's families, for making the grand effort to come!

There is nowhere Roger and I would rather be than with our family!

Stacy, Tom and family got to Mindy's the night before everyone else got there, 

so Stacy, Roger and I made cheesy veggie soup and taco soup and veggies and dip 

at Mindy and Jeff's before everyone arrived.

Everyone came hungry!

So fun to be together again.

The kids took turns hangin' out on the Lovesac.

Josh impressed all the little kids with his mastery of the Rubic's Cube. 

He still remembered how to line it all up fast, which he figured out long before his mission.

Claire loved making friends with Addie's cat, Adele.

So great to have all of our kids under one roof again!

The kids started catching up with each other and the stories began spinning!

Next day, the girls all met up at City Creek for some shopping

 before we headed over to the Grand America for a High Tea.

All of us girls (6 years old and over) looked forward to this and got dressed up for this special treat!

First we had a small whipped strawberry trifle, then they took our orders for herbal tea or hot chocolate. 

Next came the scones with clotted cream, homemade lemon curd and strawberry jam.

To die for!

And a variety of tea sandwiches - Yum!

The macarons absolutely melted in your mouth - best I've ever had!

This is the first time Anna ever tasted a macaron. 

She has Ciliac Disease and always before when she would inquire if the macarons were gluten free, 

they weren't. This time they were!

What a fun girlie experience with our daughters/granddaughters!

Now on to the next thing!

A little later the adult girls met up with the men for a tasty Mexican meal at Milagro's.

It was then off to the puzzle/escape room.

The group is given one half hour to escape out of the room 

by solving a large and complicated series of puzzles from clues. 

Many locks needed to be unlocked before the escape door could be unlocked.

Whoa, did our kids get down to it! 

Victory!

We just made it out with about 30 seconds to spare!

To be continued . . .

Kicking Off Christmas

Well, somehow I have managed to get the cart before the horse,

but I wanted to include some of the fun events that led up to our 2017 Christmas season.

We decorate our home so much simpler than we did when our kids were home in Ogden.

I would spend at least three days taking things off bookshelves and replacing them with collections of snowmen, 

Santas and nutcrackers. 

I would set up two or three trees in different rooms of the house and I would literally deck the halls.

Now we set up a table top tree, a few Nativities and stars and ornaments hanging from our chandeliers.

What has kicked off our Christmas in a beautiful way for the last three years

is driving to Mesa to hear Ben sing with the East Valley Millennial Choirs and Orchestras.

Ryan treats us to this fabulous event every Christmastime and Easter time, 

and it has never failed to bring tears to our eyes listening to 600 plus voices, 

ranging from the little pre-schooler choir up through a trained and excellent adult choir.

And the orchestral performance is magnificent!

I would defy anyone, after hearing this performance, to not feel the Christmas Spirit!

Emily has supported Ben 100%, giving up countless hours bringing him to and from rehearsals 

and helping back stage.

Aunt Stacy is always there, supporting Ben in this special event and pretty much all of his other ones.

She has such a big heart and is a wonderful cheerleader!

Ben's Fan Club

Pete plays soccer on his high school varsity soccer team.

His birthday is in December, so we gave him some personalized M & Ms in a soccer shoe.

It was great staying with Ryan and Em and family for a couple of nights and we wish we could have stayed 

through Sunday, but we had to hurry home for a Christmas party and for choir practice on Sunday.

For our Sacrament meeting Christmas program this year, I asked each of our Branch Presidency 

to talk about their favorite Christmas hymn, then after each one spoke, our choir sang that hymn.

We sang, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day with a special narration, 

Away in a Manger with a female solo on the first verse, 

and Joy to the World with a male solo on the third verse.

Some branch members have told me that our program was their most special thing 

that happened at Christmas.

I am so grateful for the love and support I feel from our little branch choir.

And while I am talking about wonderful Christmas programs, Roger and I got to go hear my sister, Kay, sing in the Keynotes Christmas program.

For many years she was its leader, then when she and Ken went to Japan on their mission, 

three other members stepped up to do what she had been doing so that it would continue. 

When she got back, they said, 

"Kay, would you like to be the leader again?"

"Oh, no, I'm just enjoying singing!" she said.

As always, we thoroughly enjoyed it and the talents of the members.

We had lots of fun at several parties and get-togethers.

Chamber of Commerce Christmas dinner and white elephant exchange

Branch Christmas Dinner and Program

NAI Christmas Dinner at Magelby's and Bitcoin The Wall game for prizes

Dinner at Taylors with Bradys, then the Heritage Choir Christmas Concert 

featuring Jenny Oaks Baker and Children

My wedge salad

Anne made a delicious pot roast with twice-baked potatoes and asparagus

The concerts of beautiful Christmas music praising our Savior and the festive parties and get-togethers 

were all wonderful this year, all helping us get ready and in the mood for Christmas.

And, of course, the very best part of it all was to come - being with our family for Christmas!