Highlights of the end of November and first week of December

BYU women's soccer team advances to the national finals after beating Santa Clara U. December 3. Unfortunately they lost the national championship in penalty kicks to Florida State. 

Thanksgiving 2021 all together was fun, though we missed our California cousins and my siblings

Fun to have my three daughters: Anne (came for the week from England), Emily and Julie all together after 2 years of Covid.

We have a 'personalized' version of "We Gather Together" that we (many of us!) have been singing for 70(?) years before we eat.

                        Our Thanksgiving has always been 'potluck'

After dinner we sing and perform talents. Below are a few of our performers

        A casual group shot. Do you like John Carlston's pink socks?

         The following day we took a walk in barren Provo Canyon:

And then it's on to Christmas: 

                 Lucie and Emily participated in the local Santa 5k

Kelly and George sang with their HS madrigals group

    The Mission Training center where I volunteer is brightly lit.

Aaron celebrates his 15th birthday (with Hanukkah candles on cake!)

and then played Bach on his cello in a recital

One of my great joys is decorating for Christmas. With a new house I've had to figure out where to put things that had their special place in my Palo Alto home. As you can see, there is little snow left on the mountains, but lots of snow is predicted for tomorrow (in town, too!)
Let it snow! (I'm not so sure about that!)

Julie, Phoebe and I spent a few fun hours at the Christkindlmarkt (many many booths with very authentic, imported items from Germany, Austria and Scandinavia), at Heritage Park ("This is the Place" monument where Brigham Young and his party of pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847).

Then we went back 2 days later to hear Kelly, George and Ming Lu perform with their high school German classes. 

                  Ming learned to play the accordion just in time!

BYU has wonderful shows all year, but the BYU folk dance groups' Christmas Around the World was exceptional...a feast for the eyes and ears. The costumes and dances were spectacular! (no photos during the show). Then tonight I attended a concert of this folk ensemble, which was equally amazing! What talent these students offer us!

Our ward Christmas party was fun. Emily Deans (one of our friends from Palo Alto) leading the singing during the nativity pageant.

I enjoyed having dinner and practicing my Spanish with the sweet Vicente family from Guatemala who have been learning about our church.

May you have a wonderful 2 weeks before Christmas when we celebrate our savior Jesus Christ's coming into the world to teach us how to live, love and care for each other. May we feel peace and joy as we strive to follow his example.