On our 2nd date Rock took me to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert and it was amazing.  Beautiful, powerful music that moved me so much I have always wanted to go back.  Tickets are next to impossible to get, though; you have to win a lottery in November to even get them.  But this weekend my wonderful husband totally surprised me with tickets to the concert! 

We were supposed to have some friends over for a game night on Friday but after dinner Rock handed me a wrapped envelope.  I opened it to find the MoTab tickets and he informed me that the game night was all a hoax to make sure I didn’t find out about the concert and our trip to Utah the next day.  He worked out a sitter for the kids (thank you Katelyn and Taylor), he booked a hotel, and made dinner reservations at a delicious Mexican restaurant.  And he kept it all secret for months! 

The lights on Temple Square were beautiful.  I haven’t seen them in a long time.  Reagan was two months old the last time we went!

Ok, I have to put this cute one in from that same Christmas…

Here are some pictures from the lights this weekend‘.

The Macy’s windows never disappoint.  This ornament is all candy!

The concert was lots of fun, though I really wish the kids could have been there.  The guest stars were the Muppets from Sesame Street.  It was definitely different than the last time we went, but still very good.  And this time, Rock’s date held his hand.  The last time he took that girl, she was not ready for such a move and kept her hands in her pockets the whole night. 

On Sunday morning we did something else I’ve always wanted to do.  We went to the Joseph Smith Memorial building for sacrament meeting.  So gorgeous! 

At first glance, this tree looks kind of weird, but it starts at the bottom with a deep purple, then moves to hot pink, then light pink, then cream, then gold at the top. 

It was a wonderful trip; short and sweet.  Thank you so much, Rock for once again making my dreams become reality!

One of our traditions at Christmas time is unwrapping a Christmas book each day the whole month.  We use the same ones every year, but I usually add one new one.  One of the books we have unwrapped for years is called the Tale of the Three Trees.  It is about three trees that are used in some way in Christ’s life.  One became the manger, one became a boat that carried Christ on Galilee, and one became his cross.  It is a beautiful story, but here is the real story of the three trees. 
This year when we went to put up our real looking, pre-lit, fake tree after Thanksgiving, half the lights didn’t work.  We have been limping it along for the last couple years, having gotten a good seven years out of the lights on it.  It is the best fake tree I’ve ever seen so I really did not want to go buy another one.  I suggested we just take off the lights and put on our own, but Rock convinced me that taking the lights off of it would be a monstrously tedious task so we decided to look for another tree.  It was too late for Black Friday deals, so we couldn’t find any we liked enough that we could afford.  My whole family, all from Western Washington, the “Evergreen State”, are coming for Christmas this year so we decided to get a real tree and wait for the after Christmas sales.  You should know that my parents, did I mention they are from the “Evergreen State” where the main export is evergreen trees, almost disowned me when we first bought a fake tree.  It was sacrilege!  In all honesty that is probably the real reason they have never spent a Christmas morning with us.    This year they finally decided they could overlook that flaw in my character and come here for Christmas.  But it’s their lucky day!  We got a real one. 
Don’t think we’ll be doing that again.  Here’s why.  My living room stood empty of its Christmas tree for two weeks; usually we get it put up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Many of our Christmas traditions, like unwrapping the books, revolve around the tree and we couldn’t start them, because if you buy a real tree the day after Thanksgiving it will be dead by Christmas!  
The whole process of getting a real tree was way more work than I remember.  But as I was standing their covered in sap and pine needles, holding the tree upright while Rock adjusted, then cut, then readjusted the tree to get it straight, I was suddenly transported back in time to the home of my youth.  The beautiful smell of the tree alone was enough to transport me back, but having to do the same thing my mother did for years brought back so many memories! 
And now I have to water it too?!  There is a reason I do not have any live plants in my house!  We will be lucky if this tree makes it to Christmas, but hey, my parents and siblings will be happy.  And so, Family, consider this my gift to you for Christmas.  You won’t be getting anything else.  Especially after the two hours and two trips to the store process of putting on the lights.  Ugh!  I will pay any amount now for a pre-lit tree, and throw in my first born child to seal the deal if need be.  Our usual one hour, no pain, no mess process of putting up a tree quintupled!  Don’t get me wrong, the smell is wonderful and really did make me think, “Ah, THIS is Christmas.”  But John Denver’s Christmas album does the same thing and he’s way less work!
So, there you have it.  The real Tale of the Three Trees.  You’re probably thinking I can’t count because I’ve only talked about two trees so far.  I can count just fine.  The third tree is the new fake tree we will be purchasing at my earliest convenience.

Yes, I know, it’s practically time to write about Christmas, but I am finally done with a very big Relief Society Christmas dinner that I was in charge of and can now breathe a little.  Here I am relaxing, see? 

Rock’s parents invited us to Grand Junction for Thanksgiving, but after the big Disneyland trip and its bang of an ending, we opted to stay here this year.  We didn’t think it would be a good idea to risk losing our dangling bumper on the way to CO.  My sisters came up and they wanted me to tell you what a blast they had raking the leaves in our yard and then raking more leaves in a total stranger’s yard for a service project we did as a family.  They can’t wait to come rake our leaves again next year!  Actually, what they don’t know is that we are saving our very late falling cherry tree leaves for them to rake at Christmas. 

While out getting some last minute Thanksgiving supplies at Walmart, we discovered this modern monument to commercialism. 

 
Watching Aunties get ready is so much fun!

Time for Turkey!

Uncle Calvin likes to sit at the kid table… can you guess why?  Apparently the initiation for sitting at the kid table was putting a paper turkey on your head.  And seeing how long you could not smile.

Bryce likes to smile, though, so he didn’t get to sit at the kid table. 

Anyone see a resemblance?

And Uncle Calvin wins for fullest plate!  He really could have filled up some of that extra space next to the potatoes and bean casserole, but we’ll give him the win anyway. 

This year I am most grateful for three things I did not know could be so important to my happiness; bumpers, modern medicine and recliners! 

Hope you all had a good T-day too!