The Sunday Before Christmas.... The Christmas Before Christmas

The Sunday before Christmas always feels like Christmas Day to me,  ........no....... better than Christmas Day in some important ways... It is one of my most favorite days of the whole year.  

 It is a day focused entirely on the true meaning of Christmas. It is a close and cozy day spent with family and with other people I dearly love.  It is always a day filled with music, beautiful music, special programs, inspiring talks and love love love.   

 The spirit, words and music of a Christmas Sunday are truly inspiring.   There is so much love in the air that it is almost tangible.  

In the evening we have a family dinner and party....the Crowley Cousin Christmas Party.  

This year's Christmas Sunday is one we will always cherish......

It actually started the night before...

With the arrival of the VanWagenen's, my sister and her wonderful family. They were one of the lucky ones to "win" tickets to the David Archuletta Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert!  Our kids waited for them... even Scotty (who is 3) to arrive. And they finally did at about 12:30 pm!  

When they arrived Scott was out the door in his pajamas to their car so fast....to greet them.  He could not wait to see them...so excited..for days! 

With Christmas there is always a little bit of crazy excitement...trying to do as much as possible in not a lot of time... So... 

Diana and I practiced a song together at 1 am.  Ha!!  We thought we would try to sing together in the Relief Society program in the morning.     It is pure joy to sing with my sisters..... pure joy... and we take the opportunity to do this any chance we get ..even if it means practicing at 1 am! 

Sunday morning, I got a call from my good friend Joan, who wanted me to sing a song with her in Young Women's and "could I come to practice with her in 45 minutes."  Fun!!  Ofcourse I said yes!   

So, the morning went something like this.... Diana and I rushed off to practice with Joan, after that rushed off to choir practice with Joan and Coletty, my dear freinds.  We had choir practice at Garriott's beautiful home...  Steve squeezed in a bit of choir practice before his meeting.  

After choir practice we showed up to Relief Society 10 min before it started to see if we could do our song and grab any willing  accompanist who is as crazy as we are.   And we did it!  We were so grateful!

And with Uncle Ron's help, we even managed to get all 10 kids to church on time! 

 Thanks Uncle Ron!!  

We had a group of kids, including Alyssa and Julia perform a song in Relief Society, (it was beautiful!) then Di, Ron and I sang our song and then I headed over to Young Women's to sing with Joan and then in Sacrament Meeting, we had a beautiful, sweet meeting with wonderful talks and musical numbers by the choir and primary... Diana sang with me in the choir!  And ofcourse the first time she saw that music (me too) was that morning in choir practice... and it all went smoothly..Oh the fun!  

It was the sweetest day... A Worshipful day....  a day to think about the birth of our Savior and what it means...  

And through it all... so much love ..so much joy... worshipping, singing, praying with people I love.  On Christmas Sundays that is just how it is...  Being at Church is just a joyful experience. 

And what would make a beautiful day even better....??? 

The arrival of our college Boy...home for Christmas!!!  

  What a happy moment to open the door and know he was home for Christmas!!!  Triumphant returning college student.... ! 

There is something special about cousins... they just love each other.  

The cousins hanging out..watching Narnia...

I love my sisters... and one of my favorite things to do with them is cook in the kitchen.. 

Diana and Ron.... sweet..

Christine and Aaron....sweet again...

And sorry to say, I got distracted and didn't get a picture of our Mike and Cathy together...sorry guys!  I need to hire a photographer for these events.. ha ha!

Snacking on appetizers before dinner....

Uncle Mike and Uncle Ron....  

Time to Eat!  

I  LOVE my sisters...  the only problem is we are missing Leslie, Gayle, Caryn, Sharon, Lynette and Jill!  And our dear MOM!   You were with us in spirit.  

Narrating the Christmas Story....

Glorious angels with Glorious news...

"For behold, unto you is born this day in the city of David, A Savior Which is Christ the Lord."

 The Shepherds made haste and found Mary, Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

We Three Kings....

The Wicked King Herrod and his mangy beast....

Everyone adoring the baby Jesus...

The Wisemen offering their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh..

Adoring  and Adorable Women of the Village...  

Gloria in Excelsis Deo....  

Weren't the angels splendid?  

Everyone was splendid!  Thank you To Christine and Aaron for bringing such great costumes and providing for such a great Christmas program.  Everyone loved it.  

We ended the night with more music.  Di, Ron and I sang "Nativity Carol" together.... love that song and love singing with my sisters...and brother in law ..thanks Ron!

And the last song we sang was a very special song called Gethsemane.  Jacob and I sang it as a duet!  It was great!

.........When you listen to this... be sure to pause the playlist on this blog, so you don't have two songs playing at the same time...

Here are the words...  

Jesus Climbed the Hill to the Garden Still

His steps were heavy and slow.  Love and prayer took him there 

to the place only he could go.

Gethsemane, Jesus Loves me

So he went willingly, to Gethsemane

He felt all that was sad, wicked or bad, all the pain we would ever know

While his friends were asleep he fought to keep his promise made long ago.  

Gethsemane, Jesus Loves me 

So he went willingly to Gethsemane

The hardest thing that ever was done, the greatest pain that ever was known, the biggest battle that ever was won, this was done by Jesus! The fight was won by Jesus. 

Gethsemane, Jesus loves me.  So he gives his gift to me, from Gethesemane.  

 The Christmas Spirit...What a blessing...  The Sunday before Christmas is truly a special day from start to finish... 

Check out This Song....

Enjoy!  Remember to pause the playlist on my blog to the right or you will have two songs playing at the same time.  

Please Santa ...bring me a Mudroom!

Santa....please !!!   I have six boys and it is only fair that I have a place for all their gear... especially in the winter.  

Some Very Wise Christmas Advice from a Very Wise Woman....

The following advice comes from a blog I read regularly (there are only two that I read on a regular basis)  This is from Sarah of Cloverlane.  I am not blog saavy enough to know how yet to quickly link her blog into my blog...ofcourse I could figure it out and I have done it before..but it is Christmas for heaven's sakes and I don't have a lot of time to figure it out again.  But, if you google Sarah Cloverlane, you will find it.  And I love her!  She is my cyberspace friend.  She is a sister of the heart... We have very similar ideas about family, children, what matter most in life.  So check her blog out.  


 I post this because this advice has had a profound effect on me this Christmas season so far....  This is very good advice and I thought I would share it.   So here goes...


From Sarah of Cloverlane....

"Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you." 

(John DePaolo)

"As the mother of five, I am constantly repeating this quote to myself. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our times, and before I know it, I feel like I've missed all the good stuff...my sweet smelling babies are no longer babies, and my shiny-eyed toddlers are no longer toddlers, my children grow inches every season, my teens slowly morph into adults. 
I need the reminder of how important it is to do less, and live more. I've had too many elderly ladies, with longing in their eyes, say to me in the grocery store, "It goes too fast."


Here's my goals this Christmas season:

1. To remember IN SPITE OF WHAT EVERY MERCHANDISER BELIEVES, the Christmas season, for me, starts on the first day of Advent. 

2. To stay CENTERED. Not have my heart and mind pulled in every direction by super cute craft ideas, millions of delectable recipes, decorating photos that make me swoon. There is NO way I can try everything, have my house look like a magazine and stay focused on how I really want my heart to feel this Christmas. I promise I will take away ONE new recipe, one new craft idea, and one sweet little addition to my house. THAT'S IT! I will admire the rest...admire, no more. I will remember the traditions that my children love, and also remember that if you add new traditions every year, you will end up with so many they all lose their importance.

3. By the first of December, I will be finished buying almost all the gifts. Before you gasp in surprise, know that I have accomplished this goal for years. I have found, through trial and error, that if I really want to enjoy the TRUE MEANING of the Christmas season, I must not be standing in line, buying, listing, stressed, annoyed, snappy, away from my family at some dreadful store, buying, buying, buying! Barf! I use the month of November, avoid the crowds, shop in peace, and steady and sure, I'm done. December brings silent nights, peace and joy and peace and peace.


4. To keep in mind Christmas pasts...not MY Christmas pasts, but Christmas's really past. When one gift or two was enough. When the season was more about the sweet stuff and less about Walmart. More about crackling fires and crackling record players and sweet anticipation and a family meal... and less about Lights at the Zoo and craft bonanzas, loads of gifts and fancy trees, and a bajillion meaningless family traditions instead of just a couple. I WANT the old-fashioned Christmas...not the new-fangled one.


5. To, like my mother did for us, concentrate 99% of my efforts on the real meaning behind the holiday. To remind them constantly what Christmas really is...that does not mean NO fun...I love the fun stuff, trust me. I think kids need to reminded constantly what we really are celebrating, just to build up a wall of fortitude against the constant barrage of materialisim....or they'll never get to know the sweet stuff!"




See.... good advice!  Merry Christmas one and all!  Focus on the simple joys and relationships with others and make every day Christmas day-Anne

Shepherds....

For My Mom and Dad who are currently serving in the Washington DC Temple Visitors Center.  

Shepherds

Of all the characters in the Christmas story, besides Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, it is the Shepherd’s who impress me most. 

We don’t know much about them other than the striking fact that our Heavenly Father chose them to be the first to hear the “good news” of our Savior’s birth.   I have pondered this glorious fact, that God chose them…some of the most humble and lowly of all people.  Who were these people and why were they chosen? The scriptures don’t elaborate..but I  imagine that the hearts of those  shepherds  were gentle and kind.  I imagine that while they lived their quiet humble lives, caring for sheep they pondered the prophecies of a Savior coming to save His people.  I imagine that they believed and prayed about these prophecies as they shepherded their sheep.  I believe they looked forward with faith and humility to the wonderful day when the earth would receive a Savior to save all mankind.   

I imagine it was a peaceful night, the night the Savior was born.  The shepherds with their sheep on the hillside, their sheep and lambs scattered about.  The night sky was clear and full of stars, one noticeably brighter than all the others.  Perhaps there was a fire or two crackling in the stillness of that night.  And in this peaceful scene, can you imagine the shock and wonder the shepherds felt at seeing an angel appear and suddenly announce to them, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of Great Joy, which shall be to All people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you.  You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth.” 

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

“And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

I am sure the shepherds never forgot that night.  I imagine that they told that story to anyone who would listen.  In a sense they were called to be witnesses that night…and tell others of their experience. 

And this is YOU Mom and Dad….  You are humble, good people with kind hearts.  You have pondered the scriptures and prophecies all of your good lives.  You humbly believe and always have!    You have been blessed with deep testimonies and knowledge of the Savior and Heavenly Father’s Plan.  You are now going forth telling people the good news….that  Jesus came, that He is our personal Savior and the light and life of the world.  You tell people that our Heavenly Father has a plan for His children and Jesus is central to that plan and is our Redeemer.  You tell people that there is hope and that life is good and has purpose.  Heavenly Father has blessed you with knowledge just as surely as he did the Shepherds! 

You also go forth “glorifying and praising God for all the things that (you) have heard and seen.”

You are the bearer of good news!   And we love and honor you for it!  What joy to serve the Savior and Heavenly Father at this special time of year and in such a special place.  We wish you a very Merry Christmas.  May you feel joy and peace.  We love you....

One of Most Favorite Christmas Treats.....

You can get great recipes on The Sisters Cafe Recipe Blog.  There is a link to their blog on my page here on the right.  I saw this and had to share.  This is one of our favorite Christmas treats.  Everyone knows these little treats...you smell them roasting in all their yummy sweetness while you shop at the malls this time of year.  The first time I had these was in Salzburg, Austria of all places!  Steve and I bought them in the open air market...it is a very romantic memory...which makes this treat even sweeter...  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

submitted by Melanie

1 cup white sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg white

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups almonds

Preheat oven to 250. Cover a 13x17” baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease well. In small bowl combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl slightly beat the egg white. Add vanilla and beat until very frothy, but not stiff. Add the almonds and stir until well coated. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Bake for one hour, stirring half way through. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container.

You might also like:

Focus on Jacob...

Sometimes I love my children so much that it hurts.  I love this boy.  I am so proud of him.  He works hard to do his best in anything he is doing.  Last week he performed in the Silver Mesa Elementary Christmas program.  He had a little solo part and despite the fact that there were some technical problems with his microphone he did great and was a real trooper.  

He sang a couple of lines from the song "When Santa Comes to Town" from the movie, Polar Express.  And he even smiled during the performance!  I wasn't so sure that he would ..but he did.  Way to go Jacob.  

Another exciting thing happened for Jacob this week.  He got to go to a Utah Jazz Game!  This provided some awesome one on one time together.  We rode the light rail train, enjoyed the sights and sounds of downtown Salt Lake, ate fun food and had a blast at the game!  

And the Jazz won!  It was a great game..so exciting to watch ....and people watching was as fun as the game..well, almost.  

But, the best thing of all was spending time with Jacob......  What a go get 'em boy!  Blessed...and so grateful. It was a great night.  

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.... and the end of a tradition..possibly...

We picked up our Christmas tree early this year.  We just had to do it before Eric went back to college after Thanksgiving Break.  We have certain traditions when we go get a tree.  It usually goes like this:  We get out of the car and whoosh----- the boys are all gone, chasing each other, playing hide and seek in the "forest" of Christmas trees.  We wouldn't see them again until we are ready to leave, except for the occasional whoosh of one of them running by us, saying "shhhhh don't tell them I am here!" 

But, now look at how things have changed!  See those calm cool expressions?

This is about all the boys did the entire time as I wandered around with Steve to pick out our tree.  

They were absolutely boring.  They just sat around the fire chatting with each other, like regular old grown up people.  Even Michael and Jacob followed the big brothers along just relaxing... by the fire, petting the doggy that came wandering by.  It was so calm that I was disgusted.     

What has gotten into you boys?  Where is the excitement and the wild game of hide and seek?  

Ahhh yes... let's pet the doggy.  So calm!  Bleh!  So well behaved!  Shock! 

Scott did enjoy checking out the reindeer.  

And with some coaxing on my part, Michael, Jacob and Scott attempted a very weak try at hide and seek..It lasted about one minute flat.  

Oh well!  We had a wonderful time... took our tree home that we agreed (like we do every year)   was the most beautiful yet.  Put it up and then went out to dinner.  Decorating came the next day.  

My Three LIttles...

Trying to cherish the days with these three....  I can see how quickly things change.  So every minute counts more than ever.  

Thanksgiving Weekend Continued Part 2

A highlight of Thanksgiving Weekend is the BYU vs U of U game.  I relish this rivalry (and hate it when people take it too far!  C' mon people!)  

  We were blessed to share this fun event with the Haruch Family!  And we had a great time!  Ate too much, laughed a lot and witnessed the agony of defeat!  But there is always next year hee hee hee...

We had some rebels in our group this year.  Uncle Aaron there is wearing a red shirt under his blue shirt and Aunt Christine is doing the same, shocking blaspemy!  Oh and it is a well known fact that Joseph here has been a U of U fan for a number of years now.  (Oh where did we go wrong?)  But, I have been  surprised to see him warming up to the "Y" over the past year.  (So there is hope..all that fasting and praying might be working :D   ha ha!  






During half time, We feasted on deli sandwiches, cheese and crackers, a yummy drink,  veggies and dip, chips, and a bunch of desserts.  Thanks so much Chrissy and Aaron and family...  We had such a good time with you.  And we love  you bunches.  

One Exciting 15th Birthday Celebration....

Jonathan's life is pretty exciting right now.  His birthday was too.  The day before his birthday he played a football game and completely utterly stomped on the other team (Olympus 27-0)   By winning that game, his team was moved on to play the next day at the Rio Tinto Stadium...on his birthday!

So, he got to play in this stadium......  

Exciting game!  Exciting location.   Final score 19 to 18.  They lost by one measly point.    But, what a fun night! 

The picture above is not  a picture taken during his game because I did not get a good picture of his game at the stadium.

We had a alot of crazy fun this night.  Steve and I took turns waiting in line for the midnight showing of Harry Potter 7 and then 

Joseph took over until the movie started.  

Joe and I both got to play card games with a group of complete strangers and had quite the adventure while waiting in line.         

After the game, Jon rushed home and showered just in time for his party to start.    

This was our first Girl/Boy party.  Call me crazy, but I sort of suggested this..and Jonathan jumped all over the idea.  

You see, I wanted to see who he seems to be texting all the time ........

.... and I was happy with what I saw... what a cute group of kids.... and good kids too.  

For this late night party that began at 10:30 pm, we served some of Jon's favorite food, crepes with all kinds of toppings, mini Quiches, veggies and dip and a yummy drink. 

It was really fun to have three cute girls at our house!

Left to Right:  Zack, Wyatt, Trevor and Dani.

Yum Jon!  Crepes with Nutella and Banana!  He has loved this since he was 3.

His friends wanted to sing him Happy Birthday so they put together this crepe cake.  

Then we were off to Harry Potter 7... !   I think Jon and his friends had a great time!  They made a great memory together at this Midnight movie.  They all got home at 3 am  eek!  Luckily, the next day was late start day, meaning school started at 9:30 am and it was also the last day of school before Thanksgiving break.  So we thought it would be ok.  And it was.  

Later...... We had a second Celebration....  

We have a tradition of taking our kids out to dinner on their 15th birthday. 

We ate at the Joy Luck Club, a Chinese restaurant.    

Jon opening his fortune cookie...oh what will it say?  

His birthday fortune was awesome.

At home to sing Happy Birthday and have birthday cake.

With the Bro's.....

He cut the cake and gave anyone who wanted it a very generous piece......

And here is the famous birthday sign and money from Grandma and Grandpa Crowley.  He also opened a card and money from Grandma Knudsen and others and other presents.  He got a bunch of clothes and a coat for his birthday .  Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Last but not least 15 of the top reasons why I adore this Boy: 

1. Jon is passionate about life.  Whatever he is interested in, he is all over it, works hard strives to do his best.  
2. Jon is a good friend.  He has had the same three best friends since he was 5 (since we moved in to the neighborhood)  He also has lots of other friends and has great people skills.  It is just plain fun to watch him when he is with his friends.  
3. Jon is a take charge kind of guy.  He gets in, takes control of the situation, solves any problems and moves on.
4. Jon takes things in stride.  He rarely lets things get him down.  He has always been like this.... and I could tell you some great stories.  He smiles in the midst of opposition and came to the world this way.
5. Jon is a great blessing in our family.  He makes things happen.  He is often the one that starts the board game or encourages everyone to play a basketball game.
6. Jon is creative.  He gets busy and makes things from stuff laying around the house.  We have a plethora of weapons, shields etc made from foam tubes, camping mats etc.  I am amazed at what he comes up with.
7. Jon has a great imagination and is an excellent writer.  He is currently writing a novel (and I am not kidding)  It is quite good and I wouldn't be surprised if I see him sitting in Costco someday signing copies of his newly published book.  
8. Jon knows what is right and does it...almost all of the time.   
9. He has always had eyes bigger than his stomach and takes more than he can eat ..most of the time.  
10. He is one  handsome guy.... 
11. Jon is a cook!   He is confident in the kitchen and has prepared many yummy things since he was about 3 (when he made crepes regularly)
12. Jon has an eye for style and has good ideas.
13. Jon knows how to make good decisions.  We gave him the choice of staying at Churchill Jr High or going to Albion Middle(our school) I watched him ponder and pray about this choice and ultimately he made the absolute correct decision and is having the most wonderful year at Albion Middle.  
14. I respect his thoughts and ideas... 
15. He is a great brother and friend.  He is the kind of brother that will pull in a foam pad into Eric's room when he is home visiting from college just so he can sleep in the same room with Eric and talk.  I love that he spends time with his younger brothers by playing board games with them.  I love that he can mess around, laugh and joke with Joseph.  

And One last thing!  We love watching Jon in any sporting event.  He is a great athlete. 

Happy Birthday Jonathan!  We love you!!