Things I Learned in December

1.  Playing keyboard in the pit orchestra for a high school musical (White Christmas) to be performed mid-December precludes doing a lot of the usual December activities.

I never got a picture of the whole cast, just one of the scenes with most of the main characters.

2.  It's Okay to put up only a limited amount of Christmas decorations if you're going to go to Utah for Christmas.

3. It was great spending a Saturday in Charlottesville having a fun day with Ryan and Dara doing Christmasy things like opening gifts, making gingerbread houses, and going out to eat.

4. Sending e-cards is the latest thing.  Here's my favorite:

5. Even though we didn't send any Christmas cards, I loved getting them from others.   Maybe next year...

6. It still snows a lot in Utah.  (Snowing when we arrived, more snow before Christmas, more snow after Christmas, snow on our way out of Utah).

7.  The snowy mountains are beautiful when you can see them.

8.   The best part of the movie "Lilo and Stitch" is the music at the end of it.   It's very fun to dance to.

9. Christmas Eve with Kart's family is amazing.

                

There's lots of food.

Piano playing, singing, violin and cello playing

            

Pretty decorations.

Dancing around the house!

10.  No matter how hard I try, there's always wrapping to be done after midnight.

11.  The magical looking tree on Christmas morning is always worth it.

 

12.  Christmas morning is usually more fun with children and toys.

13.  Owen had a lot of fun on his first Christmas trying to eat everything in sight.

14.  Sing-a-ma-jigs are hilarious.

15. Swedish pancakes for Christmas lunch is a yummy tradition.

16.  Bowling at the Wilk on the Monday after Christmas is crazy fun.

 17.  It's fun to do yoga with a sister, but it's also fun to take pictures of them doing it.

18.  It's a blessing to have beautiful daughters that are not just sisters, but friends.

19.   It's never easy to say "see you later" to family that you've had such a wonderful time with.

20.  Driving home to Virginia from Utah can be cold, lonely, and sometimes scary, but Kara, New Year's Eve in CO with Jamie and family, White Castle in the middle of the night, and sunrises over St. Louis sure helped to make it less so.