Merry Christmas!

 This year has been so unusual all around.  But I really did enjoy a relatively calm Christmas season.

I was in charge of our Ward Christmas Party (again).  It took 90% less work than last year.  No decorating or big meal or program.  It was simple and turned out pretty well for a zoom event.

This was one of the RS Presidency's suggestion--and the Ugly Sweater Cookie packs were really fun.  I think it may have been a little too close to (even this) Christmas.  But we had a decent turn out.  I did a fun game where I had the ward leadership tell me their favorite Christmas songs before hand. Then I played each one and people guessed whose favorite it was.  The rest is as advertised.  Trivia, an ugly sweater fashion show, then people showed off their decorated cookies.  One hour and done. No clean up (for me--except for my own families cookies they decorated).  And we got to feel virtually bonded for a bit.  

Then on Thursday I spent the day planning out and gathering supplies for the nativity program.  We did a zoom watching of the Randall Nativity (every family added a little and it turned out really cute).  Then a quick meet up masked on the deck with the Norton family where we exchanged gifts and gave out donuts.  

Then we had our traditional nativity evening.  What was the same: Brion reading the nativity and us acting it out with some hilarity (that borders on sacrilege I know).  What was different: Brion was reading from his own house over Zoom.  And all of Derek's siblings joined to watch the pageant.  And listen to the musical numbers.  I nailed playing Silent Night for Sarah.  I really messed up Joy to the World.  I should have done it as an instrumental number.  I get too flustered playing for singers.  I had to shout, "let's start the 2nd verse again" when I couldn't find my place and catch up.  We skipped the bell choir (which Derek loved and made me a bit sad).  But the pageant was short and sweet.

We hung out and chatted with our immunity community + Dave (who had a negative COVID test right before he came).  Then went home and opened sibling gifts and pjs.  Grammy hit it out of the park this year with her Husky theme.

Sibling gifts were also appreciated.  They were mostly of the stuffed animal variety. Except Libby's--a bluetooth speaker for the shower so she can stop taking in her phone wrapped in shower caps.  She wasn't all that excited about it...but I think she'll like it.

Then, off to bed (for mom and dad at least).

Also, thanks to Dave I discovered a new favorite movie series--the second of which is a "Christmas" movie--Daddy's Home.  Seriously--terrible.  But SO hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.