Christmas Eve

We stayed in Minnesota for Christmas this year.  Christmas traditions are something Stephen and I are still trying to figure out.  I have how I grew up with Christmas Eve, and he has his way.  So we decided to sort of split down the middle.  We had our own nice quiet dinner (Cranberry Pork Roast, twice baked potatoes, green beans and homemade rolls) at our house, and then afterwards we went to Stephen’s parents’ house to join in on the ‘festivities’.  The festivities included the nativity where there are more than enough people to play the parts, singing, dancing, and a visitor.

Samantha was chosen to be Mary this year, probably because she can be one of the more subdued small children and will sit in a chair.  Preston was Joseph.  We had an entire host of angels with Hyrum being Gabriel.  And somehow, our wise men ended up looking a little bit like elves out of the Lord of the Rings.  Elizabeth did a great job holding Clara and we had wonderful accompaniment by Ivory on her harp (in the key of C only though).

 

 

 

After the Nativity we sang more songs first religious and then we moved into the secular.  And then we had a special visitor! (that looked suspiciously familiar)  He brought us all presents including mom and dad!  And we all ended up with some new (or maybe not) pajamas!  Clara and Sammi did decently well on Santa’s lap, they both froze but didn’t cry.

 

 

Once everyone is in their pajamas it is Smith tradition to do the Wedding Dance (or their own rendition of it) from “Fiddler on the Roof”.  Mostly it’s an excuse for everyone to run around crazy (and 60+ people is craziness!).  I think I actually videotaped it, but our still camera was tucked away safely.  Then we took some family pictures before rushing home to get our overtired children to bed so they could see what Santa left them the next morning.