What did one snowman say to the other.............

"Do you smell carrots?"

And thus we launch into the weekly review as November has gone and December2012  has begun---in fast fashion with two holiday activities completed and more in the weeks ahead. 

Not that you can tell by the decor of my house---we are still in Thanksgiving mode at our house.  I always choose to wait a little bit after Thanksgiving before making the change to Christmas decorations.  This year with over a week until December started, it looks like I might be the only one in the whole neighborhood with pumpkins still on their porch and a cornucopia on the table.  It is okay----I am thankful and I love the autumn colors.  The good news (for Jena who can't wait for the Christmas trees and other such things) is that we are having a party here on Friday so I am sure we will get the right season in place around the house.

I wrote the above piece on Dec. 2, but unfortunately haven't taken a moment to finish it and send it off.  Now it is Dec. 23--two days before Christmas and I haven't written about any of the fun things which we have been doing this holiday season.  So this will be a series of posts to catch up until today.  Here it goes.

Back to the weekend of Nov. 30 and Dec. 1st----

Our ward had our Ward Christmas party on Nov. 30th.  It was the perfect way to start the season.  I am sad that I didn't take a picture but we had a nativity in which all of the people were members of the same family--the Ruberts with their seven children from 12 down to 1 1/2 years old.  The costumes were amazing and all in tan and browns--very calm and elegant as well as the backdrop of the stable.  The littlest child was a lamb complete with a tail and long ears.  Early in the program he broke away from the shepherds and began wandering around the stage and up and down the stairs between the stage and the floor.  It was so darling.  Jesus talked often about those lambs--how we must love them and search for the ones that were lost.  That thought stayed with me through out that nativity.  We then had "back by popular demand" a Christmas dance like the year before.  Fun time....

Jena and our friend, Meggan

Saturday night we headed to Layton High School and saw the "Voice Male" Christmas concert.  This has become a yearly tradition and Jena won't left us forget about buying tickets each Christmas.  We took our friend, Meggan Sparrow, and also Gary's mom, his sister Vonette and her husband Gary and their two youngest daughters, Nikki and Krystal.  They do a combination of fun holiday songs and also traditional Christmas carols.  We laughed and cried--another fun night.

With the ward party and the Voicemail concert over, we were ready for the holiday.  We even started taking down Thanksgiving decorations and carrying up the Christmas things!!