Branch Christmas Party

The Branch Christmas Party was on Saturday.  4 days before Christmas meant lots of folks had already fled for the Holidays.  This was good.  Well, not so good because I missed seeing some of my friends.  However, this event has usually had more mouths than food, and has been really really really well attended. It was nice this year to actually have more seats than people, and plenty of food.  Good food! It also made it possible to visit with people and not feel bad that you don't have time to chat with all the people you want to.  

There was a talent show after dinner.  Each auxiliary was suppose to do something, but all lacked creativity and motivation this year, so pretty much everyone sang.  I realized this year that there is something pretty special about being in a branch where teens (and anyone else) can get up on stage and sing to their little hearts content and no one cares that they can't carry a tune in a bucket.  We're just one big family and we support you in whatever you are trying to do.  That was a nice feeling.  The missionaries did rock their songs.

This is what Marian does when confronted with confetti and time to kill. 

Callie really hates getting her picture taken! 

Did I mention that there was a lot of really yummy desserts?!  And there were enough for all.  Something my children took full advantage of. 

Mmmmmmm, happy Rylee. 

 Marian's finished product.  See, they never have this sort of talent in a show!

The Primary singing their songs.  They were cute.  And yes, that is Callie on the left in black.  She absolutely would not sing in public at school, but it was okay at church.

And acting like hooligans afterwards.  I think they may have been raised in a barn!

All snuggled in.... er...on the couch!

Rylee and Santa

Rylee is the last one to truly believe in Santa Clause now.  I'm okay with that.  And it is so cute to see her get all excited,  She is not scared of Santa at all.  Her preschool had a little Christmas party on Thursday and Santa came.  They told the kids that they could go sit on Santa's lap and asked who wanted to go first.  All the other children shrank back.  Not Rylee!  She jumped up and shouted, "Me!" and trotted right up to Santa.  She told him exactly what she wanted (A Flashlight Friend, Stompees, and Flipees).  In the first picture, you can see how happy she is to get the little gift.  In the second, look closely at her face.  She was offended that I asked if she wanted to sit on Santa's lap.

Check out the third picture to see her awesome shirt.  The tree is green handprints!  I'm thinking I'm going to need to make a blanket with all the adorable handprint shirts she has from this school!

Doing the Mom Duty

The kids had a "Celebration" thing on Wednesday night.  I  am a huge fan of short and sweet events, and I guess the school tried to do that.... sort of.  The school split it into 2 events.  Since the it is K-8, they had the younger kids performance at 5:30 and the bigger kids at 6:30.  Between Callie's utter refusal to get on stage and sing in public and my lack of desire to sit through 2 hours of performance, we just went in at 6:30 for Joshua's stuff.

Here is the band.  This is only their second year of band at the school, and they are doing a pretty good job! You might be able to see Joshua in the very back center, nearly hidden by balloons.

There's my boy, all the way in the back. 

There was a lot of down time for the band, and this is how he spent it.  I got to enjoy some delightful vocalists and a rather.... interesting... play. 

Callie loved the play.  Delaney agreed that it was wonderful.  I didn't tell them any different.  Here is the after school Drama Club ending their performance. 

Delaney enjoyed herself! 

And here is Joshua, playing the grand finale!

When Chocolate Truffle Pies make a jump for it