Family Christmas Night of Music 2024

We enjoyed this so much last year, that we wanted to try it again.  Especially now that we have Bethany home.  

I'm a big believer in doing what you love and inviting people to come along and enjoy it with you.  What you love might not be for everyone, but some people will love it with you.  I love music and watching people develop their talents and I love gathering people I love.  So this activity is very enjoyable for me.  

Adam's one-man band was a highlight.

Jakob and Corrine's "Carol of the Bells".  This sibling duo are beloved former students and it's tradition for them to perform this number.

The Snow family's rendition of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer-- Star Wars version.  So funny

Abe and Aaron sang "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella"

Faith and Justin's Nutcracker Medley duet

Bethany and Brandon shared their original Christmas song, "Bethlehem"

Bryson's "O Holy Night"

This event grew out of our two families-- the Foxes and Chases-- getting together each December for a night to revel in our love of Christmas music.  We love the Chases!

Cozy Christmas Movie Night 2024

These little sweeties.  Big kid problems can feel pretty heavy sometimes, and  I feel so grateful for these two and how much love and joy they share. 

At the start of the Christmas season we all sat down to decide what traditions and activities we most wanted to make time for.  It was suggested we have a "Cozy Christmas Movie Night".  We would bust out of matching jammies and all watch a Christmas movie together.  But first, we had a nutcracker painting party.  This was so much fun and an activity we are sure to repeat in the future.

We enjoyed the nutcracker painting so much that Elinor invited a few of her best high school friends to paint some as well.  They were so kind as to humor me and let me join the fun.

Elinor created this delightful little North Korean soldier nutcracker.  What a work of art.

The theme for Bethany's Christmas party gingerbread competition was "Up On the Housetop".

Ben is looking at what was the most sought after gift in the white elephant gift exchange.

It was a dog pooping calendar and it don't know why it was so funny... but it was.

For many, many years now, the only song Abe and I will karaoke is "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross.  We're terrible and you'd think we would improve with how many years we've been doing it, but we don't.  Our children and their friends egg us on and after some initial resistance (on my part), we oblige.  This year, the cell phone lights were a nice touch:)

Festival of Lights 2024

 

December was WILD at our house (and not really in a good way).  And to be honest, much of it didn't feel like a lot of fun to me.  However,  moments like this-- moments when we're all together (or at least most of us are together) are my very favorite.  It's good for me to look back and remember the good times. 
One of our favorite holiday traditions is visiting the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork.  It's just a drive through Christmas light display, but it never fails to delight us and it's worth the drive to go to it.

Greta and Peter are the only two kids still small enough to sit on Abe's lap and help drive through the display.  And that won't last much longer for either of them.  Abe is looking a little squished there.

I loved that Clark had happy enough childhood memories of Festival of Lights, that it was high on his list of Christmas activities to join us for.

The Dickens Ball

We got all gussied up and went to a Christmas Dickens Ball at Plumfield.  Such fun!

Cannon was so good as to step in as Bethany's date when Ben wasn't available to accompany her.  

The belle of the ball

What handsome gentlemen.

Vintage dancing is so much fun.  

Parlor games.

You, Sir, are a gentleman and a scholar

CUB Nutcracker 2024

Most Nutcracker productions are in December, but I LOVE that our ballet studio produces their Nutcracker the 2nd week of November.  Here are the kiddos headed to a dress rehearsal.  

The Ballet Brothers Fox 

This was Greta's first year in Central Utah Ballet's production.  She was the BEST mouse ever!!  You'll see what I mean shortly.

One of the nights we had a double date with Ben and Bethany before the show-- dinner at Brick Oven.  

Cannon danced several different roles depending on the night.  George was Fritz for all the shows, Greta a mouse, and Peter was a party boy.  

Elinor, Faith, and Clark came another night and we unexpectedly ran into our dear friends as well.

Abe and Faith went out for Thai food before the show.

There were so many good pictures, and honestly, I guess I was too cheap to buy them.  So this is as good as it gets.  But it will do.  George was so amazingly expressive on stage.  Such a NAUGHTY Fritz!

I like Cannon's face in the back left with Peter right in front of him.

This may be my all-time favorite picture of these two.  It is just a little too accurate.

Okay, now let's talk about Greta, the mouse.  The moment caught here was as the Mouse Queen  was stabbed and is about to die  Greta really felt the moment.  She is the center mouse with her hands over her heart.  But before she was devastated by the loss of the Mouse Queen, she was, by far, the most aggressive mouse.

Let's just say "she understood the assignment" to support and cheer on the Mouse Queen.  And she added a little something extra I had never seen in any previous Nutcracker production.  We could hear her audibly HISSING at the Nutcracker (Cannon) and the soldiers.

She is hissing here.

Definitely hissing here, too.  We were absolutely DYING of laughter in our seats.  Because we could literally hear her over the music.  Look at all the other cute little mice trying to be scary and fierce.  I'm sorry, but they just aren't convincing.  Greta?  I really believe her.

Here she is hissing at Clara.  I am so proud!