A December to Remember! {Part I}

This year, I have to admit that it took me MUCH longer to get all my stuff up and organized for Christmas.  Why?  I think I'm finally just getting old.  {Uncle John should be happy to hear that I'm finally coming to terms with my real age...  It's true.  I'm not 29.}  And I even let the kids "help" me with MY tree.  Picking my battles is getting much easier these days.  There's just not enough energy to win them all! 

BEFORE:

Yikes... total MESS.  And it stayed this way for several days. 

We did take some time after church to do a few things!  Lexi is working on the little tree, and did it almost entirely herself!!

AFTER:

Yay!  Even the vacuum is put away!

Same tree as always!  I'm pretty sure it will never change.  It's been the same for the 10 yrs. that Damian and I have had a tree.  I don't mean the exact same "tree," but the colors.  It's been red and white... and each year we seem to add a few things in.  Pretty soon you won't be able to see any green from the tree at all!  Haha!

My mom made this for me!  I can't remember when she gave it to me, but I think we were living in Chino Hills during medical school.  These are MY childhood ice skates!  Yep... they're real!!   Can you just imagine graceful me on the ice in these??  ;)  That's why they're on my door, I guess!

Once it was all finally up... it was time to have my piano recital!  On 13 December we hosted all my piano students and their families for some talent sharing and enjoyment.  I decided that it has always been such a hard thing for me to get everything cleaned and ready AND get my kids fed... and then clean up after that BEFORE the recital, so we had it earlier in the evening this year and then all ate together!  So WORTH IT!  There was lots of yummy food!  We do a potluck sort of thing and everyone is very gracious to bring fun stuff to eat and enjoy together.  I do make sure that I provide a BUNCH of stuff so that tummies can be full and HAPPY!  It went wonderful!  So, SO proud of my own kids.  I can't even tell you just how much joy it brings me when they are among the few that really take me serious when I say, "MUST BE MEMORIZED and able to be played WITHOUT the music!"

Waiting for everyone to arrive... practicing a little... making sure everything is in order!

Where the students will sit!

This is just what we provided... and not even all of it, but everyone brought so much yummy stuff, we had so much food it was almost sinful!  But good company and good food make the best parties!!

Lexi's school teacher came with her daughter.  She got wind that we were having a recital and ASKED if she could come!  She's wonderful!  She knows most of the kids that were performing.  Kaila and Tasia were in her class last year, and this year she has Lexi, Robert, and Adie!

Ella was SO EXCITED... and cute about it.  I wondered if she would actually go through with it, but she DID!  Total surprise, but she did and she LOVED it!

Braeden's like me... he gets nervous and just plays at the speed of LIGHT!  But he did great, as you'll see below!  He's such a good kid.

I have to split the video into two parts because it just won't upload properly otherwise...

Enjoying the music.  And why didn't Damian get a still shot of Lexi???  No one may ever know, but enjoy her performance.  She's amazing!

Lexi just loves performing so much... that she got up and tried to get out of her second piece.  Poor girl!

I did promise my students that next recital I would be practicing just as much as I require of them on their pieces.  It was bad... and you'll see some of it below.  I was absolutely unprepared, but... I did get over 50 pretzels dipped, fudge and banana bread made, fruit and veggies cute, toffee, chicken wings, cookies, crackers and cheese... chair rental and furniture setup...  Excuses, excuses!  Not again... not after a performance like this!!!

I have a fun group!  Starting on the back left... in the scantily-clad dress (yes, I was not very happy about it...) Tasia, Lexi, Anabelle, me, Kaila, and Robert.  In the front:  Adie, Ella, and Braeden!  Love these kids!

And though even this picture isn't great... it's the best one there was!

Enjoying the moment now that the pressure if OFF!  Anabelle, Lexi, Ella, Alyssa, Tasia, and Tristin.

Most of the boys stuck together at this table!  Erick on the left, Braeden, and Tommy.  They are all in first grade... Erick is Robert's younger brother, and Tommy is Adie's younger brother... and all three of them are a bundle of BOY energy!  Erick's dad is on the end, and Tasia's twin brother is on the other side of the table!

It was such an enjoyable evening. We are so grateful for opportunities like this. It's very hard to share talents like this in a setting like this, but it builds strength in character, and exercises our faith sometimes!!