Hyde Park Highlights

Greetings from the Land of the Great Inversion.... It has been a gray few weeks, but the sun actually shone yesterday and today, which really lifts the spirits and gives hope! I can see the mountains this afternoon - a great blessing!

In an effort to enjoy the Christmas season, which we are finding is a little more difficult without excited, happy little ones about, we have been attending community events.  We have seen the Four Seasons production of White Christmas, Craig Jessop's choir and orchestra Christmas concert, with the trio, Gentri, and several of the concert series at the Logan Tabernacle. They have all been very good, especially the Westminster Bell Choir, which was exceptional! We took Emma and her roommate with us and we all enjoyed it, then went to Aggie Ice Cream for hot chocolate afterward. The tuba fest that we attended last night was rather painful. We couldn't make it through to the end. They confessed to having practiced just once, at 4:00 p.m. the day of the concert. We did learn some interesting things about the instruments, however, the tuba, euphonium and baritone...

Since our last post, Dad has changed a bishopric, hosted a Stake Christmas concert (at which we both spoke and Emma sang with her ward choir), attended the funeral for a previous bishop he released due to cancer and the needed treatments, and made several trips to Springville to work with Grandpa to get some old family slides labeled. We enjoyed reading the book Jacob T. Marley while driving back and forth.  It's a great read if you need another Christmas book!

I have thoroughly enjoyed sending my dad the 12 days of Christmas with information and pictures/videos of your families. He seems to like getting them and especially likes all of the blonde hair.  I think he has absolutely no idea how many descendants he has. Thank you for making the effort to get those sent to me. It means a lot to me even if my dad isn't as excited about it as I am.

Tonight we are off to visit some ailing neighbors and then to the Messiah at the Tabernacle. We hope to see some of you in the next week or two. If anyone wants to come celebrate Thomas' birthday, they will be in town from the 23rd to the 29th. Let us know if you happen to be in the area so we can have food and lodging ready for you! Love you all and Merry Christmas!!