Christmas Song?

Robert dared me to post a video of his favorite Christmas song. So here it is:

Not quite Josh Groban singing "O Holy Night". To each his own, I guess!

Merry Christmas, Robert!

I realize it's now 10:24p.m. in Abu Dhabi, but I wanted to wish Robert Merry Christmas!

We miss you and wish you were here. It's not the same without you (although I did get to sleep until 8:00, which was nice).

I love you!

Deja Vu

So I was looking through my posts from December 2008. On December 7th my post was griping about how our ward didn't sing Christmas songs that day. It was eerie how similar it was to my post from December 6th of this year. I am apparently very predictable in my writing!

All I have to say is that I had better not have to make that same post on December 5, 2010!!

Christmas Pretty!

The outside of our house is all decorated for Christmas! We haven't had icicle lights since Brian left on his mission - we couldn't get Jeffrey to go up on the roof! It's nice to have Brian back to hang our icicle lights! (You have to click on the picture and enlarge it to really see the icicle lights.)

I bought two metal art Christmas cats at the Nutcracker Market. They look very Siamese-y, and since we own two Siamese cats, I thought they were appropriate. You can't really see how cute they are - the painted part is facing inside. But I really like the way they show up as silhouettes in the window above the door. Brian thinks we should leave them up all year round!
I love my Christmas decorations! Hooray for Christmas pretty!

Bummed

Today at Church we sang no Christmas songs. None. That's not right. I firmly believe that once December begins, every song we sing at Church (except the Sacrament song) should be a Christmas song.

We had better sing Christmas songs next week, or I'm going to be very angry!

Late Christmas Post

This year the actor, Edward Hermann, performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at their Christmas concert.  I heard he performed a wonderful narration explaining the background of the song "I Heard the Bells".  I have been looking for it on YouTube and finally found it!  Here is the link.  It is a stirring, spirited narration and I was very moved as I watched it.  I am posting it mainly so I will always be able to find it!  It is 8-1/2 minutes long, but well worth the time.  

Christmas is Gone

The Christmas decorations have been taken down.  They have been, for the most part, put away.  Jeffrey and Scott can not manhandle the tree into the attic without Robert. It's just too big and heavy.  Other than that, though, Jeffrey somehow managed to get all of the other boxes into the attic by himself.  I'm not sure how he did it - some of them are HEAVY!  He's pretty handy to have around.  

Without all the Christmas decorations, my house looks kind of blah and colorless.  

Christmas Musings

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  We had a wonderful day - made most wonderful because we got to talk to Brian in the Dominican Republic!  The phone connection was bad, but it didn't matter.  For two wonderful hours we got to talk to him!  This was our 3rd of 4 phone calls - only Mother's Day left.  Then he comes home 3-1/2 months after that!  He's enjoying his mission and is growing so much.  I'm so proud of him for choosing to serve.

Now, on to presents.  My kids were all pleased with the presents they got.  That makes me happier than any present I could ever get.  I love it when I make my kids happy!  

Robert has always been of the opinion that anything you want can be bought at Walgreens. With that in mind, I sent Jeffrey and Scott to Walgreens on the 24th, with instructions to buy some fun presents for the family.  Jeffrey balked at first, but when they got back they were both excited over the fun stuff they had picked out.  Those presents, plus the ones that Kimberly had bought at Walgreens, were so much fun!  A cap gun!  A Chia Pet!  A K'nex dinosaur!  A toy cell phone (that talks)!  Charleston Chews!  A fake Magnadoodle! A $10.00 digital camera on a key chain!  These were all part of the bounty that was discovered at Walgreens!  I think we have discovered a new tradition for the kids.  Hey, and next year the Walgreens will be right across the street!

My sister's family came down in the evening (they had to wait to talk to their missionary in Brazil).  We ate ham and smoked turkey, along with other assorted things.  Yummy! Then the rest of the evening we munched on fudge, Robert's delectable English toffee, Chex mix, cookies, and other junk! Double yummy!

All in all, it was a great day.  I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas too!  

Christmas Countdown Post #23

Christmas Countdown Post #23 is "Random Christmas Memes".  Here's they are: 

He sees you when you're Laura,
He knows when you're awake.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

That was random.

You Will Get Three French Fries

Twelve street musicians drumming Eleven christmas trees a-twinkling Ten reindeer a-leaping Nine ladies singing Eight sheep a-milking Seven rumballs a-drunkening Six puppies a-barking Five golden bowls of chicken noodle soup Four calling secret admirers Three French fries Two starving Olsen twins And a chimp in a peach tree

What Will You Get for the 12 Days of Christmas?

Just what I wanted - two starving Olsen twins!  What the heck happened to them anyway? They were so cute on "Full House".

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

I always wanted to be a Brady!

You Are Donner

The most lovable and sweet reindeer, you're also a total dork! Why You're Naughty: You keep (accidentally) tripping the other reindeer while flying. Why You're Nice: You're always smiling, even if you've fallen flat on your horns.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

That's me - the dorky reindeer!

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 8 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish French German Swedish Hawaiian Dutch Korean

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

I totally guessed at most of those.  

Wow, what a long post!

Christmas Countdown Post #22

Christmas Countdown Post #22 is "My DVD Wish List".  All of the DVD's I would like to own! Sounds like fun, so here goes:

1.  Criminal Minds, Seasons 1 through whatever is the latest one out.  I think I have mentioned before that I love this show.  It is my very favorite on TV.  Although rather gory at times, and sometimes downright creepy, it's a great show.  I love the team - Hotch, Morgan (in his tight t-shirts), Reid, JJ, Garcia, Rossi and Prentiss (actually I just tolerate the last two).  Having all of the available seasons at my fingertips - that would make me happy.

2.  August Rush.  I love this movie.  Such a beautiful story, and the little boy is so cute!  This is one of those movies that I always think I own.  I will see it at the store for $10.00, but I'm sure I already own it, so I don't buy it!  I need to put a giant note in my purse - "You do not own August Rush"!

3.  Snow White.  This one is impossible for me to own since it's not even available on DVD right now.  Disney!  It's time to take it out of the vault!  This is one of the only Disney classics I don't own.  

4.  Lilies of the Field.  Sidney Poitier won an Oscar for his role in this movie.  He plays an unemployed construction worker who somehow ends up in the desert building a church for a group of nuns escaped from behind the Berlin Wall.  I haven't seen it in years, but I remember watching it with my family when I was young.

5.  Numbers, Seasons 1 through whatever is the latest one out.  Close behind "Criminal Minds" as one of my favorites. I would love to own this series.

6.  Lad: A Dog.  Just as I would like to own the books by Albert Payson Terhune, I would love to own this 1962 movie. The problem?  It's never been released on DVD.  Why do they do this to me??  I own a subpar, recorded from TV, VHS copy, but I want it on DVD!

7.  Dr. Who, the Fourth Doctor series.  Robert started me watching "Doctor Who" back when we were dating.  Tom Baker was the Doctor back then.  I have always considered him "My Doctor".  I have seen some other doctors since then, but no one compares.  It would be fun to watch him again - in all of his cheesiness.

I can't think of any more right now, so this list will have to do.  What DVD's would be on your Christmas Wish List?  

Christmas Countdown Post #21

It's late, but here is Christmas Countdown Post #21:  "Non-Fictional Christmas Party".  This is the Christmas Party I would have with real people - dead or alive.  Here goes:

1.  James Herriott.  Deceased.  He's a British veterinarian who wrote about his work and life experiences during the 1940's and early 1950's.  The books are well written and very funny.  I would love to have him come to my party and tell us some more stories from those days.  

2.  John Denver.  Deceased.  I swear, John is on every list I make!  I want him at my party to sing.  I guess he can talk too.  But we will have to keep the conversation away from the environment - I don't want to get into that with him!

3.  Hugh Grant.  Alive.  I think he would be a lot of fun at a party.  And even if he's dull, he's got a great accent!

4.  Elizabeth Peters.  Alive.  She's another author.  Her two main characters, Amelia Peabody Emerson and Walter Emerson, were invited to my fictional party.  I think that anyone who could create characters as interesting as Amelia and Walter would be a lot of fun to have at my party.

5.  Jimmy Stewart.  Deceased.  I have always loved him. He was such a wonderful actor.  But he was more than that. In the early 1990's, I saw him on the Johnny Carson Show. He read some poems he had written.  I loved them so much, I went out and bought his book of poetry. If you would like to read one of his poems, this is my favorite.  I would like to have him come to my party and read his poems.

I think I'm going to leave my party at these five.  There are historical figures (such as Abraham Lincoln) and religious figures (such as Joseph Smith or Gordon B. Hinckley) I would like to meet, but not in this setting.  So this will be my party.

Who would you invite?  

Look at My Snowflake!!

I made another snowflake!  It's much better than my first one, isn't it?  I'm very impressed with myself!

Christmas Countdown Post #20

Christmas Countdown Post #20 is "Your Ad Here".  This is where I put my favorite Christmas ad. This ad is not necessarily my favorite, but when I was young it always seemed to be the first one of the Christmas season.  So here it is - classic Norelco Santa:

Ah, the childhood memories....

Christmas Countdown Post #19 (Again)

I did it!!  I made a snowflake!  It's not very good, but at least I can say I completed Christmas Countdown Post #19! You can view my snowflake here.

I told you it wasn't very good.

Christmas Countdown Post #19

In the interests of full disclosure, I am not doing Christmas Countdown Post #19.  Michelle even gave two options, and I'm still not doing it!  Her first option was to create a Christmas list made entirely of men!  Famous men.  I guess being a married woman, I feel a little strange creating a list entirely made up of famous real men.  So I'm not doing it. Option two was to create a snowflake.  This is the website. I tried this one!  I really did!  Apparently my computer scissor skills are lacking, so I've given up.

So, in less someone can come up with a Christmas Countdown Post #19 I can do, I am skipping it.  

Christmas Countdown Post #18

Christmas Countdown Post #18 is "Build your own Christmas Special".  I get to put together my very own Christmas special!  The show must include a host; at least one comedy act; and at least one musical act.  I also get to bring back one act containing dead people - but only one. Here's my show:

Host(s):

Donny and Marie.  Wouldn't they be great?  And, as hosts, they would also get to sing.  

Comedy Acts:

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman.  These two cracked me up on "The Carol Burnett Show".  I'm sure they could come up with a great Christmas comedy act.

Musical Acts:

Josh Groban.  Preferably singing "O Holy Night".

John Denver.  He's my one dead guy (duh).  I don't care what Christmas song he sings - I just want to hear him sing again.  I miss John.  Sigh.

Andy Williams.  When I was little, we used to watch the Andy Williams Family Christmas Show every year.  I always loved that show.  I think I would want him to sing "The Christmas Song", or "Winter Wonderland".

Okay, I'm cheating.  I want another dead person!  I would love to hear Karen Carpenter sing again.  I still listen to "The Carpenters:  Christmas Portrait".  It's one of my favorites.

The gang from "The Dick Van Dyke Show".  One time they did a Christmas show, and they sang a song called "I am a Fine Musician".  It was so funny.  Dick Van Dyke (Rob) and Mary Tyler Moore (Laura) could reenact their parts; and I would have Donny and Marie replace Morey Amsterdam (Buddy) and Rose Marie (Sally), who are no longer with us. I would love to see that performed again.  You can view the original here, if you would like.

There's my show.  It's heavy on musical acts, but I'm okay with that.

Christmas Countdown Post #17

Christmas Countdown Post #17 is "My Literary Wish List". This is a Christmas list made entirely of printed materials. Here's mine:

1.  The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, Vol. 1: 1832 - 1839.  This looks like a very interesting book, containing the journals of the prophet Joseph Smith.

2.  All of the Collie books written by Albert Terhune, including, but not limited to, Lad: A Dog, Wolf, and Gray Dawn.  I would prefer to have old volumes of these books, not reprints.  I read them when I was young, and have always wanted to own them.

3.  Backroads of the Texas Hill Country: Your Guide to the Most Scenic Adventures by Gary Clark and Kathy Adams Clark.  Shelley and I recently took a photography class.  Our teacher, Kathy Adams Clark, had taken the photographs for this book written by her husband, Gary Clark.  I would love to be able to spend some time reading this book and looking at the amazing photographs.

4.  Any cookbook by Alton Brown.  I love Alton!  If you don't know who he is, you need to check out his show, "Good Eats", on the Food Network.  Alton rocks!

I can't think of any others right now, so these will have to do.

Christmas Countdown Post #16

Christmas Countdown Post #16 is "So you think you know carols?"  This is a 25 question quiz which can be found here.  

My results:

"You got 92%.  You know your seasonal songs!  Treat yourself to an extra slice of fruitcake."

I missed 2 out of 25.  I was a little disappointed that I didn't get them all right.

How well do you know Christmas carols?  

Christmas Countdown Post #15

Yes, I know I am behind again!  It is all Michelle's fault!  She posted Christmas Countdown Post #15 late last night (I was just heading to bed), but she has yet to post #16 or #17. So I am blaming it all on her:

Anyway, Christmas Countdown Post #15 is "Most Hated Contemporary Christmas Songs".  You know what, I don't really have any that I absolutely hate.  There are some I would rather hear only once or twice a season ("Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" and "Feliz Navidad" spring to mind), but I don't really hate them.  

There are some artist's renditions of songs that I hate, but I can never remember which ones until I hear them!  Some people just shouldn't sing Christmas songs.

That's it.  I will post #16 and 17 when I receive my instructions from Michelle.  It's all in her hands now!

Christmas Countdown Post #14

Christmas Countdown Post #15 is "Christmas Sing-a-long". These are Christmas songs I love to sing along with.  Here are some of my favorites:

1.  "Good King Wenceslas". I have always loved this song.  I never hear it anywhere, but have been known to sing it out loud in my car when I am all alone!  I think I may be one of the only people around who knows all the verses! It's a great song.  If you don't know it, you should check it out.

2.  "O Holy Night".  I can't do it justice, so I probably shouldn't be singing it.  But I love this song, and whenever I hear it, I have to sing!

3.  "Angels We Have Heard on High".  A couple of years ago, I learned the alto part for this song.  It's a great part, and makes singing this song even more enjoyable.

4.  "Carol of the Bells".  I love to sing this song, but I really need the music to do so.  I can never remember all the words.  It's great fun to sing - very joyful.

5.  "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".  I find myself drawn to more up tempo Christmas songs (which may explain my dislike for "Silent Night".  That, or the fact that we sing it repeatedly).  

6.  "What Child is This".  I include this song with one caveat - it must be sung correctly.  The song has 3 totally different and distinct verses.  The last half of the first verse is not the chorus for verses 2 and 3!  There is no chorus!!  Each verse is totally different!  It really bugs me when this song is not sung the way it was written - and I seem to hear it wrong all of the time! Sing it right or don't sing it at all!  My mini-rant is now over.

7.  "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel".  Such a beautiful song.

8.  "We Three Kings".  Another song that I don't hear much anymore, but that is just fun to sing.  "Oh-ooohh!!"

I decided to only include more traditional, religious Christmas music.  I have a whole other list of more secular Christmas favorites.  Surprisingly, only two of my 8 songs are found in our hymnal.  I guess I get tired of the ones we sing all the time, and I'm drawn to more unusual songs.  

Michelle, I was not trying to copy your list - I just really like 3 of the 5 you chose!  You've got good taste!