Waiting their turn to rehearse.




Lining up to practice the grande finale. Attendre de practice le fin.



Inside Mount Baker Theatre Dedans le Theatre de Mount Baker



Holding the hoopla,



Mary played by Miss Taylor Mary, la mere de Jesus, Mademoiselle Taylor

This year Lona is part of a ballet company that produces a Nativity Ballet Recital.  It follows the story of Christ's birth.  She practiced almost every week from October until December 20.  The Saturday before there was a run through and then the day of there was another run through.  My Mom came for a visit and scheduled her visit to see Lona dance.  When I found out that it was going to be all of 40 seconds, I was a little disappointed but after seeing part of the program I was impressed.  I volunteered to help in the back so didn't get to see much more than 4 or 5 dances.  But the dances I did see I was blown away.  I think that this is going to be a must see for own family from now on.  John said that he was tearry eyed throughout the program.  Isaac told Lona that he was proud of her.  It was amazing.  One of Lona's teachers, Miss Taylor, was Mary in the program.  Afterwards we went for ice cream and Miss Taylor was there.  Lona told her how good Miss Taylor danced and beamed when she talked to her.  I appreciate the older girls that Lona looks up too and can be role models for her, even from afar.

Lona a practique pour la ballet chaque semaine depuis October.  L'histoire est la naissance de Jesus.  Lona etait une etoile pour l'histoire.  En samedi, il y a un grande repetition au studio et lundi, il y a un autre repetition au theatre.  Lundi soir est la ballet.  J'aide etape arriere alors je ne pouvais pas voir tout mais John me dit qu'il a apporte des larmes a ses yeux.  La production etait magnifique.  Une professeur de Lona etait Mary, la mere.  Elle est gentile et aimable et Lona pense bien a elle.  Apres la ballet nous sommes alles pour manger les glaces.  Incroyable, Mademoiselle Taylor (la professeur) etait la aussi.  Quand Lona la parle, Lona avait un grand sourire sur sa visage.  Mademoiselle Taylor dit a Lona qu'elle fait bien et Lona dit la meme a Mademoiselle Taylor.  C'etait une bonne nuit.

I think my Mom wants to wack him.  Je pense que Job a besoin un frappe a la tete

Our advent activity was to sing Christmas carols by the fireplace with candles.  Lona was so excited.  She found all the candles in the house and had it set up.  The boys had soccer practice and were wound up when they got home.  She had them close their eyes and walk into the family room to surprise them.  There was a little groaning once they figured out what was up, but they participated anyway.  They had no choice.  We pulled out the hymnals and started.  There is a reason that we don't sing up front at church and that reason was in full display last night. I have no idea why but Job decided that he had to sing with an incredibly low voice and then both Job and Isaac wouldn't sing the carols correctly.  They have their own version of We Three Kings and Jingle Bells.  In a soft sad voice Lona said, "This isn't very Christmassy." We got back on track and sang for about a 1/2 hour.  Isaac once tried to play the piano while we sang but we need lots of work.  Sometimes we couldn't finish the song because we were laughing so hard at ourselves.  I'm glad that my Mom could be here and enjoy the awfull singing with us.

L'activite du jour pour l'advent sont chanter autour de la cheminee avec des bougie.  Lona etait vraiment excite et a trouve presque chaque bougie dans la maison.  Quand les garcons ont retourne chez nous, Lona a les demande qu'ils ont ferme les yeux d'entre dans la salon.  Ils ont un peu triste de savoir qu'ils ont besoin de chanter mais avec bonne humeur ils ont commence.  Nous n'ont pas  chanter mieux, en fait nous sommes terribles.  Il y a un raison que nous ne chantons pas devant l'eglise.  Job a decide de chanter avec un voix profonde et nous commencons de rire.  Lona avec un voice dou et triste dit que "ce n'est pas vraiment joli pour Noel".   Je suis content que ma mere peut etre capable ici pour quelques jour et chanter avec nous.

You don't need a time machine or a passport.  You only need to know the nights this is available.  Take a trip back to the night Mary and Joseph were looking for a place in Bethlehem to stay.  Mary was with child, they had traveled for days,the inns were full, Romans were everywhere and the only place they found was with the cattle.  We were educated in Jewish genelogy and local customs, received local currency and were quizzed for the purpose of our visit to the town.  After being given permission to enter we bought a basket from the weaver, visited the woodshop, purchased lavender bags from Lydia, (seller of purple cloth), and bread from the baker.  We paid our taxes to Ceaser and visited the synagogue, where we heard the prophesies of the Messiah being read from the scrolls.  We watched the girls dance, were told that the inn was full and then Mary and Joseph arrived in town.  Suddenly an angel appeared and announced the birth of the Messiah.








Chaque annee nous avons allees a Bethlehem.  Nous choississons un nuit pour la visite.  Nous apprenons l'histoire de Bethlehem.  Ils nous donnent des devise locale.  Quand nous entrons la rue, nous visitons un boulangerie, un charpentier et un fabrique de panier.  Nous paieons des impot a Ceasar et visitons le synagogue.  Et puis, Mary et Joseph entre la ville et un ange announce la naissance de Jesus.



without whipped cream, sans creme



avec du creme, with whipped cream



It's starting, ca commence




retaliation, la revanche




Escalating, escalader



My friend Marie came up with Advent socks.  The socks are numbered and inside each is a piece of paper with an activity for the day.  Wow, what a great idea.  Instead of socks I made a flip advent calendar.  I love papercrafting.  Each day we have been flipping over the calendar and reading what we are supposed to do for the day. Some days it doesn't get done such as going to Green's Corner.  Isaac spent the day sleeping on the couch.  We went the next day.  We hurried to finish our school work (except for reading) and then walked down there.  We ordered hot cocoa for the kids, one with whipped cream and two without, and a coffee for me.  I graded papers and the kids read their books.  On the way home it occurred to me that my kids have never walked home from school with a group of other kids. As I watched them walk home together it brought back memories.
I remember walking home and teasing my brother or having a pushing match between the two of us for fun.  We walked home when we lived in Lewistown the first time (3rd grade for me and Kindergarten for Jon).  We had to walk through a horse pasture and one day he got to close to the horse and was kicked.  That horse pasture is now a large town park.  We walked home in Salt Lake (4th/5th grade and 1st/2nd grade for him).  Some days if we had a quarter we'd stop at a lady's house who sold suckers for 25 cents to kids after school.  Then when we moved back to Lewistown, we'd walk home until we were in high school and then we'd ride home with our Mom.  After my 6th grade year we were never again in the same school at the same time - so we never again had those pushing/teasing/laughing wars on the way home.

Mon amie Marie a un calendrier pour advent qui sont des chausettes.  Chaque chausettes a un numero et dedans un papier avec un activite pour chaque jour.  Oh, cette un bon idee.  Je veux faire quelque chose comme ca mais avec papier.  Alors j'ai cree un calendrier avec papier.  Chaque jour nous lisons l'activite du jour.  Un jour c'etait allee chez Greens pour boire des chocolate chaud et un cafe.  Les enfants lisent leurs livres et moi, j'ai corrige des papiers.  Sur le chemin chez nous, je realize ques les enfants n'ont jamais marcher chez nous apres l'ecole.  Je souviens le faire avec mon frere.  En Lewistown, le premier fois que nous l'habitons, il faut que nous avons marcher a travers un paturage de cheval.  Une fois, il etait tros pres des cheval et le cheval lui frappe.  En Salt Lake City, nous avons marcher chez nous.  Si nous avons un peu des pieces de monie, nous avons achete un bonne chez une femme qui les fait.  Apres nous demenagons a Lewistown encores, nous avons marche ensemble pour une annee et apres nous ne sommes pas dans le meme ecole.



Christmas Tree Lot, un place pour acheter des sapins de noel



James Street Estates

Bedtime, Temps de coucher



A different perspective of my house.




Bedtime for the boys, Temps de coucher pour les garcons

 One of my favorite things about Christmas is the lights.  Walks around the neighborhood, looking out the window to see the lights dangling from the roof, having to drive the long way home with all the kids piled in the front seat, looking into our house and seeing the glow of the tree, candles lighting a room - all these things make me excited.  I have fallen in love with little star lights twinkling on the tree.  I love it when the lights twinkle and sparkle. Big white bulbs dangling by wires surrounding a tree lot or  I'm also trying to get the beautiful bokeh of soft white out of focus lights.  I think that a tree looks much better with lights.

Mes favorites chose sonts les lumieres.  Les lumieres atours des maisons et sur les arbres.  J'aime les bougies dans la maison.  Tous me faisents exciter.  Il faut que nous conduire le route longue de voir les lumiere et tous les enfants sont dans la premier place en voiture.  J'aime quands les lumiere entincelle et je pense que l'arbre est plus jolie avec les lumiere ouvert.