Sunday evening, December 11th, was the date of my annual Christmas recital.
This year's theme was snowflakes.
I did something I've never done before--I divided my students into two groups. It ended up that I had thirteen students play at the 5:30pm recital and only nine at the 6:30 recital. It worked out much nicer for everyone to not have such a looooong recital.
I had two problems with the recital this year. The first was that the piano was locked when we got to the main library meeting room in Fredericksburg I'd reserved. No one seemed to know where the key was. So instead of using the half an hour I had before the recital started to set up, I was wondering if I'd even be able to have the recital, or if we'd have to head back to Stafford and have it at the church.
The librarians found a key at about 5:15pm, so we were able to hold the recital there after all. I usually perform a solo number and had planned to do one this year. But I just didn't have time to practice, so I made life easier on myself and only played about 15 duets with my students.
About the only decorating I had time to do was to set up the centerpiece on the refreshment table. I didn't have time to hang snowflakes on the stage curtain and put snowflake lights along the front of the stage like I'd planned, but it wasn't the end of the world.
These are the ornaments I gave the students. I usually make them, but this year Kent made them for me.
I had the idea, bought the materials, and painted the pre-cut rectangles white, but Kent did the rest.
It was very helpful to me so I could work on other projects, and I was very appreciative. I was pleased with how they turned out.
The piano playing snowman was a little too tacky to use as a decoration at the recital, but I asked Kent to get it for me and he had to go to three different Home Depots to find it, so I thought I'd include a picture of it.
It was on display in the piano room, and the kids get a kick out of it.
Every year we see the Christmas lights at the DC Temple when we go to work in the Temple during the month of December. We've brought non-members and family members to see the display, too.
The lights leading up to the Temple are all celestial white,
but the other lights near the Visitor's Center are numerous with lots of variety in color.
It's amazing how many lights are wrapped around each branch on the trees and bushes!
We love this view of the Temple floating above the colorful lights.
I posted some of Kent's Christmas lights last year, but didn't explain that Kent was inspired by the amazing lights at the Temple.
This year Kent put up most of the lights on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving day. The lights were turned on the day after Thanksgiving. Kent puts all the lights on timers so they come on automatically every day at 5pm.
This is the side closest to the main road with the sign to our neighborhood.
This is the view from across the street.
The neighbors and church members tell us how much they enjoy the lights around our house. Each year the display gets a little bigger and more elaborate. Maybe someday there will be as many as there are at the Temple!!
I made sewed some gifts for the grandchildren and for my ETSY store. Here's a pillowcase I made for an order.
I made three of these piano bags for orders.
I made this for our grandson Andrew so he can carry it with him to Sunbeams.
I used some fleece scraps to make these little doll blankets for the younger granddaughters.
I made our grandson Carson a snuggly fleece BYU blanket.
And of course I sewed stockings for the two grandchildren who joined our family this year!
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