Winter Solstice & Celebrations

It is 3:30 in the afternoon and it is dark outside. Feels like it's time for me to put on my jammies and cozy up with a good Christmas story. These are the dark days of winter. It does not get light until almost 8:30 a.m. And add to that days upon end when we never see the sun. Mostly rain and cold. We had one day with a few light snow showers but it didn't last. It seems we spend most of our waking hours in the dark, but tomorrow that begins to change. The days will gradually get lighter -- much like home only a little more extreme.

But I can honestly say I don't mind it. There is something so cozy and Christmasy about the early twilight and the late dawn.

Christmas really has come to the MTC and along with it a bit of magic and a feeling of love and peace. We have had some fun and some sweet times.

Friday we did our usual street contacting in Manchester. It was a cold drizzly day, but we bundled up, handed them a red scarf and and some song sheets and began to carol. Even in the cold and wet, people stopped and we had three good contacts from our efforts. Don't they look great. You gotta luv um!!!


Christmas has found simplicity in our apartment. A few decorations here and there have provided a cozy atmosphere. We feel quite at home and frankly are enjoying the striped down version of the holiday!
We've had a few people to dinner and been to a few Christmas parties and concerts which has been just enough to satisfy our needs.

How is this for a decoration! Paper ornaments from our children and grand children. They were too cute to hide in our living quarters and so we strung them in my office. Don't know how I can ever take them down! I am thinking they would look cute at Easter!!! What do you think?

Indeed we do believe. We believe in so many things....things like missionary miracles, goodness of people, the Savior's birth, his life and his atonement. We believe in the Temple ordinances and in eternal salvation. We believe in friends and family and the spirit of giving!!!

And we still believe in Christmas Magic and Santa Claus.

We have been doing the 12 days of Christmas for the missionaries and each night they get a little surprise on their pillow with a little jingle reminding them that Christmas is close!

This is our one little English Nativity Set. They are very hard to find here. They don't even carry them in the Christmas shops. In fact this is the only one I have seen that was even close to cute. Good thing we bought it when we did -- and paid an outrageous price for it.

The Young Single Adults did a Trunk and Treat evening for the missionaries. They had about 10 cars that they parked in our parking lot. Each trunk (or boot of the car) was decorated differently with treats, lights, music, etc. They were amazing. It was their gift to the missionaries and we all loved it.

Very clever ideas.

Our staff Christmas party was both fun and delicious. We don't lack for Christmas goodies. Add to these desserts the fabulous turkey dinner that preceded it! Honestly, this is such a good exercise in will power. And some days we do better than others!!

The staff's version of the Nativity. Sort of cute!

All in all, we are having a very different but very wonderful Christmas. With just 13 missionaries it is easy to take them in as family. Six of them are German speaking but only one of them really struggles with the language so we get along pretty well. Last Sunday and this Sunday on Christmas Day we have and will handle the Sacrament Meetings in the local wards. We have 3 flute players, a piccolo player and an amazing bass voice. We imported a pianist and with the help of Pres. Williams and Pres. Walker (who both sing), we got along quite well, in fact I would even say "smashing". (as they do here)

We plan to have a little event on Friday - Joseph Smith's birthday-- when we will gather around the tree and share stories from the prophets life. We will top off the evening with birthday cake! And then beginning at noon on Christmas Eve, we will have no instructors or staff and they will be ours until Monday morning. We have lots of things planned and I expect it will be just as exhausting as it is at home. (maybe more so since we have to stay dressed up all day!) But so what.......it only comes once a year and it only comes two times in the MTC!

More later -- but in the meantime

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!