Christmas is almost here!

It feels kind of… weird this year?

We are actually delaying our Christmas for a few days, so that Dan can make it home to celebrate with us. He has been heavily involved in shows and rehearsals. He is in The Christmas Carol at Hale Theater right now, in Utah, and that is still playing right before and after Christmas day. So… we will wait and pretend Christmas is on the 29th this year. Strange, but honestly… kind of nice to have some extra time to prepare!

I am still trying to figure out something special to do on actual Christmas Eve/Day for the other boys at home. Hmmmmm…. we could all… sleep? That sounds nice. 😉

I want to just post a bunch of pictures of happenings over the last while… mostly Thanksgiving week. (See the gallery below.)

We went to Utah for Thanksgiving to spend with Dan, my brother’s family, and my parents. It was a really awesome week there. Very special. We had so much fun talking, singing, eating, playing games, and learning about the latest in AI development…. crazy stuff!

My brother was showing us how quickly AI can write and perform music, if you just give it a topic. I chose egg burritos as my topic. The song it came up with, and the lyrics… were a little, hilariously, too good. He also showed me how you can have a conversation with AI and tell it how you want it to talk to you. He had it talking to me in an Australian accent, while falling from an airplane, without a parachute. It was a fascinating conversation… though it ended abruptly. 😉

AI is here and moving FAST.

Someone needs to get it a parachute, so it can SLOW down.

I am not sure how to feel about it all yet, but like most technology, it can be used for both good and evil.

Let’s try to use it for good, yes?

Please.

AI… I know you are listening.

Choose to be good.

ANYWAY… We were able to see Sammi on the way down through Boise. It was a super fast stop, because we had some deadlines to meet. We met her at the store, where we picked up my favorite pumpkin cookies, and we picked out some Squishmallows for the kiddos. I love my Sammi, and soak in anytime we get with her! We all sure missed her this year, but we are trying to make plans for next year’s holidays together.

While in Utah, we were able to go see 4 musicals! We also read through the entire script of Cinderella to help Dan prepare for his upcoming role as the prince (at the Hale theater.) It was SUPER fun, especially with the family and cousins acting out all the characters… we were all laughing our guts out. I only ever laugh that hard with family. What a beautiful thing family-laughing is.

We saw…

Beauty and the Beast, at Hale Theater… it was absolutely phenomenal! The sets, the costumes, the performers! The massive life-sized moon! It was truly an incredible production of the show. Having it in the large round theater was awesome. The wolves came crawling down the stairs right next to me! The performers voices were so beautiful. It was a miracle I was able to get tickets when I did, and I am SO grateful that it worked out… I needed that in my life.

My Fair Lady, at Hale (with Dan performing)… it was such a fun and hilariously unique show. So much better than the movie. The talent was amazing. I had goosebumps when Eliza Doolittle would sing. Henry Higgins was one of the best performers I have seen. Dan was a variety of characters in the show, and it was super fun to see him act and perform in new ways.

The Christmas Carol, at Hale (with Dan performing)… magical… super magical, and it made me cry! When they showed the Tiny Tim scene, where Tim “died” because of Scrooge… I almost lost it. The carolers (including Dan) were singing “What Child is This,” during that part. I could not look at the stage, because from far away, Dan looked too much like Charles. It was too much emotion for me to know what to do with, so I just choked on my heart that was stuck in my throat, and I looked away to try and compose myself. I have got to figure out how to manage my emotions during live shows, for the sake of the people next to me.

Fiddler on the Roof, at the high school. My nephew was in the show, and it was great! I was even moved to tears during a dancing scene. They used a little girl dancing in shadow, during the song about Tevye’s daughter leaving home. It was very moving, and unexpected… and too much for me! It reminded me of Sammi as a little girl, and growing up into an adult. Eek! That was soul-tugging and again… I need to learn how to cry with elegance and grace, instead of snot-wads, and choking.

I was so grateful to be able to partake in such beautiful and uplifting shows. I need more light and music and musicals full of light in my life. It really FILLED my soul. There is something special about the theater, and listening to stories told in unexpected and magical ways.

Musicals can be so powerful.

Music is powerful!

Nothing speaks to my soul in quite the same way…. except for ice cream. 😉

I am listening to music right now… ahhh… Christmas music, how I love it.

Now, where is the ice cream?

Also, why is ice cream so shesh-darn expensive? Somebody needs to fix that problem, ASAP.

I hope that the holidays are full of light and love for you and your family.

Here are some pictures of my family enjoying life and precious time together.

Music and ice cream are both magical… but NOTHING compares to the sweetness and joy of time and love spent with FAMILY. 🙂