The weather is gorgeous today!!  The second week in December and we were out doing yard work in shirt sleeves.  What a beautiful time of year here!  It was a little cool in the morning, but by noon it was idyllic.

We cut some low, overhanging branches from the pine in front and then lopped off the crape myrtles so that they will have blossoms lower down next year.  We will be able to see them from our front window.  The man also took off some dead branches from the tree in back using the Barney's tree saw.

Last week we also bought and set up a nativity in the front yard.  The plan was to subtly indicate to the neighbors that we are Christian.  I don't know what they know about the church, but if they know we are LDS I wanted them to know that LDS people are Christian.  So Dad made a stable and we put the figures in it and it was a little more than subtle.  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  We had the figures lit the first night and then we decided that they look better in the day and not lit at night.  I'm afraid instead of whispering subtly it yells.  We'll see how we feel about it as time goes on.  I have it on Craig's List to see if anyone wants to buy it.  We could get a smaller, more subdued something.

Monday night we spent the evening at a pot luck dinner and helping set up the 18th Annual Nativity Display at the church.  They have hundreds of nativity sets loaned by individuals and set out all over the building (Kristin, you left a week too soon!)  In the cultural hall were the beautiful and fragile ones and in the Primary room were the children's ones and a place for the kids to draw and color.  They had an ongoing video of the nativity in the chapel, and they had different groups and individuals present music at different times throughout the two days.  Mary's school orchestra played the first night. The ones in charge have had lots of practice and they know how to present well.  There was also a room where there were all kinds of nativity costumes and a backdrop for the kids or families to dress up and have their picture taken.  And there was a roomful of quilts made from Christmas themes.  I knew what it was going to be and I was still in awe. It was absolutely breathtaking.

The pictures don't come close to doing it justice.  The whole cultural hall was lined with a desert backdrop, the lights were dim and the ceiling was draped with white cloths and white lights.  I can't tell you how beautiful and reverent it was; and the nativities were 3 or 4 deep all along the walls.  Anyway, the whole neighborhood was invited and lots of people came.  It was nice that they came to hear their students play and then they could see the beautiful things.

Here is Mary playing her cello in their school's musical presentation.

Yesterday we had a surprise.  The man came into the kitchen after dinner and said, "Guess what I just did."  and showed me his tooth.  It had broken off right at the gum line.  So we went to the dentist today and he said he can still save the root and put in a post and put on a crown.  The wonderful thing is that it doesn't hurt and he can wait till January to have it taken care of.  You just never know what's going to happen.  Life is full of surprises; some are good and some are not.

We are looking forward to this month.  It will be so good to have family visits around Christmas and it's fun to be involved in the Christmas activities here.  We are so blessed!!  We are so happy and at peace.  We are grateful for every day and the privilege of being together one more day and then another day and another.  We hope you all are also joyful and at peace.  We love you so much!