Cobán Capers: Pieces of December

Don't you love December?

We love the music and dance,

We remember the children dancing to share their culture and talent in Guatemala.

We sang their song today, only instead of "Tookie" we sang "Pookie" in honor of a globetrotting cousin.

As we visited temple square a few weeks ago,

Rolando Villazón sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

several Spanish songs, including "Canción para la Navidad," which last Christmas our friend Julio Ovalle sang for us in Cobán.

When he changed the words from marinero to misionero, we cried. We love missionaries. We love memories of our missions. And we love good friends near and far.

Meet our friend, Aziza (right) who flew to Seattle this past week to visit Sister Scruggs, one of the missionaries who helped prepare her for baptism in October. Aziza experienced real SNOW, and brought a WHITE Christmas by performing baptisms in the Seattle temple.

We love good food.

In or out.

Beauty in art and decoration,

And family traditions.

(To celebrate a birthday, Val took me to Ogden 25th Street near the train station where his grandfather used to fix diesel train engines and we found an enchanted village with teeny houses, one that brought to mind a skating pond near a New Hampshire home from yesteryear.)

One daughter loves gingerbread houses--a favorite.

Kristen built a Snowville train station. The children built with lego candies.

Someone tried their hand recreating the Guatemala temple.

(How do you eat THAT?)

As we worship, we invite our loved ones to remember happy times with dear ones near and far,

Who can refuse a sing along?

Even two year olds can play the bells at the library storytime

More music comes when

happy organ teachers invite former students to join her recital,

which last Sunday, was changed a little to share at church. To all my former students: see if you can find some joy in PRACTICE!! And sharing your talents...

Put your new pajamas on (from, or not, from the Amazon!)

Hang your handcrafted (or other) stocking on the staircase with care.

Look to our happy grandmas

to use stitching and smiles to teach truths:

And even better, act them out:

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem"

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."