Christmas Celebrations and Performances!!!!

Charlotte's 1st Grade Christmas Performance

Charlotte with her friends ~Hayley and AJ

Jefferson Academy Christmas Program.......

DANCE MATRIX

Kalicia's Tap Dance at the "Christmas Spectacular."

Austin Performing, Tenor, in the Snowflake H.S. Honor Choir.

I, Mom, even got a chance to perform with my singing group, The White Mountain Bells.

I thought this was so sweet..... Charlotte has practiced this tap dance with her Dance Matrix team and was so sad to miss the "Christmas Spectacular" because of eye surgery. So they got her costume for her early and she performed it on stage at one of the practices and we all made a big deal of it and clapped and cheered for. I was so grateful to them, that they played along to help her feel special. She has a fabulous dance teacher, Ms. Michelle.

Grandma Pember came too, to cheer her on!

I have such beautiful little performers!

(Austin's choir sang at the Snowflake Christmas lighting. Small town stuff, so much fun!)


The Grand Ball

Jon served as one of the waiters, while Dad and I danced the night away..........

Austin and Chantelle....

...going to Snowflake High School Winter Formal.
(He was so excited that I found a shirt to match her dress and even a tie!)
So cute!

Austin got his Patriarchal Blessing on Sunday, December 5th.
What an amazing day! He is one special young man! We can't wait to see what life brings for him. What a spiritual day. We were all in tears and very proud of him! He was thrilled and wanted to yell it to the world. (I had to help him contain himself because it is a special blessing that needs to be kept sacred.) Bishop (Patriarch) Manor new how to make it a special and memorable moment.

So, later that Sunday we helped Austin make a toilet cake. He was answering a girl, Chantelle McCleave, that asked him to Winter Formal by making her this cake.

"I won't be a POOP! I will go with you!"
(Very clever and very boyish!)

Jon is always so quick and willing to help, along with being very creative.

The girls had fun eating on their gingerbread houses while they watched their big brothers.

Amongst all the excitement of making a toilet, we turned on Christmas music and began to decorate for Christmas. I love this time of year!

The girls get excited because all the Christmas stories come out of the closet. Their favorite is The Grinch!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

.....And all the fun that goes with it!!!

A fun and entertaining weekend at
Grandma and Grandpa Pembers.
(Sage and the Girls Band)


and the boys went hunting!

Charlotte surprised Daddy with a cute haircut when he got back from hunting.

The Thanksgiving Holidays are so much fun with family all around, no work, just traveling and fun!

Can't forget the
Traditional Candy Houses,
made by the kiddos.

So Silly and full of sugar.......
I always love how creative and clever they get!

The cousins came to our house to play with clay and make ceramics.
Their clay pieces will get fired in the kiln and then they get to glaze(paint)them next time they come.
That was such a fun and messy project. I loved all the creative ideas. Snowmans were the most popular to make.

Halee was so excited about the neat bowl she made and can't wait to put food in it!

Caroline already learning how to use carving tools and loving it, my little artist.

Merrill Thanksgiving Feast

All the Merrill Family together,
but we are missing DeLona's Family.

Merrill Cousins at Aunt Angelene's House

Merrill Girls
.....dancing and performing the night away,
directed by Aunt Rachelle

My Favorite part of the Holidays is getting a chance to see family that you never get to see!
We get together to visit, dance, laugh, eat and just have a fabulous time!!!!!

It was great to see my cousin, Donald Bradford, who is living it up in New York and a designer for Calvin Klein. We had so much fun together as kids, with Sharon too!
(The Three Amigos)

I saw so many cousins that I grew up with, that brought back so many fun memories.
Adam Connolly came to visit from Alaska. He taught me to dance as a kid and it was so much fun to see him dancing with my daughter.

This was such a fun Holiday Break! What a great way to start this exciting time of year, surrounded by family!!!!

While I took a weekend in Nashville with a goodfriend of mine, the kids had a blast with Dad!

Caroline learned some new tricks! Climbing up on Mom and Dad's bed and getting into Mom's jewelry box! As frustrating as it sounds.....we are so proud of her! She is getting everywhere on her own and up to par on the "Terrible Twos". Which is fabulous because she has been developing so slowly, but catching up! She even started crawling everywhere on all fours this weekend. We have been practicing that for a couple years and she finally mastered it!!! Yea!!!

Loren kept me up to date with all the excitement by sending me picture texts! I loved it, cause I missed my family so much!!!

They got to stay up late with Dad watching movies!

Tammy and I heading off on our Exciting ADVENTURE!!!!

This is just the beginning!

It is always amazing to me what a different world it is up above the clouds.

Our first stop in Nasville, such fun cute little shops!
We had a great time out on the town, going up and down "Music Row"!
The talent in Nashville is unbelievable!

Stewart was an amazing country singer, THE SPRINGS.
We got autographs, their albums have been sold in stores!
They got the New Music Awards~Country New Group of the Year!
They are going to be the next big hit!

Music Artists everywhere you go, trying to make it big!!! And they were all so amazingly talented! This is Alexis and the Prince Brothers. I won't be surprised to see them again! She was so sweet, dramatic and very entertaining! ~Just a good time!

Gettin' ready for another night out on the town! Tonight we went to the

Grand Ol' Opry!

That was an incredible event! We saw at least a dozen famous artists!!!

Ricky Skaggs

Gretchen Wilson, she was a favorite!

Craig Morgan, so cool to be so up close!!!!

The next day, the long drive to MEMPHIS!!!!!

..........to see Graceland!!!!

The house was amazing, loved the stainglass in the front room.

I loved how down to earth Elvis still was, even after all his fame.

He had such a simple quaint little kitchen, all 70's of course.

He even had shag carpet covering the walls.

I was never a huge Elvis Fan, but I really learned a lot about him and think he is amazing!

He is not only incredibly talented, but cared a lot about people.

This was my favorite room, yellow and blue family room. He had three t.v.s so he could watch all 3 channels at the same time. He got that idea from the U.S. President at that time. Notice his lightening bolt off to the corner that he is known for.

I didn't realize he started out so young and very humble with little self confidence.

He had so many albums, awards, and donated so much money to just people in his neighborhood. He took care of the people, paying off mortgages, hospital bills etc...

Graceland was a lot of fun, home was beautiful and Elvis was a neat man. I loved that he loved his mother and took such good care of her. He gave his famous "Pink Cadillac" to her.

We had so much fun! It was a well needed trip for the weekend. Tammy and I had a blast!

Thank you Loren for supporting me and letting me go! I hadn't done something like that since before I was married. Thanks Tammy for an awesome time!!!