A Very Merry Christmas

Christmas was kind of different for us this year.  We're used to Christmases filled with family gatherings and time with each other and cousins.  Last Christmas, we enjoyed seeing many of our family members as we celebrated Heather and Anthony's marriage.  This first Florida Christmas far from family and with our family spread all over was different but nice.  We filled our month with Christmas-y activities and felt the Spirit of Christ as we reached out to serve.

Our stake had a Christmas Concert that we participated in.  It was truly an uplifting and wonderful activity.  There is a lot of musical talent from a sweet 3 year old singing Stars Were Gleaming to a beautiful rendition of Oh, Holy Night from a talented tenor.  Derek's high school choir had a wonderful Christmas/holiday concert that was a treat to attend.  We loved the ward Christmas activity--yummy dinner, nativity pageant, and gift bags you could make for your neighbors.  We had a delicious Mexican dinner with our friends (the Tholen family) and then went caroling to our neighbors and their neighbors.  We even played the pipe chimes to Christmas Bells are Ringing.  Don't know if they get many carolers here . . . our neighbor offered to pay us for singing.  We had lots of fun!

Christmas Eve was a treat!  Stephen, Derek and Jon Tholen went scuba diving in the morning.  They dove and saw some shipwrecks.  It was a little cold in the water even with wet suits and they think they are going to take a break for a while from diving until it warms up again.  We were invited to the Tholens for Christmas Eve dinner. We enjoyed delicious steaks and seafood, fun company, a nice campfire and s'mores and visiting with each other.  The 2 older daughters were home from college for the Christmas break.  We enjoyed meeting all of their family.  They are a great family--they moved here about the same time we did.

We enjoyed opening presents on Christmas Day and playing games together.  Heather and Anthony were in Missouri for Christmas this year.  We missed them but enjoyed our phone calls!  The full-time elders had permission to skype their families so they came over and used our computer to do it.  It was fun to see their excitement to see and talk to their families.

And our highlight for Christmas was our phone call from our missionary!  We love him so very much!  He loves serving as a missionary and is having some wonderful experiences.  Here are some photos that Sister Albright, mission president's wife, took:

Helping put up the mission home Christmas tree.
Elder Holmstead is the one putting the star on the tree.

Cooking up breakfast for the new missionaries.

At the transfer meeting.  Our missionary is the one in the middle.

More food.  Yummy!  Don't you love the tie aprons?

Elder Holmstead conducting a meeting.