Christensen Blog: Merry and Bright...It's Christmas Time!

Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert....best part--being with dear friends!

John Rhys-Davies and Robin Dick fly above the audience as they perform 'A Dickens Christmas' during a Christmas concert at the Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. John Rhys-Davies plays the Ghost of Christmas Present and Robin Dick plays Charles Dickens. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)

Here is a scene from the Concert...a scene from A Christmas Carol sorta

Water and fire fountain at City Creek...it was beautiful!!!

Candy windows at City Creek...something I loved when it was in Provo

...hurray for cameras!!

The lights at Temple Square never cease to amaze me. What a beautiful picture of the temple. The Provo temple is closed for 6 weeks and so I am grateful that all the other temples are open until Christmas Eve. What a lot of people sacrificing their Christmas holiday time so that we can be where Christmas takes on a very special meaning. I love the temple. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve there and have especially appreciated my Monday morning sleep ins until Jan.!!

Cedar of Lebanon tree...it was truly gorgeous and huge

BYU Art Museum...

The BYU Museum of Art opened a new exhibit featuring the works of Carl Bloch and other 19th century painters called "Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz."

We enjoyed an afternoon with Kira and Dallin at the BYU Art Museum. Kira picked up fudge boxes at the BYU Bookstore because she is carrying on Grandma Christensen's tradition of homemade candy. We have a couple of fudge maker wannabee's as we had fudge made by Tyler for Eli's baptism, layered fudge by Kira in her candy making and fudge that I made for my friends this year. That is what my dad always did at Christmas time--he was known for his Rocky Road fudge. My brother Brad makes it just about every year. That is what I love a lot about Christmas...traditions!

Frans Schwartz's 'Agony in the Garden,' an oil on canvas painting. (Courtesy of BYU Museum of Art)

A beautiful painting by Frans Schwartz

Dallin had a party to go to ( he made mashed potatoes to take...hurray for my boys --they are all good cooks in the making!!) so we took Kira back to Springville and ate a Joe Bandidos. Every time we go to Springville their parking lot is full and so we decided this was the day we were going to try it. Kira has the house special...appropriately named Joe Bandido special. It was rather large and so hurray for left overs! The great news of the day is Brooke's house. They have projected that it will be done at the end of February. It is fun to see Brooke's excitement. They are watching over the progress like a baby.

Layton ...what's with going further and further North?

CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE

So here are some sights of Christmas at house for our families in China and Wisconsin! My newest nativity is from Dallin. He gave it to me early so I could put it up. I always wanted a Willow Nativity....and I love it!!!