Sue was on duty at 3 PM orchestrating/preparing/running the 5 o'clock Children's Christmas Eve Service at Preston Hollow Presbyterian on Christmas Eve. The service features the reading of the Christmas Story from the Gospels, a few selected Christmas carols verses and a host of angels, sheppards and wise men. Each child that wishes to participate in the service gets to choose one of the above characters and is then supplied with a simple costume. Each child awaits for the part of the story when angels, sheppards or wise men are mentioned - and then they are invited to come to the chancel to sit with the holy family (a couple from the congregation with a newborn baby is invited to consider playing the part of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus). Angels are the most popular costume of the three choices, though I overheard one girl explain that she is dressed as a fairy, but most of the kids are veterans and know that the angels appear first, hence the suspected popularity of wearing halos and white robes and getting more time "on stage". The service was done in 27 minutes this year - long enough for all the families with young kids jazzed about the coming events on Christmas Eve once they return back home.
Back at home, I finished with our Christmas Eve roast and side dishes, ready for feasting upon Sue's return around 7 o'clock. Inga and Grant had choir performance at First Presbyterian for the 11 o'clock Christmas Eve service, which by tradition is a reunion for Youth Choir alumni returning home from College.
For Christmas Day I mixed a batch of the spicy "red wolf" pancakes and then began to get hungry, so I and the dog went upstairs and shook the kids out of bed at 11:30 in order to get Christmas Day done before the sun set.
A few photos from Christmas 2010:
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| Inga enjoys fireside reading on Christmas Eve |
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| Christmas Eve - Sue relaxes after finishing directing Children's 5 o'clock Service at Preston Hollow Presbyterian |
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| Grant digs into gifts Christmas Day |
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| Inga reads the Traditional Suneson Rhyming Gift Clue that accompanies each family present |
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| Dad doesn't get out to movies much, so one of interest comes to him |
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| Santa stuffs Inga's stocking with January Issue of Texas Monthly Magazine and the humorous "Bum Steer Awards" |
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| Sue quickly figures out her Lat/Long GPS Position, Current Room Temperature (degrees Kelvin), Age in Dog Years and the date and time with Brookstone Alarm Clock |
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| Grant gets another University of Oregon Ducks Shirt from his sister (A Very Proud Duck) in Preparation for National Championship Game next month |
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| Grant reconnects with childhood fascination when Santa brings a Dinosaur Sticker Book! Show me you Screaming Pteradactyl Face! |
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| Inga offers thanks for the blessing of sharp knives for her apartment kitchen |
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| Grant and Inga find more to unwrap |
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| Sue now learns the secret of the Magi's visit to Bethlehem from an ancient document translated from Syriac |
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| Grant tries to decipher the poetic clue that hints at the gift's contents |
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| Sue rapidly unfurls fashion accessory from her daughter |
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Turkish Delight - Candied Fruit from Washington State
A Traditional "Family" Gift for a Suneson Christmas |
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