Christmas Lights

After finding out most of the tree lights from last year didn't work and then making TWO different trips to the store for more, Brandon finally got the tree ready for decorating. Nothing like chocolate chip pancakes, Christmas music and tree decorating in your jammies on a Saturday morning:

 He's lamenting that his hair looks "dumb" and he doesn't want to put it on the tree:

And he thinks these fingerless gloves are so cool. He wears them to bed:

Check out the framed picture of me and my sisters in the late 70's in the lower right of this picture. I put it out every year:

 Today I finally found the ribbon that was supposed to go around the tree. Oh well:

That evening we went to see the lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The pictures don't do it justice: 

A lot has changed since the pioneers first arrived!

We stepped in the old tabernacle for a bit to get warm. (Click here for some interesting facts on the organ.) The Mormon Tabernacle Choir still does performance here even though there is a new and much larger facility just north about a block.

Ever a lover of history, here's Brandon telling the kids about how the ceiling/roof was made by a ship builder. That's why it looks like the bottom of a ship!

All my pictures are slightly tilted to the left because of the way I was wearing my camera over my big coat. I'm too lazy to fix it:

Beautiful music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accompanies the telling of the Christmas story in Luke 2 at thus outdoor display:

(I know, tell me agin how we're not Christian. Someone explain it to me, please!)

 A bunch of these little guys were still living. Elizabeth picked this one for me:

The conference center that replaced the old tabernacle for larger meetings:

My favorite:

Look. I promise we'll get a house with a guest room so you can come next December to see the lights and stay with us. I'll even make you some chocolate chip pancakes!