Happy Birthday Warren

December 31st is a double celebration at our house.  We try and show Warren that we are very glad he was born!  This year we celebrated by going to see the movie, Tangled at Thanksgiving Point.  Seeing a movie in the theatre is a rare treat for our kids. We then went and did some late Christmas caroling at a nearby retirement center where two widows from our ward live. (I visit teach both of them.)  We then came home and started the party. 

Warren got gifts such as a bag of Marshmallow Maties (something he loves but I never buy) and a bag of Ruffles potato chips.  Melanie got him a live crab but she says it is no reflection on his personality.  He also got a package of fireworks but it was too cold to set off all but one (see below).

 He requested a white cake with bits of strawberry with cream cheese frosting.

 Melanie, Warren, Graigry, Tyler

Warren used one fountain to set our Christmas Tree on fire in our fire pit.

It was impressive but too cold for some of us to watch outside.

We watched the first Narnia movie on DVD and went to bed.

Christmas Day 2010

It was fun to have Christmas morning in Neola with Mom and Dad Henrie.  It was great to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Melanie looking through her stocking.

Tyler was excited to get rosin for his Bass and food for his turtle.

Tyler got a new jacket, winter boots, and an MP3 player.

Dad with some of his gifts.

Grateful for their Christmas gifts.

Jessica got games, a new coat and things she needs for school and her apartment.

Graig got money that he hasn't decided how to spend yet.

Jessica and Graig looking through their stockings.

You can see all the snow they had in Neola when you look out the windows.

A family picture we took after church on Sunday just before heading home.

2010 Family Christmas Program

Each year for the past 10 years we have had a family tradition at Christmas time of taking the kids out to visit elderly neighbours and family friends.  During our visit we share some Christmas music.  As the kids have grown older our "programs" have gotten more formal and more centered on celebrating Christ's birth.  A few years ago we decided to tape our program so that we could share it with family members and friends who lived out of town.  This year was the first year we posted it on youtube.  The majority of our programs are in private homes but we occasionally perform at a senior center.  This year Warren was excited to show off his family at Golden Living of Orem, the retirement home where he now works.  We did our program twice, once in each building, for the residents as they ate their lunch on Christmas Eve. I would guess we performed our 15 minute program about 20 times this year.  We appreciate the spirit of Christmas this tradition brings with it for us and those who watch.  It is one of our family's favorite traditions.

Residents of Golden Living, Jessica in the background.

Tyler, Melanie, Mary, and Graig perform "Oh Holy Night"

Snow Day

We got 9" of very good packing snow yesterday and Tyler and Melanie were loving it.  Two of Tyler's friends came over and the four of them spent hours in the field behind our house building this giant snow cave.  It is big enough for all four of them to be inside at the same time.  In about four hours they came in briefly for dry gloves and then again for a flash light when it got dark.  What fun!

 David and Melanie

Tyler and Melanie

Merry Christmas 2010

Click Here to see our Christmas Card

Here is a little about our family in 2010

Melanie, age 10
Likes:  gymnastics, field trips, backpacking, horse back riding, dancing, animals, chasing boys at school, drawing, making things, and playing in the sand box.

Doing well on the violin, although she wouldn't list that on her favorite things.

Tyler, age 12
Likes:  Boy Scouts, playing the bass, Utah Utes, doing baptisms for the dead in the temple, scout camp, cake decorating and hiking, science demo team, photography, and the color green.

Significant events this year:  Played the piano in the Conference Center, became a Deacon, and won a gold presidential service award

Graigry, age 16

Likes:  Education Week at BYU, girls, computers, computer games, and fantasy stories

Things I am doing:  school, violin, homework, orchestra, school, and dating

Significant events this year:  Inducted into the National Honor Society, ordained a Priest, turned 16 and got a drivers license, played a concert in the Provo Tabernacle, went on an orchestra tour to California and made his first visit to Disneyland, played several concerts with Dallyn Vail Bayles

Jessica, age 18

Likes: reading, writing, animals

Significant events this year: graduated from Utah Valley University and Utah County Academy of Sciences (high school), moved to a dorm in Provo and is attending Brigham Young University (Meet my Roommates!), my dog Z died, and sang in the choir for the general YW meeting in the Conference Center

Jessica got into the journalism program at BYU and will write for the Daily Universe next semester

Mary

Things I am doing:Serving as an activity day leader

Significant events:Went on a pioneer trek with Warren and Jessica, successfully planned another Celebration of Marriage conference with Warren, had a fun visit from my friend Lisa, and helped host Shiho from Japan

Warren

Things I am doing:Serving as the Young Men's President

Significant events: Celebrated 20 years of marriage to Mary, and made a career change he now works at Golden Living in Orem

Our Family Christmas Program for 2010

Graig's first date

One of Graig's goals for the school year was to attend both boy's choice date dances at his school this year.  He was all excited for the upcoming Winter Formal and then he realized it was on the same day he had committed to play with the orchestra for a private Christmas party at the down town SLC Marriott.  He decided to ask a girl from the orchestra to the dance and figured they although they would be late they could still make at least half of the dance. 

Rehearsing in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott.  The party was for the senior managers of Merritt Medical.  I estimated there was seating for about 120 attendees.

 Graig and Brad rehearsing. 

 Eating pizza in the green room before the concert with Rosie and Brad.

 The orchestra had about 2 hours before the concert to hang out in the Marriott.  Graig, Rosie and Brad passed the time by riding the elevator to the top floor, ballroom dancing in the parking garage (Brad is a pretty accomplished ballroom dancer), forming a spontaneous violin trio and jamming in the parking garage and in a corner of the lobby.   

The concert was fabulous.  They got to play with Dallyn Bayles again and got several standing ovations.  Here is a snip-it of the orchestra playing "Sleigh Ride" during the rehearsal.

Unfortunately the private party was running behind and so Graig, Rebekah, and I didn't leave the Marriott until almost an hour after we had planned.  We were racing towards the dance until we hit Point of the Mountain where we ran into a snow storm and very slick roads.  After driving 30 mph in white knuckle conditions it was clear we were not going to make it to the dance at all.  I offered to take Graig and Rebekah out to eat as a small consolation for missing the dance.  We went to a Sonic Drive Inn.  While we were waiting for the food a Josh Groban Christmas song, Believe, came on the radio and Graig and Rebekah got out and danced in the snow.  


Graig says he can't wait to go on another date.  I'm guessing he will wait until he can drive without restrictions (February) or double with someone his own age who can drive.

2nd Annual Neighbourhood Christmas Party

Thanks, Tina, for hosting our Neighbourhood Christmas Party again this year.  We started with a dinner of soups, rolls, salads, and cheese and crackers and yummy desserts.  Each family (four of us) each brought a Christmas game.  The Clarks did a memory game with Christmas items with prizes for different age ranges, The Colleges did a guessing game with items in a Christmas Stocking and each family took turns feeling the stocking and guessing what was inside, our family brought the game "Don't Eat Christmas", and the Mitchell's brought a Christmas Version of the game Fruit Basket.  They printed off cards with Christmas pictures on them like a stocking, Santa Clause, a bell, etc and each person taped one on their shirt.  One person then stood in the middle of a circle and named a picture or two or three and those people had to switch chairs while the person in the middle tried to get a chair.  It was a very popular game with everyone from the youngest child to the adults.  We are lucky to have such good neighbours. 

 Probably arguing over whose turn it is to be in the middle.

 Sam, Randy, Jill, William, Tommy, and Tina

 Daxton

Mary, Jill, Warren, Randy, Ryan

An American Heritage Christmas

The concert with Dallyn Vail Bayles was fabulous, as expected.  I was especially proud of how well the orchestra played "Sleigh Ride".  Another highlight of the evening was when the orchestra premiered the Janice Kapp Perry song, "No Ordinary Man" which had been orchestrated just for them to play in this concert by Sam Cardon.

 Graig with his stand partner Brad

 Daylln sang "Joseph's Lullaby" and "Away in a Manager" while acting out this live nativity.

 Dallyn sang "Oh Holy Night" and "What Child is This" while portraying a Civil War soldier.

We waited in line after the concert to get a picture and autographs.

Between the two concerts, they played for about 1500 people.

Warren and I went to the down town Deseret Book Store on Friday because Dallyn was doing a free concert and signing CDs.  Our purpose for being there was to hand out flyers to Dallyn's fans about the concert on Saturday night.  It was fun to get a "private" concert.  Warren took this video.

More pictures from the concert.  These were taken by a professional photographer.