Christmas 2022

We had a magical holiday season!

Candy House at Chocolate world

Beautiful tree and nutcrackers at Chocolate World

At the Department of Medicine holiday party at the Hotel Hershey

Christmas Piano recital

Fun Christmas socks!

The girls have been rehearsing since mid August for their studio's production of the Nutcracker. It turned out so beautifully! 

Brielle was a candy cane (second from right)

Lily was a Polichinelle (Mother Ginger kid, second from right)

Brielle is on the left

First in line

Brielle was also a solider

And a party girl! 

These photos are from the photographer. She didn't get any of Lily as a mouse or angel but she did great with that too!

Lily's English teacher came to see her which was so sweet!

Her friend Reena saw her perform at a Nutcracker preview at the country club

We made lots of cookies this month. Gingerbread men, sugar cookies, raspberry linzer cookies, gingerbread bars, mint chocolate cookies, reindeer cookies, and eventually pecan pie cookies.

We took some friends to see the central PA youth ballet production of the Nutcracker and it was beautiful! The sugar plum fairy was only 12 years old, but she did a great job; her male partner was only 15 or something; everyone was clapping and cheering when they did the cool lifts.

Carter was sick the last week of school before winter break. Even though he had to stay home, he still did the spirit days ...this was Christmas beach vacation day!

We each made our prediction for the first real snow of winter. Brielle guessed December 21 and it snowed the next day! For her prize she got to pick the Christmas day treat, so she made this yummy chocolate trifle!

We opened presents before Church and then had a lovely Sacrament meeting with lots of music. I got to sing my favorite Christmas song "What child is this" with Alison and the choir sang a few numbers and there were instrumental numbers too. That evening Mama Judy arrived for a visit!

We went down to the DC temple to see the lights, and also got to use the Giving Machine! We decided to buy a month's groceries for a family.

There were also some beautiful nativities from around the world displayed in the Visitor's Center!

The next day we drove to Williamsburg. Mama Judy has always wanted to visit at Christmas time! The homes in the historic area were all decorated with wreaths and we had fun seeing what life was like in Colonial times. 

The little papers had notes of good wishes for the new year written on them

One of the rooms in the government building

Baking cookies and scones in an actual brick oven!

The ginger cookies have a cult following. People were lining up waiting for them to be out of the oven! We liked the blueberry scones too.

Mounting steps to get into the carriages

Such fancy wreaths!

Fun music

Cooper's shop

We also went to Busch Gardens. I think Brielle and Brandon only rode one ride, and we took a train ride, but there were lots of shows and Christmas decorations to enjoy! There was a Scrooge play, a night before Christmas ice skating show, and an Irish Dance show. They were all so good!

We went to one of the local wards for church on New Year's Day. Everyone was excited for the Richmond temple to be open later this spring. We made it home and the kids got back to school on January 3rd. Mama Judy and I drove back down to DC to attend the temple with family. My cousin Amy's daughter Adalyn was receiving her endowment before departing on her mission to Arkansas. It was lovely to visit with them! Mama Judy went home a few days later. It was a wonderful Christmas vacation!