Monday, December 22, 2014

         Preparing for our turn for FHE kept me busy in the kitchen today.  We planned a Christmas Program that included participation from each of the missionary and presidency couples.  About three weeks ago, Glade asked them each to choose what they would like to share so they had plenty of time to prepare.  We got permission to use the chapel (on a Monday night) and made arrangements to use the screen for a power-point presentation.

         One couple read the scripture account of the nativity, pausing every few verses to sing a hymn that complemented a particular part of the story.  It was a tender feeling to hear their sweet voices sing the songs without accompaniment, but with lots of spirit.  Another couple gave a lovely power-point presentation of the symbols of Christmas.  Other couples sang more carols and Pres. Ocampo played a simple Christmas piece on the piano—he is a beginner and when he faltered, I felt just like a teacher and had to restrain my instinct to “help” him!  It really took me back to my teaching days.  Sister Ocampo asked me to play the teacher’s part of a piano duet with her and it went just great.  I played a pretty arrangement of “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” and then we came back to the cafeteria in our building to eat.  The program was casual, but comfortable and well done.

         It was hard to decide what to serve for the meal, but I settled on a spaghetti casserole and found a good recipe on-line.  With it, we served lots of match-stick carrot sticks and cheese bread.  Since it’s almost Christmas Eve, I made our traditional cherry cheesecake and we scattered Hershey kisses on the table and put out a cherry chocolate for each and a bowl of Chex Mix.  We have a beautiful Poinsettia plant—a gift—in our apartment that served as the center piece and we found some one-use poinsettia table clothes that were background for red plates and napkins.  Pres. Amado brought his small sound system—it must have been a docking station for one of his electronics and it had small speakers—so we had Christmas music in the background.  It was perfect and it felt like Christmas.  There are a couple of pictures below.

         Good Night!  Happy Christmas!  Love to All!

Pres. and Sister Amado with Glade

The serving table--Oops--I should have taken the picture
before people started through the line.

Getting Started

Christmas Photo
Couples from the left:  Pres. and Sister Ocampo, Brother and Sister Caseras,
Brother and Sister Navas, Pres. and Sister Amado, Pres. and Sister Valle,
Brother and Sister Peterson
Missing are Brother and Sister Gomez who went to Nicaragua for Christmas.