Crystal Cathedral and Jon's Visit

To continue our full Christmas season away from our family: Signe's brother Jon and his wife arrived at our apartment at 3:30 on Saturday. Because of the rain we decided to visit the South Coast Plaza, one of the largest malls in the world. It was the most Holiday decorated mall we have ever been in and was a mall-walkers delight! The huge tree depicted below was one of many throughout the mall, which also featured live choirs and Santa's train for children. We felt like we were in one of the many Christmas movies which show beautiful malls.

Jon and Tracy drove down from their home in Bel Air. Jon is in the solar power business, while Tracy is a singer who goes on tours. (Check out on of her songs on YouTube Tracy Lyons.) We had a wonderful time, finishing the evening in the Rainforest Cafe, which was not one of the quietest places you would ever want to eat in, but the food was good.

Thursday night we had tickets to the Glory of Christmas pageant in the fabulous Crystal Cathedral just ten minutes away from us. It was a full-sized Christmas story from Luke, with live animals, including a donkey and three camels. It was a spectacular (if loud) production, with as many as seven angels 'flying' around, either announcing the child to Mary or singing praises at the birth in Bethlehem.

Dancing was also plentiful, and several local opera stars and actors played the parts. The pageant plays twice daily from December 3 to January 3. The cathedral's tower, can be seen as far away as Orange where our ward is located. Pictured below is the cathedral's immense organ. The whole place is an architectural wonder.

The missionaries continue to have great success. It's been a busy week in the office, and the many Christmas packages from parents have begun to fill the office space, waiting for the zone leaders to distribute them. Gary received the happy message from Elmore Toyota Friday afternoon that four new 2010 Corollas were awaiting us at the dealership. Now we won't have so many elders on bikes!

Finally, we can't leave without telling you about our spending 20 minutes in the hot-tub Friday night -- in the rain! It was fun and especially relaxing after another very busy week.

A Walk and a Christmas Celebration

Sunday night was the Orange Stake's 18th annual Community Christmas Celebration in our stake center's cultural hall. The focus was on 413 nativity scenes from all over the world -- from all kinds of media, including old CDs, metal and Legos, from very simple to very ornate -- and expensive. Friday night we were part of the security team to protect a few tables from wandering hands and to answer questions. It was estimated that over half of the people coming to these three nights were not LDS.

Then on Sunday night we both performed in the best stake choir we've ever sung in (or heard), where we put on a full hour's concert of Christmas music, accompanied by organ, piano, harp, saw!!, two young but very talented girls singing, and by Signe on her violin (Beautiful Savior and Silent Night). It was an evening to remember.
Sunday morning we went on an hour-long walk down the dry Santa Ana River bed foot and bike trail, adjoining the Riverview Golf Course. The intoxicating fragrances from the eucalyptus trees and Bougainvillea flowers were with us most of the way, wanting us to repeat the walk as soon as we can.

What a feeling of well-being, as you can tell by this shot of Gary.

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Last week Signe played in the most gorgeous concert hall of her life: the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. (Google it on the Web for some photos.) It was an absolutely thrilling performance in every way. With their model the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, the Orange County Mormon Chorus and Orchestra sang and played almost as well -- and with a wonderful addition: several choirs from 4 through 18 years old, all of these performers taught by the Stewart brothers, Brett and Brandon. March 31 the chorus and orchestra are performing here the premiere performance of MESSIAH IN AMERICA, composed by Brett Stewart, who is shaping up to be the next Mac Wilberg of the Church. Gary is so thrilled and enamored of all of this that he will audition for the chorus on December 17. One of the most remarkable things about this Christmas concert, however, was that the two brothers bore testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the divinity of the Savior to this audience of many non-LDS people.

There had been two performances, the earliest art 5:30. While Gary was waiting at home to take Sister Skinner and Sister Healey to the 8 p.m. performance, our daughter Judith called to tell us that James Wiley Everett had been born that afternoon at 3:19, adding yet another grandchild to the family. When an exhausted, but very satisfied Signe finished her two performances, she was elated to receive the great news from Gary.

Watson Drugstore on Orange Square has been there since 1899 -- and the inside of it is like a trip to the past. We ate their Friday night on the way to the Christmas Celebration. As we went to the cash register to pay the bill, the proprietor asked to see the check. As he was doing so I fished out my credit card. To our amazement, he then said that our meal was his treat! He must have seen our name tags, but he was so busy we didn't have a chance to ask what ward he was from! (Maybe next time!)