Ode to my mother...

chrisThis blog letter is to thank a mother for making me memorize all those "dumb poems" and "stupid songs" as a child -- and then carrying on the tradition with the next generation. You saved my bacon! Let me explain...Last Saturday (Dec 6) was our ward's Christmas Talent Show. Many months previously I had accepted the bribe the WAC had provided to all acts -- a marshmallow brownie prepared in church so that the scent wafted through the halls. They had a ton of people sign up. This was clear back in the beginning of November. Who couldn't come up with an act in a month?!

Well, time went on. We went to Utah for Thanksgiving and came home and quietly put the talent show on the back burner. No calls. Ah well. They must not need us. Phew! We will go and watch and enjoy the evening.

We get there and find out that lo and behold, not only do they have us on the program to perform, they have us as the last act -- to kind of bring the whole evening together and wrap it up. What?!

Rack, rack, rack the brain. Nothing.

Rack, rack, rack some more. Still nothing.

Then a little inkling came through -- Ashley, Chelsea and I could sing "Be Sure It's True" in a heartbeat. Hadn't we sung it enough times at Grandma's house to do it in our sleep?! But that isn't really Christmasy.

Think, Think.

Wait, we could do that song and something else. But what?!

And then these words flowed into my mind -- "Father calls me William, Sister calls me Will" and I knew I had something. I didn't want to practice it because, after all, I was here to support everyone else, remember?

So we did the BSIT song first, then I recited the "Jest 'Fore Christmas" poem and then I had all of the kids in the audience come up and sing "Away In a Manger". It was a good ending --

-- and then the high school choral choir came and did a surprise performance. Oh well, it WOULD have been the perfect ending.

So Mom, thanks again for everything. You sure saved me (they told me if I backed out it would have cost me $50 a brownie -- which we unsuspectedly consumed back in November. Yikes!)Here are some pics...