Graber "Talent" show

Before opening our gifts, we had a little "talent" show.

I got the idea from a friend of mine.  I wrote to all the kids prior to them coming encouraging them to come up with something to share - they could sing, play an instrument, read a poem....  

Claire began with a "wild" dance number!   She danced to "Welcome to the Show" by Brit Nicole, which I thought was appropriate!

Hannah, Jill and Adam performing Christmas song

Emeri plays a song

Sophia on the piano

Jill and Josh found a song in "Rodeheaver's Sing Sociability Songs", which I had found among my parents' things.  

The Peanut Song

The man who has plenty of good peanuts And giveth his neighbor none;

He shan't have any of my peanuts When his peanuts are gone.

     When his peanuts are gone, When his peanuts are gone;

     He shan't have any of my peanuts, When his peanuts are gone.

(other verses included "good oranges", "soft, sweetest crackers", and "ripe, red strawberry short-cake" in the place of "good peanuts".)

Staci had us join her in "Silent Night."  

Al and I grew up singing this at Christmastime in German.  "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht".  I read the story behind the song in Robert Morgan's book, "Then Sings My Soul".

"It was Christmas Eve in the Austrian Alps.  At the newly constructed Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, a Tyrol village near Salzburg, Father Joseph Mohr prepared for the midnight service.  He was distraught because the church organ was broken, ruining prospects for that evening's carefully planned music.  But Father Joseph was about to learn that our problems are God's opportunities, that the Lord causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.  It came into Father Joseph's mind to write a new song, one that could be sung organless.  Hastily, he wrote the words, 'Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright....'  Taking the text to his organist, Franz Gruber, he explained the situation and asked Franz to compose a simple tune.  

   That night, December 24, 1818, 'Silent Night' was sung for the first time as a duet accompanied by a guitar at the aptly named Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf.

   Shortly afterward, as Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ, he heard about the near-disaster on Christmas Eve.  Acquiring a copy of the text and tune, he spread it throughout the Alpine region of Austria, referring to it as "Tiroler Volkslied."

    'Silent Night' was first published for congregational singing in 1838 in the German hymnbook 'Katholisches Gesang'.  It was used in America by German-speaking congregations, then appeared in its current English form in a book of Sunday school songs in 1863.

    Were it not for a broken organ, there would never have been a 'Silent Night.'"

Al doesn't care for this song.  He says it was NOT silent and therefore inaccurate.  Bethlehem would have been filled with people made to go there by the feared and hated Romans.  The town would have been in a clamor.  I'm sure at the dinner table there would have been much discussion and anger expressed about the taxes mandated by their oppressors.   

Eli and Jason shared a talent.  Sharpshooter "William Tell Elijah" with Brave Jason.

Allen and I told the Christmas story.

And we ended with Alphabet Praise.  Now, a couple of my grandchildren can burp the alphabet, but we did this instead.   I said the letter and everyone would pipe in with words to describe God. 

Lord, You are....

   Almighty!  my Anchor,  Able

   Beginning (and End), BIG!, Beautiful!

   Captivating, Changeless, my Comfort

and so on and so forth.  There are not enough words to describe Him!

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The kids were ready for gifts!
(see a little someone hidden among the gifts?)