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Show B5 Vernal Express cing bonds more than gingerbread for family Wednesday, December 24, 2008 By Nancy Spubldck Uintah Basin News Service When Preston and Breanne Meline moved their family to Utah, Breanne's sister made sure that she started a Christmas tradition for the couple's growing grow-ing family. Now, after nine years, the Melines' seven children have perfected the art of decorating a Christmas gingerbread house. Like busy Santa's helpers they line the table, tinkering away at placingthe right amount of candy in all the right places, or at least where their creative imaginations lead them. "We usually make one gingerbread ginger-bread house per child, but this year we are downsizing to just three," Breanne said. The reduced quantity of gingerbread is not due to the economic downturn, but the fact that the family will be moving to Provo soon. The entire Meline family gets involved in the assembly of the houses except for 4-month-old Sam. He's right there with them all though, patiently waiting until the day it will be his turn. The adults - Preston and Breanne, Bre-anne, and her sister and brother, Rachelle and Josh - seam the houses with icing. Jake, 14; Isaac, 12; Rachel, 9; Jared, 7; Mary, 4; and Joseph, 2; are all smiles as they strategically position their sweet treats on the brown walls of their edible creation. Sam Family By Nancy Spurlock Uintah Basin News Servcie Arianne, Nicolette, and Mari-ah Mari-ah Sam make music a family affair, especially as they play at Christmas functions throughout the community. But the girls aren't alone when they sing or play piano during the holiday season. When they play their violins, they are accompanied on the piano by their mother, Penny. Penny Sam started teaching each girl to play the piano when they were 3. "I've never had to beg any of them to practice," Penny said. "It wasn't the plan to have musical kids. They've just always felt encouraged to play as good as their music teachers." When asked about their favorite favor-ite tradition at Christmastime, the sisters all had music-related answers. Both Mariah, 11, and F " -7 1 1 1 ""T" " -- - - " j , . y ; "-... ;' ':-(. " v . . -!-.: . .. !.t- .; - . - ... ;4 . . , '." -.-" '" is - . i , J' : - , " i ,' ' , ..-V ' ' : W- . "-' ...-;,;,; ' - Jibw ? .. . -.. . . -. t - . T- Clw4 V -T w-.-.-J Nicolette, Arianne, and Mariah Sam perform during many community events during the Christmas season. The sisters all sing, play the piano, and play the violin. i a 1 1 I all p'p I q ou o I ter Prime Rib Chicken Clam Chowder Salads Desserts Shrimp Shrimp Cocktail i-i 7 i It wouldn't be tradition though if at least some pieces of the candy weren't sampled. After all, you have to test the merchandise when it comes to candy. Some of the family favorites are non- . traditional treats like chocolate rocks, pretzels, and Lego block candy. The family of nine has other traditions as well. They always have an advent calendar. They like making sugar twists, a recipe handed down from Preston's mother. They also enjoy opening new pajamas on Christmas Eve, and reading the Christmas story from the bible. This year Breanne started a new Christmas tradition: making baklava. "The kids help chop the nuts and butter the phyllo dough," Breanne said. Child participation is an important im-portant part of tradition in the Meline home. Especially now that they are moving closer to Breanne's family. They look forward to next year when they have the big traditional family Christmas Eve dinner agais, and the children will help make it. When asked if her children let her get any sleep on Christmas Eve, Breanne said that sometimes she has to wake her kids up. "The most fun thing about Christmas is when they do something for another family," she said. Christmas Nicolette, 13, said they like to perform with their family at Christmas programs. Their older sister, 17-year-old Arianne, a senior at Uintah High School, agreed and said she also enjoys performing with her school s show choir, The Hi-lites. "Every year Hi-lites does a Christmas concert with choreographed choreo-graphed dance," Arianne said. "They perform for clubs, schools and banquets around town." Hi-lites performances are a family tradition in the Sam home as well. The girls' brothers, Ryan, 19, and Daniel Jr., 21, are former members of the group. Nicolette and Mariah have both expressed interest in joining the group when they are old enough. " Recently, the boys have taken some time off from performing. Ryan is on an LDS mission in Vancouver, Canada. Before he left he was the regional Sterling Scholar in music and earned a Ranch Restaurant & Gift Shop Serving the area since 1933. 5 Preston and Breanne Meline, center, their children, and her sister and brother, Rachelle and Josh, hold to a family tradition of letting their imaginations run wild while creating gingerbread houses each Christmas. The Meline's children are Jake, 14; Isaac, 12; Rachel, 9; Jared, 7; Mary, 4; and Joseph, 2. Four-month-old Sam Meline is not pictured. traditions hit high note full-year scholarship in piano. Daniel just returned from his mission in Argentina and aspires towards a career in orthodontics. He will be attending Brigham Young University next year. Arianne is currently working on her auditions for BYU, where she plans on studying piano performance. per-formance. The girls have been taking lessons with concert-level pianist Jackie King for several years, and Penny credits Jackie's lessons with earning Arianne an opportunity to take lessons from a teacher at BYU. . Violin teacher Lynette Thred-gold Thred-gold - a professional musician in Salt Lake City - comes to the Uintah Basin two times a month to teach the Sam girls and other students. She also brings classically-trained musician Jed Moss, from the band Air Supply, to play in the girl's recitals in the spring and at Christmastime. Penny said that even though Buffet served December 31 beginning at 4:30 pm m i V fnf -m- ; .- " the children's father, Daniel Sr., isn't a musician, his camera and roadie skills are an essential part of a good performance. He believes that 20 years from now the greatest memories will be of the family running around to the school programs and representing represent-ing the spirit of Christmas. v ' V If 4 'Cvfae' 'they. 1 VERNAL xprGss 60 East 100 North Vernal, Utah -435-789-3511 www.vernal.com CHRIST Is In The AM It's just days before Christmas and all through the town, We see happy people; not even one frown. It's great to see folks who show so much care For their friends and their neighbors - today it's so rare. So we'd like to thank you this time of the year For all of the memories we hold so dear. As customers, as neighbors, you all mean so much ' To us, your community and all whom you touch. Have a wonderful holiday! 4 appreciate ni " n- niin Ira ra n 1318 West 2500 South Vernal Business: 789-2754 Cell: 790-6448 f .4 4 . Sit ipwi luUmeU! i i.u ( 'lira i st i; s fta p- ptJ 't ' 77 East Main Street Vernal, UT 435-789-1 170 open Monday - Saturday 6:00 am - 10:00 pm i |