Merry Christmas!

"Our prayer this Christmas season is that the light and testimony of the Savior's divine mission will come into our hearts and be reflected inour lives and in our homes."
-First Presidency Message 2010
Merry Christmas!

Santa!

Santa was in town, yes the REAL Santa just ask my kids they know. We were in line and done in less than 10 minutes it was great.

Madison asking for an i-pod and Santa telling her he would bring her some toys


Emma just sitting nervously, He told her he would bring her some toys

C.J. asking for Legos and Santa said he would bring him a toy

The classic first picture with Santa, extreme crying the started the moment she was placed on Santas lap and ceased the moment dad picked her up.

I think that Santa's hearing may be starting to go, but I asssured the kids that Santa had received their letters and they would receive what they asked for as long as they were still on the nice list.

Thanks Santa for the drinks and the bag of nuts and candy, I am still cleaning up peanut shells!

Tubing

A few pictures for you viewing pleasure... Good times at the tubing hill




Who needs a sled these snow pant are just as slick (he went up and down the hill like this over and over)


We had a great time roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and drinking cocoa. The wreck of the day goes to Madison who worked up the courage to start at the very top and after a graceful endo she caught herself with her ear. Only a few tears were shed, typical, but a great afternoon in the great outdoors.

Light Parade

It is so funny to me that whenever Allie is all bundled up she is so snugly, I don't know if it is because she like to be all toasty, or if she feels defeated because she can hardly move, either way I think that I might bundle her up around the house just so she will let me hold her. She loved watching all the lights move down the street and even the blaring fire engine didn't phase her.


The girls watching the parade


the boy with his GQ face (I think he was practicing his smolder, we had just come from watching Tangled, he must have learned a thing or two)

This was C.J.'s favorite, I think it is pretty cool for a small town parade I think it is welding students from the college and they grind metal and the sparks fly, C.J. thought it was "so awesome". Tom and I both agree that it wasn't the best parade we had ever seen, but that did have fireworks which was a new, exciting, element.

Ward Party

We had our annual ward Christmas party and it was a lot of fun, full of great food entertainment and the spirit of the reason we celebrate this time of year. We only took a few pictures, I had to post the one above becasue everyone says this little lady looks co much like her dad, but I think there are bits and pieces of her mom in ther too.
These two were sheep in the nativity, here they are sporting thier ears and acting like their silly selves. Madison was an angel, but refused to have her picture taken becasue apparently she is "too old" for this kind of stuff. I the hostess of our table which ment that I was the decorator and server of food. Luckly I didn't spill anything on anyone and I made these awesome paper trees for the table decor that were a huge hit. It was a fun night and a great reminder of the bith of our Savior.

8 Months

That's right she is 8 months old and as cute as can be.


We celebrated by letting her play in her oatmeal, I thought she would love it, and she did




problem is that it came back to bite me, now she wants to play in her food every time I feed her, silly baby!
At eight months-
-still loves her binkie and blanket
-dances ALL the time
-sits by herself
-move objects from one hand to another
-throws things on the floor to hear the noise they make
-waves goodbye and gives fives
-loves to eat everything especially when dad gives her chocolate covered pretzels
-still thinks her dad is the best thing in the world
We love you little sugar baby.

Gingerbread House

The FHE activity for Monday night, the gingerbread house. After we got the structure standing (thanks to some nasty thick icing) the kids went to work. I think this is the first time I let them loose on the house.

I am pretty sure they ate more candy than ended up on the house, notice the pink teeth and tongues.

The end result a fine looking house that I am sure any gingerbread family would love to live in.

Decorating

So this tree is HUGE. We had to use a very tall ladder to decorate it, the kids thought it was great, I was just waiting for one of them to fall off. Luckily we got it done without any casualties.




Allie is fascinated by all the lights. She just sat and touched all of the lights, she was a great help and so easily entertained. The tree is up, thanks to Tom and decorated, thanks to the kids now to wrapping the gifts, I guess that is my job the fun and monotony of it all.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our house.

Oh Christmas Tree

We had a great time getting trees this year. The snow was deep, but the weather was great. Allie loved being outside and spending a lot of time in her daddy's arms.


C.J was tramping around with sticks while loosing his boots in the snow. The cold never even phased him, he was in heaven out the woods. While we were driving up the mountain on a rough road, as we were going down a hill he said "this road scares my tummy". The butterflies must have gotten to him.

Allie was light enough the lay on top of the snow and look around and wonder what the heck we were doing.

All of the kids loved playing in the snow, when it was time to go they complained that they didn't want to leave all of the snow.

This is Madison taking her turn sawing the tree down. It was a lot harder than she thought it would be and after two passes she was finished.

I think this is the first year the this girl didn't ask to be packed while tree hunting. She loved playing in the snow chapped face and all.

C.J. said his favorite part was eating the snow and a smaller snowball just wouldn't cut it.
It is always such a pain to plan and get ready for a trip to get trees, but when we are done it is always worth it. The smell of the tree and the Charlie Brown style that I have come to love is a tradition at our house, and I love it.

Letters to Santa

Look at these cute binky babies they are the sweetest girls and since they were to young to write letters to Santa they got to play with the tightly closed markers instead.

Emma spent a lot of time on her letter making sure her letter was perfect. She colored every inch of the paper and after being told for the hundreth time that Santa will not bring a puppy to people who already have a dog, she finally agreed to a toy dog and an American Girl doll. Santa is relieved about that one for sure.

Madison's letter was also a work of art complete with original artwork and precise writing in cursive. She asked for and i pod, I just wonder when she grew out of barbies and stuffed animals, it goes way to fast.
Where are the boys you ask..Ethan and C.J. were way to busy to let me take pictures of them with their letters to Santa. C.J. asked for a scooter and legos, cars, and transformers all things boy. The letters are in the mail with the hope that they make it to the North Pole before the big day.

Christmas Tree Lane

These cute girls performed at Christmas Tree Lane. They did a great job. The picture above is of Emma's class courtesy of C.J. he has some great camera skills, I think the flash going off over and over may have blinded a few people. Emma is the tiny one in the center. For a girl who said she would never dance on the stage again last spring she sure has a great time, and I am so glad she decided on her own to take dance classes again this year.

When it was time for Maidson to dance C.J. was handing on the bars in the isle he was done taking pictures for the moment. He dr dance was cute as well and she did an awesome job. She loves to dance and I love it!
Great job girls, net week the Nutcracker!