Christmas Eve

So this year is Christmas with the Kidds.  Which means a pretty long car ride and some creative wrapping and "hiding" in the car.  Cue the black garbage bags.  I got this.  :)

Shaun got off work early- which I think is awesome.  Thank-you Shaun's boss.  When he got home the car was packed and the kids had potty-ed and were ready to go.  We jumped in the car and slept until we hit the state line- except for Shaun.  Who is- like his boss- also awesome.  From the state line all we heard was "Are we there yet?"  and "How much LONG-ER?" (you've got to love it when the whine starts making one and two syllable words even longer).  

Eventually- much to the relief of ALL... we made it.  We pulled in just in time for some yummy dinner with Shaun's parents and the Chase and Dani Kidds.  We played around most of the evening and watched some Christmas movies.  Eventually we moved back into the kitchen and let the kids decorate some special cookies for Santa.

Once they had finished making some (for lack of a better word) YUMMY looking cookies for poor Santa, the kids got in their jammies and then pulled out Grandma's Nativity things.  This year, since the kids were getting a little older- we thought it would be fun to re-inact the story.

Kate was the angel and Deja was Mary.  Mary was excited about the news of her upcoming pregnancy- so she hugged the angel.  I'm pretty sure that wasn't part of the original story- but it was so cute.

Ty played Joseph and Ryan was a Shephard/Wiseman.  Cousin Krew was a sheep.  And a donkey.  And a thief.  Again- probably not part of the story- but we just went with it.  :)

Zombies made an appearance when Kate was telling the shepherds to not be afraid.  Sigh.  I kind of wish I had recorded it.  I don't think anyone believes me.  It's hilarious.

To kill a little more time before bed, Aunt Dani pulled out some cute games she had made- the kids LOVED it!  Which reminds me- Dani if you are reading this... I want the "Don't Eat Rudolf!"

We just finished playing when Ty checked my NORAD app on my phone to see where Santa was at.  He had been checking it throughout the night to check on his progress.  Suddenly he dropped the phone and said, "It's time for bed RIGHT NOW!  He's in South America and that's just too close!  We have to be asleep by the time he gets here!  Everyone in bed NOW!"  

And you know what?  They did.  It was 8:00 and all 5 of them made a mad dash for their beds.  Again- I wish I had it on video.  So funny.  

And it was off to bed for the rest of us too!  

Christmas Stories

A couple of years ago, I broke down and bought the Fisher Price Little People Nativity.  It was super expensive and absolutely adorable.  I love having it around because it means that the kids can look and touch a nativity without it being mine (which breaks).  It also works well when we tell the Nativity story over and over again- because we can move the pieces around (you know- the Wisemen can actually come from the East).

That said... my kids are weird.  When Ryan was three he kept picking up the angel and would take off running around the room- all the while holding the angel and saying Bzzzzzzzzz.  I think he thought it was a bug.

Kate on the other hand is absolutely convinced that there are zombies somewhere in the story.  Yeah.  I said zombies.  Ask her about it.  They appear somewhere in the fields with the shepherds.  And apparently will "eat your face off".  I'm really kind of concerned that she knows what a zombie is to begin with.  But also... why is it a part of the Nativity?  I must have missed something somewhere.


Whatever happened or was lost in the translation of the story- I am just grateful that she knows it- for the most part.  She is such a sweetie and I am so happy that she knows Jesus is such an important part of our Christmas celebrations.

Hey Santa...

It's getting pretty close to Christmas and the kids have not yet written their letters to Santa yet.  They are getting worried.  So they sat down, pencils in hand and got right down to business...

Ty was pretty straight forward...


Ryan wrote his all by himself.  Pretty awesome for my little preschooler!  He asked for a Lego Castle and a Remote Control Helicopter (yeah- he's asked for it for like three years now- keep hoping buddy).


Kate dictated to me... and was hilariously honest in her letter.  Then she "decorated" it before she put it in the envelope.


I guess we'll just have to see what Santa thought of their behavior this year... Naughty or Nice?

Lights

Another one of my favorite Christmas traditions is riding around in the car looking at lights.  We had already gone down to Temple Square to look at the lights downtown.  I think they were pretty... but it was frigid and super crowded.  I was so worried that one of my little ones was going to wander off- I didn't really get a chance to look at the lights.  So this year- I liked the ones from the car a little better.

There is a street here in town that during December- is dubbed "Christmas Street" because every single house on the street is totally decked out in lights and decorations.  They used to connect their houses with strings of lights too... but I don't think they do that any more.



It's amazing.  And when you finish- if you drive just west- there is another neighborhood that puts the Christmas Story from the Bible up on signs in their yards.  They light them up and there are about 30 different signs- but you drive slowly and everyone takes a turn to read a part of the story.  I love that we have another reader now.  Ty is awesome and wants to read the whole thing.

But it's one of those things that as you drive around- we all have hot chocolate- and look at the lights, you start talking to each other.  And not that we don't talk to each other- but without the TV in the background or the computer's glare... it's kind of nice.  Shaun put on some Christmas music- and it was just so nice.  Kind of made me wish we could do it every night!

Holes

Kate has been bugging me for a while about getting her ears pierced.  I think it's because her cousin, Deja got it done.  So Kate talks a lot about it.  Until we actually get to the store at the mall... and then she chickens out.  It's gotten to the point that every time we go to the mall I ask her if she's ready and every time she says, "No.  Not today.  I'm a big chicken today."  I laugh and we go on.  I was pretty sure this was how it was going to go for years.  But the other day- instead of her chicken response as usual... she said YES!  I was shocked.  But we walked into the store- and there was a 30 minute wait.  So I told Kate she had to wait.

She did wait- but not at all patiently.  She harped and harped on it for days, until finally I took her back to the mall and marched her back to the store.  Kate took some time to pick out her earings (gold hearts with pink sparkles).  And I paid.  And I waited for the other shoe to drop.



But Kate climbed right up into my lap and waited for the lady to finish putting her gloves on (and her assistant- I told them that if they weren't going to pierce both ears at the same time- we wouldn't be doing it.  I didn't want Kate wandering around looking like a pirate for the rest of how-long).

I held her little hands in mine and cringed as the gun punched through her little ears.  She cried naturally- but I had a sucker at the ready...



She loves them!  And she looks so grown up with them in her ears.  Maybe I'll make her take them out.

Snip Snip

Ten minutes before church started... I found a chunk of long blonde hair in the middle of my kitchen floor.  And a pair of scissors.  I started getting ticked thinking that the boys had cut a doll's hair.  Until I saw Kate.  And then I wigged.



She cut her hair.  Her hair.  Right up front and very short.

All I can say is- it's a good thing I can braid- because that's what she's getting until those stubby little hairs grow back out!!!  What a stink.

The Nutcracker

I was given two tickets to the Nutcracker at Capitol Theatre this year for my birthday (thanks mom and dad), and I was so excited!  I love taking Shaun to these kinds of things- with all the football/basketball/baseball games we go to and all the football/basketball/baseball/hockey/soccer/rugby/curling/andanyotherstupidsporttheyputontv that goes on at our house... sometimes I figure it's time for some payback.

However... Ty spoke up and asked what it was.  When I told him about the ballet- he asked if he could go.  He loves musicals... so I thought this might actually be something that he would like.  So I said yes.  And we scheduled our date for the first weekend in December.

I took him to lunch at our favorite German Deli- Siegfrieds- just before the matinee.  He loved that he got to pick out his very own treat to sneak into the theater- gummy bears if you care.



And then we headed over to the Capitol Theatre for the show.  It didn't take Ty long to look around and realize that as an 8 year old boy- he was seriously a minority.  But he didn't seem to mind either.  We took our program and sat down just as the lights went low.

And it was amazing.  It always is.  I have loved coming to the ballet for as long as I can remember.  My aunt Roz used to bring me to some of the Ririe Woodbury performances when I was younger- but the ballet was always my favorite.  I always wanted to be as graceful as the dancers on stage.  I took ballet for 15 years to try and reach that point- but unfortunately even if I am walking across a solid, flat surface- I will still find something to trip over.  I never really reached that point of graceful beauty I longed for.  That's okay though- I still find joy in watching those that CAN do it.

Anyway- back to the Nutcracker... Ty leaned over a few times to ask about the story line (I had made him read the story before we came to make sure he kind of understood what they were "talking" about), but otherwise sat quietly and ate his gummy bears.  When it was over- the old lady that was sitting next to us leaned over and asked him what he thought.



"It was pretty good!  But I can't believe they can tell a WHOLE story without saying any words the whole time!"

Yay.  I have one that likes these too.  And I have to say- it was a pretty awesome date.  We may have to do more of these things together in the future!

Let there be LIGHT!

At my house growing up there were two times of the year that we, as kids, went into hiding.  Anytime you heard my dad pulling out his tools to "fix" the sprinklers out front in the spring and secondly, when you heard him haul the big box of Christmas lights down from the garage.  Run my friends.  Just run.  I heard words come from my father that I never even knew existed.  And such an array of spittle and sweat would spew forth- it was quite a scene.

Of course as we got a little older- it got funny.  And funnier still when he eventually hired a landscaper to deal with his sprinklers in the spring.

But he has kept to his humble beginnings when it comes to Christmas lights.  Or maybe that feeling of distinct pride when you finally get the "$%^&*^" lights to do what you want them to do.  And actually- once he finally burned the icicle lights my mom bought years ago- things have gone much smoother.  He still refuses to use anything other than his big C9 lights- but it has a nice nostalgic effect when you drive up their street and see it.

That said... it's probably karma that landed me with a husband that flat refuses to put up lights.  Which means the chore falls to me if I want them.  Which I do.  And I now understand why my father became the neighborhood crazy man when the box of lights came out.

Fortunately for me... my kids don't head for the hills when I start pulling Christmas stuff out.  They are still naive enough to want to help.  Ry helped me out one afternoon and actually untangled string after string of lights.  He kind of has a knack for it.  It was impressive.



And so were the lights...

It's a Wonderful Life

That's my all time favorite Christmas movie and I haven't had the chance to watch it in the last couple of years.  So when it came on TV about a week before Christmas- I popped some popcorn and plopped myself down on the couch to watch it.  Shaun came in and asked what I was watching and when I told him- he said he had NEVER seen it!  I think they deprived him up in Idaho.  So I made room for him on the couch and made him watch it with me.  I just love the idea that we touch each other in ways that we never thought possible.  I'm not saying that without me- Salt Lake would cease to be... but it's a nice thought that somewhere I am important.  And what's more- that each of us are so embedded into each other's lives.  Lately, life really has been good to us and I am so grateful.  My family and I are surrounded by more family and friends... great jobs, a warm home and a loving Heavenly Father to top it all off.  Makes me get a little teary thinking about all that we have been blessed with.  

Christmas time (for me anyway) is a time to really and truly celebrate with my family.  It's one of the things that makes me love Christmas so much- family just comes together more during this time of year.  

It's a time to get along...

To gather with cousins...

A time to give...

And be around our favorite family members... this is my Uncle Gary- I LOVE this man!  He was my "Uncle Buck" all growing up- and as a retired police detective... my boyfriends were terrified of him.

Christmas time with family is a time to let loose...

And steal the special spot on Great-Grandma's lap...

It's a time for stories...

And surprises...

A time for joy...

And love.

This is my most favorite time of year and I am SO grateful that I get the chance to celebrate with my family.  

Christmas Programs

So sad.  I have struggled with taking pictures the second half of this year.  I'm not sure why- other than we just must be doing really boring things.  Or life just gets too crazy sometimes.  Maybe it's a little bit of both!  

But Christmas is right around the corner now and it's time for school parties and programs!  I'm not sure why blogger isn't letting me upload my videos... I guess you'll just have to take my word for it that the kids sang.

Kate had her performance first- you can see her tiny little blonde head in the middle here.  She's wearing a little elf hat... Santa's Elves and all that.  :)  She did really well- until she saw me with my class and then she had some jealousy issues and kind of had a small wig-out.  But she did sing and she did dance.  Something kind of new to us.  Ryan has flat refused the last two years- so it was kind of fun to see your kid actually singing and dancing with everyone else.  She was the cutest one up there!  

The next day was Ryan's performance (and Ty's- but I don't have any pictures because I video-d it... and since the videos aren't working... you don't get to see him.  Sorry.  He was cute all decked out in red.).  He's hanging out here in the middle- he's the cutie in the glasses.

And I'm not going to say a whole lot about this next picture other than... Whoa.  Ryan is CLEARLY singing.

Happy Halloween!!

This was such a fun Halloween this year!  We got to dress up LOTS of different times because of school and different parties and of course our trip to Disneyland.  I got a kick out of it.  Shaun was (shockingly) not on board for any of it.  Whatever.  Different strokes right?

Probably the most fun (next to actually trick or treating of course) was the programs we got to go to!  Because I am teaching this year- I got to dress up too!  This time I opted for a witch because I wasn't sure my head could handle the Princess Leia look again for that many hours at a time (serious bobby pin headache).  We had such a good time singing and watching the other kids.  I snagged a quick picture of me and Kate... but Ryan thinks he's too grown up for that kind of thing.  Sniff.

And then we had to jump over to the Elementary School for the Halloween Parade!  Ty looked very calm in his Jedi Master costume...

But really... on to the main event right?  Halloween itself!  We went up to my mom's house for pizza (kind of a Halloween tradition at this point) and some pictures (and perhaps too obviously... some trick or treating).

Uncle Jer took the time to teach Jedi Ty a few new tricks...

Darth Ryan *cough* I mean Darth Vadar was at the ready too...

"Search your feelings... you know it to be true!"

Not quite sure how Tinkerbell fits into this... but she's cute anyway right?  Right.

I'm not sure if this is Tink showing off her skills or not... she's kind of a goose when it comes to pictures lately.  Never a straight face and never what you're expecting either.

"Feel the force flow..."

"It is your DESTINY"

Happy Halloween!  It was a fun year this year!