December Festivities

WARNING: BLOG OVERLOAD! It's been way too long without our home computer.

Our Decembers are crazy as I'm sure mostly everyone else's is. I love Christmas it is still my favorite time of year. I just wish it could slow down by one month, that's it!

Dec 4th-Morning

Got the obligatory fresh Christmas tree from our favorite tree lot in American Fork. We went even bigger than we did last year, if that's even possible. I think Ryan's goal is to get a tree that

might actually scrape the top of our vaulted sealing in the dining/formal living room area. Geez! But an 11 foot tree is kind of fun to decorate when you have a crafty friend like Amy Chamberlain. Never heard of floral wrap and she opened my eyes to it this year. LOVE THAT STUFF! Helped fill a lot of that 11 feet of tree without having to go buy a ton of new ornaments. Sadly the only picture I have of the tree is from my phone which takes horrible pictures. :(

Dec 4-Ward Christmas Party

Our friends the Chamberlains were the ward activities chairs and organized a fun evening. The main service project the ward participated in was the Forgotten Patients project through the Utah State Mental Hospital. We were provided with stockings to fill for their patients who literally are forgotten at Christmas. I LOVED this idea! We picked up 10 stockings to fill. If

anyone knows me I was raised with a mom who goes a little nuts with Christmas stockings and her craziness is slightly rubbing off on me. She wraps each and everyone of the little knick-

knacky things she finds and is an expert when it comes to stuffing a stocking. I hope to one day

be as dedicated as her, most of the time we tease her for being OCD! Anyway, so we had 10 stockings to fill and took the kids to the store to help us get the stuff. It was mostly me figuring out what would be fun and useful. Nothing against nuts and oranges but that wasn't going to cut

it for these stockings.

December 17-Kids Christmas Singing Program/Last Day of School

Each year the school puts on a Christmas singing program. Ryan hates this one particular song and complains about it every year, his Bah-Humbug theory is that this one teacher loves the song and continues to make the kids in that grade sing it every year. Honestly it's not a great song for kids to sing but oh well its one song! Other than that the program is so cute and puts a nice touch on our Christmas festivities. And of course this year was extra special with Loli being in Kindergarten. There's nothing like 60 something Kindergartener's getting up and belting out their songs. So so cute!

So Cal Trip-December 17th-December 22nd

Disneyland

(Raining-yes we are that crazy to suit all our kids up in lovely/fashionable ponchos!!)

(p.s. I know I am not rocking this hat, in fact I think I look like a train conductor! I just went in the store and grabbed something, obviously not thinking.)

(Taking a leisurely ride on the Mark Twain steam boat, the kids loved it and it was a break from the rain)

(I LOVED what they did with the Haunted Mansion ride for Christmas. It was all Nightmare Before Christmas, and it was so cute and not as scary for Ellers)

(We call him HER boyfriend, this is a perfect shot of her affection for him)

FUZZY WHITTLE HEAD!

She was such a trooper, in fact all the kids were. We loved our trip to Cali at Christmas time.

Christmas

I called her Princess Tacky! And by the way this dumb dress tore literally 10 minutes after she put it on. NEVER AGAIN!

My parents always made us sit in front of the tree with our jammies and take a picture before the presents were opened. I suppose this is my mom turning the tradition onto our kiddles.

Dec 30th-Jan 3rd Reagans Birthday weekend

Kevin and Dana surprised Reagan and flew out for her birthday which is New Years Eve. It's a fun way to celebrate and we're so glad we got to see them. It was a weekend full of sleepovers and giggling. Lauren even cried when they left for the airport to go home. Lauren loves spending time with her cousin/best friend.

Papa and all but one of his grandkids. Anymore kids and they for sure will not fit.

Roo and Dad's head take up enough room on their own.