Christmas

So I got this beautiful new camera and Christmas morning was starting off stressful trying to get the best pictures shooting in manual of course that I decided to put the camera away. I was seeing all their excitement through the camera and fiddling with the settings... maybe by next year I will know how to use it. So here are a few pathetic pictures. Christmas was perfect though. Christmas Eve we went downtown to the condo to have dinner and open gifts.  When we got home we made reindeer food to sprinkle out on the grass, put out milk and cookies and carrots of the deer, read in the scriptures and read The Night Before Christmas. Christmas morning was pure excitement. The girls were up bright and early as usual. We had all the gifts open by 5 am. They spent the morning playing with their toys before going to Jodie and McKay's home for the day. We had such a nice time relaxing, playing games, visiting, eating and the kids played so well together. We all slept well that night. We love Christmas time and are so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who sent His Son. It was so nice celebrating his birth and reflecting on His life over the month. Christmas just keeps getting better as our kids start to know their Savior and as they get into the magic of the season. 

Snowman Party

Our Christmas party this year was a snowman theme and as always my mother in law goes above and beyond. I didn't get pictures of all the fun, just a few, but they did a snowflake walk game and got fun prizes, had a snowball fight, had a little talent show which I forgot about and didn't prepare my kids for. Sage sang Frosty the Snowman with a few cousins. They did a cousin book exchange and acted out the nativity. Sage was the donkey for the second year in a row and was thrilled. Harper was so excited to hold the star. We had dinner and made snowman ice-cream sundaes. All the cousins got the cutest snowman jammies and also got new books to go along with Jingle as well as Belle. (They are the cutest dogs that bark as you read the book.) It was such a fun evening. 

Advent Activity Calendar

Our December was filled of making memories and fun. This is the second year we have done an advent activity calendar and it is a tradition will continue. For record sake, here are our first 24 days of December leading up to Christmas. I will write a separate post for Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Happy Dec 1st! Our advent activity calendar has begun! Our tradition is to decorate the Sunday after Thanksgiving so we did that today as well as visited the lights on Temple Square. Our Elf also made her first appearance and we named her Ruby.

Dec 2- We spent our evening waiting in an almost 3 hour line to see the Live Nativity. Sage did not want to leave. She insisted on seeing baby Jesus and Mary. She also was upset that the wise men did not have prizes for the baby. She wanted to pet all the animals and also wanted to touch the baby. She was so patient. On another note, Ruby was found this morning coloring.

Dec 3- Ruby was found fishing this morning. We had our first snow day. Harper loved watching it fall and Sage went sledding with her friends. Our advent activity was drinking hot chocolate as we shared the story of the shepherds. (FYI 7-11 has some of the best hot chocolate)

Dec 4- Ruby was found cooking this morning. Our advent activity was singing Christmas songs by the Christmas tree. We sang Away in a Manger, which Sage almost knows all the words to, Mary's Lullaby, Christmas Bells, Rudolph, Frosty and Jingle Bells.

Dec 5- Ruby helped herself to a bowl of Cheerios and also had fun playing with her food. She wrote out both girls names. Today's advent activity was to wrap a gift. Sage wrapped the gift she picked for Harper. And on a side note... Christmas cards are in the mail!

Our dear Ruby was caught playing Candy Land this morning. Our advent activity was to go on a candy cane hunt and Ruby left a note saying she wanted to hide the candy canes herself! She sure is sneaky! After naps we are headed to the Peppermint Place to see Santa and get hot chocolate and donuts.

Dec 7- Our advent activity was to visit the window displays at The Grand America. It's one of my favorite traditions. The life size gingerbread house was spectacular. We finished the evening going out for dinner. Oh and Ruby sure is creative. She was found this morning sitting in a creation built from the girls blocks. I wonder where we will find her tomorrow...

Dec 9- Tonight we watched a video of the nativity, acted it out with the toy nativity and sang Away in a Manger. Ruby made herself at home. She was found eating snacks with the remote in hand watching a movie. (My phone was out of storage again so Taylor put all my pics on the computer... Picture of Ruby will have to wait until tomorrow)

Dec 10- We enjoyed a tasty donut breakfast with green milk thanks to ours truly! Thanks Ruby! Watched The Polar Express.

Dec 11- We had a reindeer party for our Sagey girl and a few friends today. (Pics will be posted on the blog later) Ruby was found in the bathroom this morning all wrapped in a towel.

Dec 13- Poor Ruby was sick today. She missed out on the fun dance party we had tonight to jingle bell rock!

Dec 14- today was a busy and fun day. We had a ward Christmas party, went to Trolley Square to see Santa and then had a fun Christmas party with all the cousins that Grandma & Papa planned, which will require its own blog post...

Dec 15- our afternoon consisted of a long bubble bath, playing a new Disney Christmas matching game from grandma and papa, decorating a gingerbread house, playing with our felt tree and ended with our advent activity of driving around a looking at lights. Ruby was found sitting on our wreath this morning.

Dec 16- Ruby warmed our hearts with some hot chocolate this morning. We had fun checking out the elves with cousins and Gardner Village this afternoon.

Dec 17- sweet Ruby left us things to decorate edible Christmas trees for our advent activity. She is always so thoughtful. Sage enjoyed eating the candy. I think she ate more than she put on her tree.

Dec 18- We talked about the wise men tonight, sang We Three Kings and made crowns. Ruby made a reindeer footprint like the girls.

Dec 19- Sage had her first dance recital today. She did a ballet to Oh Christmas Tree and a tap to an Elmo song. She cried and wanted to dance more. It was a little chaotic but it was fun to watch her. Ruby heard the girls didn't have stockings because mom can't find ones she likes, so she brought some temporary ones for the girls to have in the meantime. Thanks Ruby!

Dec 20- Ruby got crafty last night and made us some snow flakes. She put us in the mood for our advent activity of crafts.

Dec 21- Ruby wanted to play a game of holiday matching this morning. We all played a game of hide and seek the ornaments as our advent activity.

Dec 22- Ruby left chocolate coins in the cash register! Thanks Ruby! We left for Paradise to have dinner and Christmas with grandma and papa. The girls love their gifts! We also celebrated our other grandma's birthday. Before heading out this afternoon we made cupcakes for another special birthday we have been celebrating all month... Happy birthday Jesus.

Dec 23- Ruby followed us to Paradise! We had so much fun going on a sleigh ride surrounded by elk today.

Merry Christmas Eve!! Today was filled with fun and traditions. Some new and some old, some original and some borrowed. I will have to blog with more details but it was a fun day besides the sadness of saying goodbye to our dearest Ruby. Sage knows the real reason for the season but Ruby has added some fun magic this past month and left us a letter saying we were allowed to hug her goodbye tonight since she didn't need her magic as she would return on the sleigh with Santa. Until next year Ruby!

Family Christmas Party 2013

My in-laws always goes above and beyond. We had our family party last night and we all had a good time. The kids acted out the nativity. Sage says, "Grandma! I want to be baby Jesus!" She settled for the donkey. We told her the donkey had an important job, which is definitely true. She also tried on Mary's costume. The kids played bingo, colored, put together a reindeer puzzle, Papa told them a story about his great-great-grandma making Boden Candy and brought some for us to try, we sand carols, ate delicious food, did the cousin book exchange (Sage got pinkalicious which we have already read a million times today and Harper got the cutest Pink Library) and the kids got their jammies from Grandma and Papa. Sage loves her nightgown with a matching nightgown for her baby doll and Harper's jammies could not be any softer except for maybe the blankets they also received. Each family also got a fun Disney Holiday Matching Game and a gingerbread house to decorate. We sure are spoiled. We know it takes a lot of work and planning to put on such a fun party and we sure are grateful! We were all so happy to surprise them with their Christmas gifts. We gave them tickets to see Brian Reagan and got Jeanne a Silhouette Cameo! It is so much fun to give. We love this time year and wish we had more to give to those around us. We are truly blessed.