Sledding

Jon's family had their family party after Christmas this year, which really took the pressure off me, for some reason. We started the day with sledding. The younger two and some of the cousins just couldn't get enough of that!

Christmas Day

We told the kids not to get up before 7:30 am, so right on the dot, Jarren was up. Everyone else was still so tired, so we put on a Christmas cartoon and had him watch, with Jenna, until about 8:30. We had a nice morning, complete with snow! Jarren seemed a little disappointed. He is growing up and isn't really into toys, aside from Legos anymore, but he was sad he didn't get toys. Everyone else seemed fine. We enjoyed a nice, lazy morning, until Kendall showered and got out freezing--the water was I've cold. Jon looked in the closet and the water heater was leaking and was shot. We had to drain the tank and shut the water off. That was fun, cooking a turkey dinner (and dishes) without water. Jon filled some containers with water from the neighbors. I'm not prepared for a disaster. We got it replaced the next day, but that was memorable, for sure.

Christmas Eve Sunset

We saw the most beautiful sunset on our way home on Christmas Eve. I seriously couldn't get enough of it. We woke up the next morning to snow and winter, which is the best Christmas miracle ever, but that warm before the storm was gorgeous!

Christmas Eve Party

Our annual Christmas Eve party at Grandma's was a lot of fun. We had yummy ham sandwiches and lots of salads. Santa even stopped by for a visit! The kids all seemed a little shy around him. It's fun to spend time with family and enjoy the holiday season. We were able to get home at a decent time and do our own traditions--the Bible story, a Christmas movie, stockings, and cookies with milk for Santa. I'm sad to say, but even Jenna was up until after midnight. I had to finally give her a melatonin. She can't sleep so she reads and reads. She's read the entire Sisters Grimm series this month!

Temple Square

Temple Square is a fun tradition and this year was the best, in a way. It was soooo warm for most of the month--actually until Christmas Day. We were able to go and enjoy the lights without freezing. We even sat outside on the benches for awhile. We met grandma and grandpa for dinner in the food court at the mall across the street and then enjoyed the beauty. I did miss the snow--lights are so much prettier in snow, but the warmth outweighed that.

Christmas Concerts

Jenna was very musical this month. She decided to sing in the school choir and got a speaking part for the program. That was a little surprising to me because she is so shy and always comments on her stage fright, but she did a great job! She also had a piano recital. They did duets and rotated pianos and partners. She practiced so hard and got to demonstrate a smooth page turn. I love Christmas music!

Gingerbread House Party

Grandma made each grandchild a gingerbread house to decorate. Isn't that nice? I promised Jenna that we would do houses this year and it wasn't too much work...for me. Grandma came down and we had a fun decorating party! I love to see how creative the kids get and the houses smelled amazing. So much fun and great memories!