Sledding

We have had a weird winter - like almost everyone I would assume (yeah global warming!)  It started late - we haven't gotten a lot of snow, but what we did get has stuck around because it has been so cold - VERY unusual for a Colorado winter.  This winter has been a lot like a Utah winter (something I never wanted to go back too), minus the inversion - sunny blue skies are always nice!

One day there was just enough snow to go sledding - hardly though - can you see the grass?  We were lucky enough to have Ammon home to come with us.

Christmas Day

The kids woke up at about 6:00.  Not too early given the fact that they were very worried about getting their presents opened, played with, breakfast, showered and ready for church by 9:00.  Three hours gave us plenty of time.

When going through their stockings they all got: an orange, their favorite candy, some socks, 2 books, bronco shirts for the boys and a dress for the girls, and a small toy.

They all got fishing poles from their grandma and grandpa Hanna and a family tackle box with everything needed to go fishing!  My parents were worried the girls would think they got gypped - but they sure didn't - they were so excited to get fishing poles!

This was Madison's FAVORITE toy.  She got it from her aunt Brooke and Uncle Michael.  She has now decided on a life passion of guitar and can't wait for a "real one" and to start lessons (I am going to wait a few years)

Noah was pretty easy this year - he wanted a Magic 8 ball.  And his next favorite toy was this Freddy bear that Ammon gave him.  He is still carrying it everywhere.

Madison and her annual squishy toy

Megan wanted a pile with all her stuff. 

Brock got this awesome Bronco blanket.

You know mom went crazy at Christmas when they all got to unwrap sugar cereal.  I have never, ever, bought sugar cereal.  So I decided a new fun tradition would be to get them all their own box of sugar cereal for Christmas.  This serves many great purposed: 1)I feel like my kids should probably know what Captain Crunch is. 2)More wrapped presents under the tree for cheap. 3)This makes Christmas break way more awesome - and I don't feel the pressure to make a big breakfast everyday.

Everyone (except Brock) got Legos - so we spent almost all of Christmas putting them together.

Madison wanted another picture with her guitar!

After church we played a game of family Monopoly.   We did not get monopoly for Christmas - they just all wanted to learn how to play it.  In fact, winter break 2016 will go down as the year we started playing board games ALL THE TIME.  It rocks.  It is our new favorite thing to do.  It's not just board games but all games.  Our current favorites: Clue, Spoons, and Pit.

We also went to our friends, the Wiesters for Christmas dinner.  I brought pies.  A apple, a chocolate pudding, and a cherry pie.  The cherry pie was specifically requested by my friends mom - its her favorite pie.  I was stressed the whole week doing all sorts of research - not only had I never made a cherry pie - I had never eaten one.  I finally settled on a recipie.  And as all new pie recipes go... it was soup.  I was so sad. But for leftovers the next day it was so yummy.  Actually.... delicious.  My new favorite pie I think.  I have craved it several times since.  Next time I will make it a day before. 

Christmas Eve

It feels a little overwhelming to try and make Christmas eve and Chrstmas day feel special and different with out any family around.  I have such wonderful memories of my Chrsimtas eve's and Christmas day's as a child.  

It satrted out perfectly with a prefectly timed package from grandma Hanna with some Christmas treats and a puzzle.  

Then we went and volunteered at a retirement community (pictures from previous "Light the World" post)

Then we went home and cut out the sugar cookies we had made the day before.

Later, we frosted them.  You might be asking yourself... where is Brock?

Brock is here.

 He had a fine morning.  Then around 1 Jason and he were watching football and Brock literally started crying - I asked him what was wrong and he said he was so hot.  He was wearing an under-armor turtleneck shirt so I told him to go upstairs and change.  He didn't come back down - after about 20 minutes Jason went upstairs to check on him and he was laying on his bedroom floor in his underwear almost asleep.  So Jason lifted him into his bed.  He slept from 1:30 - 8:00!!!  It was insane.  When he woke up at 8 he was feeling better - but went back to sleep at 8:30 and didn't wake up until morning.  He woke up Christmas morning perfectly healthy and no one else got sick.  It was a Christmas miracle!

For our Christmas dinner I decided to do a Sea Food extravaganza.  My kids love sea food - especially shrimp.  So I thought this would be a fun Christmas Eve tradition. 

I made lobster tails, crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, and a couple different kinds of shrimp.  It was a hit.  I was SO SAD that Brock missed it because he is our number one sea food eater.

Some more pictures from frosting cookies.

Light the World

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints put out an advent calendar and challenged everyone to help light the world through the love of Jesus Christ during the month of December.  We decided to give it a go.  I was shocked at how into it the kids got.  The hardest part for me was posting about it on social media - I am not really that type.  But when I read about the challenge it was clear to me that the church was asking us to post about what we are doing and using hashtags.  So I did.  

I didn't post, or even take pictures, everyday.  Some didn't lend themselves to a good post of picture.  On Christmas we were talking about what we had done and we couldn't even remember everything that we did - I told them that was good and explained the scripture about your left hand not knowing what your right hand is doing.

One day we drove around the neighborhood and shoveled peoples driveways.  They were complete strangers.  I had planned on just doing one - but after each one the kids said they wanted to go do more.  We spent over 3 hours shoveling and dusting off cars.  The best part was Noah.   Noah is not a very hard worker by nature.  But he was on fire.  I had never ever seen him work this hard, for this long, and with a good attitude.  He even did good work - he was our porch shoveler and actually did a really great job and was very proud of himself - he even tells people now, "I am a great porch shoveler".

Can you see Megan dusting off  the white car?

We went and sang at a retirement center with some other families in our ward.

We made food and took it to people.

We made muddie buddies and took and drove around the neighborhood giving it to mailmen, ups, and fed ex drivers.  This was maybe our most fun one.  They were so surprised and appreciative.  We did it again on Christmas eve to show extra gratitude for working on Christmas eve.

We hosted a neighborhood nativity out in our street.  I did this last year too.  This year I got a stable!  I love bringing the spirit of Christmas into our neighborhood and the lives of our neighbors.  Through out the year this last year some of the kids asked when we were going to do it again.

We went and played games at a retirement center (we have one in our ward boundaries and I am actually the liaison for the ward - so it was a easy thing to do often)

I have been a cultural mentor for a refugee family form Ethiopia for the last few months.  It has been a wonderful expierence.  One day for light the world - I took my kids to go visit them (they hadn't yet)  we took them to the park and then to a thrift store to buy some winter clothes.

And then we hung out at their apartment for a little bit.