Christmas Activities

I would sort of call this Christmas a bust.  I am not sure why.  It turned out perfectly lovely.  I guess it was more my state of mind.  I was not emotionally prepared for it to already be December when we got back from Utah and felt like I was playing catch up the whole month.  I thought, "well... I am pregnant and had a toddler, I am just not going to do a bunch of stuff and call it an easy, low key Christmas."  But then I remembered that is what I said last year (becasue I just had a baby) and next year I will have a baby and a toddler, and the next 2 toddlers, and by the time I am "ready" to have a great Christmas Brock will be gone.  So while I wasn't as "intentional" (especially with Light the World) as I have been in the past, or wanted to be.  But when I add it all (including my previous posts - Be about Bliss, Ginger bread houses, Nativity, etc) it was a pretty great Christmas.

We went and sang Christmas Carols at Windcrest.

We made Christmas sugar cookies (more in a later post).  It is just these three because I made gluten free cookies for Megan -but she had to roll out and cut out at a different time to prevent cross contamination.

We made Muddie Buddies and then drove around and delivered them to every mail man and delivery man we saw.

I also baked a lot this Christmas.  Especially different things.  Most of our traditional Christmas treats had gluten.  Rather than make those AND trying to make a gluten free equivalent I decided to make just normal non-gluten treat - which there are a lot. I tried several different recipes over several different days.  I made: Muddie Buddies, caramels, fudge, and white chocolate peppermint popcorn.

Nativity

The Sunday before Christmas we put on our neighborhood nativity.

Delaney and Roran were Mary and Joseph this year.  And Megan was the Angel

The whole cast

My crew!

This year we didn't know if Rebecca was going to be able to come and sing "O Holy Night" as usual.  SO we had the kids sing "Silent Night".  We ended up doing both.

Ginger Bread Houses

We went to the Neyenhuis for our (apparently) annual gingerbread decorating party.  The Roper's came as well. 

Noah did a great gingerbread house this year!

Megan was a good sport about it - since she couldn't eat it.  Megan is basically a good sport about everything. 

Santa

Santa came to our ward Christmas party.  Dane was luke warm for a while - then was done.

The boys are too old for a picture with Santa they said.

David is so great with Dane and just loves to hang out with him.  He had him for most of the party and took him to see Santa with out me knowing.  David's dad sent me these pictures after.  I was pretty upset.  I mean... I think EVERYONE knows a mom should be the first person to take their baby to see Santa for the first time!  I also know it is petty - so I never said anything.  I am grateful for how much David loves Dane.  But still!

Be About Bliss

The kids insisted that we store food in our home for Be About Bliss again this year.  They also insisted that we do Cup of Noodles again (they did not like doing something small and easy like Jello).  It is always a good service project.  It takes about a month to gather it all and it takes some hard work.

Brock and I loaded 1,100 cup of noodles into the van.

It then takes about 3 hours to pack 1,000 food kits.  I am bummed i didn't take more pictures.  It is a family effort.  Dane was very helpful. ha

My Birthday

I turned 35 this year.  It seems like a big year.  But, as most people say, I don't feel any different.  35 does seem old though.  It was a good day.  I had about 4 or 5 different desserts dropped off at my house - I love when people know me!  Jason made a wonderful breakfast and dinner.  AND he got me a Costco birthday cake.  We don't buy birthday cakes - we make them.  But I had been craving this Costco cake for a while.  It feeds 55 people and the "party" was just our family (and Megan can't have any).  So it was quite ridiculous - but Jason insists on spoiling me  - so he came home with this cake.  I hardly ate it - pregnancy is sometimes the worst.  But I felt loved that he got it for me.

Brock's Orchestra Concert

Brock had an Orchestra Christmas concert.  I can't remember all the details but it was a bad night or a bad time of night, but basically Jason and I decided I would just go.  We figured everyone would be glad to not have to go.  Turns out we were wrong.  The three older kids were all sad to miss it so they all came with me.  It was pretty endearing.  He is the one in the elf hat.

Noah's Choir Concert

Noah had a Christmas Choir concert.  He has decided he likes singing and choir and joined the school choir back in October.  He is pretty dang cute if you ask me.

Piano Recital

Megan and Madison have Derek Roper as a piano teacher.  He is a 15 year old in the ward.  We lucked out cux while we pay for a 15 year old we get a lot more.  His mom is a fantastic and expensive piano teacher and he is teaching him how to be a piano teacher so she is usually in on the lessons helping him teach our girls.  It is fantastic.  They had a Christmas Piano recital at their home on Sunday night.

Madison played Jolly Old Saint Nicolas

Megan played Silent Night

And they played a duet of God Rest ye Merry Gentalman

 Them and their teacher, Derek

Escape Room

For Krista's 40th birthday we went to an escape room with the Marriotts and Clarks.  It was fun.  

I also wanted to put in here about another escape room.  I don't know if I have mentioned this on my blog but since we had Dane we wanted to make sure we stayed on top of all our kids.  So we have "special time".  Each month is someones "month" to have "special time" with either mom or dad.  December was Madison and Jason's special time.  Madison really wanted to go do an escape room.  Jason was so sweet to figure it out.  It was hard to find a place where only 2 people could go in and 1 of those 2 people was an 8 year old.  But she was in heaven.  She was so excited.  They had to diffuse a bomb.  They missed it by about 5 seconds.  Apparently there was confusion about the * and the # key. 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

We went and picked out our Christmas tree.  Even though this isn't Dane's first Christmas - it kind of is.  At least the kids are treating it like it is.  They are so excited for Dane to "pick out his first Christmas tree" and "see his first Christmas lights" etc.  The magic of Christmas is back!

Dane loved help decorating... and un-decorating.

Bake Sale

Madison is on SLC this year (Student Leadership Council).  They had to do a bake Sale one Saturday morning and Madison wanted to make cake pops.  If I am being honest I was really bugged by the whole thing.  I was so tired in my pregnancy and it was the first weekend in December, we just got home from Utah, I had Danes party and had to get ready for Christmas (oh and our bathroom was getting demolished becasue of a leak).  I did NOT want to do a bake sale and if I HAD to I wanted to spend 30 minutes and make cookies.  I am not very good at making cute things and I knew this would take hours.  I am so grateful that I didn't listen to my cynical self and took the time to do something just for and with Madison.  It took us about 3 hours but we made them and it was a fun and tender time with Madison.  She was so so happy with them. I am afraid I turn down these moments too much becasue I am too busy, tired, overwhelmed, or distracted.  Every once in a while it is nice to have a win.