christmas in nevada

We got to spend a nice long holiday back in the ol' hometown. Our pre-Christmas days were pretty festive. Grammy had hats for everyone to wear whilst getting the last bits of Christmas set up. The girls started on the bells early.

Aunt Thea likes to craft as much as my mom does. Grace was in HEAVEN hanging out with them in Grammy's sewing room.

Others of us (ME) were quite content sitting around. Hanging out. Not doing much.

 Papa Jeff and Grant playing trains and Wii games in the back room.

We have a family tradition that has grown over the years of having a Christmas Eve music extravaganza. Christmas Eve was a little different for the fam this year. My parents' current assignment at Church has them serving in the prisons. Dad was called to be the president over the prison branch and it has been a wonderful education and experience for them so far. So Christmas Eve found my dad at a Family Home Evening activity with some of his 'guys.' And my mom had a performance with her bell choir at the Methodist Church's Christmas Eve service. So we had our family music night on Sunday instead. We started with bells and chimes around the dining room table. Then we gathered by the piano and sang through a packet of music dad had put together. THEN guitars and percussion stuffs were brought out. Good times.

The next day, my wish for Christmas Eve pizza came true. Dad had special ordered fancy high protein, high gluten flour which we used to make dough the night before. On the big day, the menfolk got busy in the pizzeria. Cori got pretty good at tossing dough. Jared is a fire oven fire master - he can get that oven up to temperature in record time. Kevin worked away on the assembly line. And dad knows all the secrets. It makes for some pretty great pizza.

We successfully filled an entire pew at the Methodist Church that night. It was a nice service, and we always love watching mom in her bell choir.

Back at home, the children got to open a present - Christmas Eve pajamas! Cori had me open a present too. He bought me a new camera, sweet man. We have yet to resurrect the Nikon D80. I strongly suspect the shutter needs replacing. Taking 10,000 pictures will do that. But I have been talking about getting a camera that I could grow into a little more, and Cori made it happen. He had me open it up that night so I could have it for the fun that followed the next day.

Impressive row of stockings! Some 33 years ago, Mama Jo, my great-grandma, started a tradition of making these ornate Christmas stockings for all her great-grandchildren. My mom has kept the tradition alive, hand sewing stockings for Cori and Kevin as they joined the family. And then she has designed and hand decorated stockings for each of her own grandchildren. The stockings that are for mom and dad were knit by my dad's mother years ago. Not pictured is the stocking that was crocheted by Cori's grandpa Richard. We used it this year as our "Jesus stocking." Early in the month we had a family night where we chose things we would give to the Savior for Christmas. We quietly thought, and then wrote our promises down and put them in the stocking which hung on our mantle all month- and then we brought it with us to Nevada. Christmas morning we took the stocking down and read through all the notes we had written to the Savior.

Christmas morning is so much fun with little kids. Grace, Grant and Eden actually slept in a little. When they were finally awake, and everyone was assembled, they were allowed downstairs. We had a great time opening presents, watching others opening presents, and then playing with presents. Sara made her famous cinnamon rolls. We eventually made it out of our pajamas and spent the afternoon playing games and cleaning up.

 Santa brought Gracie a tumbling mat, and new bikes for Eden and Grant. Happiness all around.

Eden loves the play cell phone she got from Uncle Jared.

 And many RC toys were opened and fired up.

Grace has recently become a board game fanatic. She is obsessed with playing Settlers of Catan. And she got hooked on Monopoly on this trip. Grammy Marla got a giant felt-topped lazy suzan intended for her puzzling pleasure. We found it made a great board for game playing. The board can be spun with each turn and the game can be easily saved and relocated at anytime. I think we need one now! 

For Christmas dinner, dad made prime rib and mom made twice baked potatoes. We got out their pretty dishes and fancy flatware. Eden was determined to eat 'like a big girl.' She carefully placed each bite on her fork before scooping it into her baby mouth. Also, my sisters are so preeeety. 

More Monopoly. Kevin quietly sat down to play dad and Cori. Cori has a storied past when it comes to Monopoly and Christmas. He and his siblings used to play it all night long on Christmas Eve. I've heard some tales... But Cori pretty much has the board and all the values of each property memorized and is quite the shark. My dad is pretty confident with this game as well. Kevin spanked them both.

After kids were in bed, the big kids played a few rounds of Chronology. For as good as any of us are at  board games, my mother rules supreme when it comes to trivia. She is our common enemy whenever we play games such as this one and she will not be dethroned.

And don't let this photo of a demur conquerer fool you. She gleefully performs a little happy dance with each victory. All hail the Queen!

Somewhere in the midst of all our eating and playing that day, we quickly assembled outside for a family shot. How we love these people!

resolutions...

I haven't made many resolutions this new year. When Cori and I talked about it all I could think to say was that my main goal this year is to not disappear when our little baby arrives. I've set some more specific stepping stone goals to see this through. But there has been an overall theme to my thoughts that hearkens back to a message I'll never forget from President Hinckley: do a little better. This last week especially, I've woken with this as my mantra. I'm just going to do a little more, and I'm going to try to do it a little better. A lot of my efforts have been manifested in the arenas of time management and patience. Example - my sweet, nearly perfect child, Grace, will not be rushed. Our morning routine was becoming very frustrating because she wouldn't move as fast as I wanted her too. Really, I wanted to sleep in an extra 15 minutes and I wanted Grace to help me make up for it. I went back to our previous (pre-pregnancy) wake up time and like magic, I wasn't needing to rush her. I wasn't feeling frustrated. Our mornings have been so much better. Just a little more - a little better. I think I can... I think I can...

One of my more definitive goals has to do with my blogging efforts. I want to be keeping a better record. Uh, so far, I haven't been doing so great. But I am committed to doing -say it with me- a little better. I'm excited to get caught up with our 2012 goings on so that I can onto 2013. 

In addition to making my small resolution list, it has been a splendid new year. I enjoyed the week at home with our children. We went to Zoo Lights on one of it's last nights. Kettle corn, hot cocoa, millions of lights and a camel ride! 2013 is looking good.

We wish you a merry Christmas

and a happy new year!

merry and bright

We had a few other events that have made it feel a lot like Christmas around here. Our ward Christmas party was arguably one of the best we have ever attended. It started promptly at 6. There were three long buffet tables for our 'Christmas Around the World' potluck spread- which made for quick food service. We have a very large ward. Then there was a little nativity presentation. Grant got to participate as the donkey (pictured above). It was narrated by several members of our ward in several different languages. Then we were told to pick up our trash, take our children and go. We were home before 8. Perfection!

Gracie's school had a Christmas concert. When were were first choosing the school Grace would attend, we went to a parent orientation at her current school. At that orientation, the principal said, among many other things that were music to our ears, that at that school, they teach the children patriotic and religious hymns as part of their curriculum. It was so heartwarming to be at a public school function where the children were aloud to sing about the Savior. They also sang songs about Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and all the favorite secular holiday songs were on the program as well. The first graders sang Rudloph the Red Nosed Reindeer. They opened with a host of interesting facts about reindeer and then sang their little hearts out. The concert was for the whole school (K-8) and so was a little long. But Grace was in heaven.

Tiffany participated in the Anthem sprint triathlon a few weekends ago. She and Brett stayed at our place which put them closer to the venue. We love it when they weekend with us, and it was fun to go and cheer for Tiff. Grace and Grant made her a big poster board sign. They got a little bored part way through coloring it and started playing tic-tac-toe on it instead... we took it up with us anyway.

I felt like I had been playing catch-up this whole holiday season. Our travel plans had been pleasantly busy ever since mid November and with not feeling well I was having a hard time just getting things done. But finally, and with much help from Cori, cards were in the mail. Presents were wrapped and shipped. Goody plates were made (though not all of them got delivered, nuts!). Then, the trailer was loaded and we were on our way to Nevada.

temple lights

Before racing off to Nevada for the holiday, we met Brett and Tiffany at the Mesa Temple to see the Christmas lights. This is an outing that never gets old for us. Plus, everyone was anxious to see how the plants we had planted on our Stake service night were doing. (They hadn't grown an inch...)

Santa in the sun

Santa and the Missus made a visit to our neighborhood Christmas party. We were all feeling a little bad for them in their North Pole attire - the temps were well into the 70's that day. But they were as cute and jolly as ever. Grace, Grant, and Eden all talked with Santa about their behavior and their wish lists. (There were no surprises with the latter, thank goodness.)

Mrs. Claus gave them a little treat and after a few minutes in the bounce house we were headed back home the way we came for a soccer game and the rest of our Saturday.

thanksgiving in elk ridge

Sandy and Ray graciously opened their home and their kitchen up to the lot of us for the holiday. The weather was perfect and being and Grandma at Grandpa's house is always so much fun.

Our kids are friends with the grandkids that come to visit next door. There was always something to do and someone to play with.

We had nearly the whole crew. Damien and Danielle were busy settling into a new home and a new job and weren't able to make it up- we missed them! But we were so grateful to spend some time with everyone.

Aunt Britt made these cute treats for all the kiddos. We had a party of 22 for the big meal. Family, friends and neighbors - very indicative of the kind of people Sandy and Ray are. 

After the feast was cleaned up, we turned our attention to the black friday ads. We also ate pie for dinner (the best) and, after the children were in bed, we played games and ate some more. Pretty perfect day. 

Taking a little hike up the canyon behind Aunt Britt and Uncle Cory's house. 

I was pretty awful at being the photographer on this trip. We also spent an afternoon at Cori's dad's house. Randy and Mondo hosted a big lunch for a crew of cousins from Idaho. I didn't take a single picture, but it was fun to catch up with everyone. And Grace was in heaven playing with the big puppies that live at Grandpa Randy's house.

Many thanks again to all our family up there who took such great care of us. We are a big group when we all get together, and it takes a lot of work keeping us all fed and occupied. But we are always grateful for the time we get to spend to together, as well as the good memories we bring home!

And thanks to Mom O for pictures #4, #6, #7, and #8 which I grabbed from her blog this morning. :)