We enjoyed decorating for Christmas. Getting to be a big job, but we look forward to it so much and I have lots of great helpers! This year, we decided to go see all the lights in Laurel, which is nicknamed "The City of Lights". We got some pizza and ate it as we were driving around looking at them with Christmas music in the background. "Lookit the pretty lights!" Sydnie kept saying. The kids especially liked the Hello Kitty, Star Wars and nativity blow ups and the dripping icicle lights that looked like falling snow. Some houses went all all out and it was a fun thing that might just become a tradition!
We were in charge of our Branch Christmas party again. It was actually YM/YW instead of families this year and since we are both in there, of course that meant us. ;) We also invited the Senior Primary to help out. We decided to go with a Grinch theme and it turned out really fun. The kids really got into helping make the decorations. And Jamie and I had fun too. We made a faux fireplace, the kids made Grinch ornaments for everyone, we made signs with related scriptures and quotes from the book/movie. We invited anyone to dress up like Whos or characters from the Grinch. As people came, we had ornament making station, Who headbands, and Grinch pull back racer car crafts for the little ones. For dinner, we had roast beast, who hash, Grinch green beans, diffendoofer rolls, green punch, and some sweet treats. We made a pin the heart on the Grinch and invited everyone to write a way they'd help their hearts grow three sizes this season on their hearts. Our program started out with the kids singing "Welcome Christmas" from the animated Grinch movie. Then President Graham read "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". Then we watched "Seeing Christmas with New Eyes" from President Uchtdorf. Finally, the Primary kids sang "What Does Christmas Mean?"by Dan Carter. I also made posters that had lines from the Grinch and put related scriptures below to tie in the focus on Christ. "Maybe Christmas didn't come from a store, maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." We had a few who normally don't come and said this was one of the highlights of their Christmas season and one of the best Christmas parties they've been too. Though we loved doing it, we made clear that it won't be our turn again next year as we all have done it the last several years. ;) I am thankful for the Savior who gives this season and every day meaning!
We made our neighbor gifts of course. We made peppermint brownies and peppermint Swig style sugar cookies. Yum! The girls helped, the boys not so interested, ha! Everyone seemed to like them and it was fun going around and visiting. We make something different every year and this is what we chose this time around. I love this tradition! We also made a bunch of fun snacks, too. One of Lucy's friends was over one day and said we should start a snack shop with all of our creative snacks. Wish every day they were this creative, most days it's some popped popcorn or veggies and dip or granola bars.
We had lots of great music programs. Lucy & Covey had the elementary music concert. The theme was centered around bells. Cov sang... Lucy sang. They even did the complete sign language on both the songs and it was impressive. And the songs had some tricky ranges and couting! Cal was off the hook this year as only honor choir sings at this one and it is all girls who auditioned and participate, and sat with some buddies and enjoyed that. Emma had a middle school performance. They did a jazz piece and Emma's favorite, the Krampus. She is getting really good and is second chair. We got to go to the nursing home with our family and my piano students. Most of them just played, but some also sang songs with members of their family. It was a good night and I love this tradition!
We were able to go to our town's light parade. It was pretty epic this year! Cov got to go hang out with his pal Bryce and watch the parade, Cal got to be a Shepard on a float with his buddy Nolan, and the girls and us got to enjoy it together. They threw out stuffed animals and tons of candy, and had the best float with a snow machine on it and gingerbread people. Across from us near the end of the parade, a man jumped out and proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes! It was pretty fun.
“All I want for Christmas is a butt scratcher!” One night as I was tucking Covey in, he said “I thought of something I really, really want and need!” “Oh yeah?” I said, thinking it was going to be some other expensive toy. “My bum’s been really itching lately, so I want a butt scratcher!” So I bust up laughing. What a silly kiddo! So I started singing the “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” song, but replaced it with ‘a butt scratcher’. “Gosh oh gee, if only you could see, how much my bottom itches!” Lucy heard it all too and was laughing and Dave and when the kids heard about it they had no words. Leave it to Covey!
Bob and Rose returned! The kids were excited at first but there was some skepticism this year as to if they really go to and from the North Pole, but they did the daily service Light the World prompts anyways. They even got to go to school with Cov and Lucy in jars because they really wanted to show their class their elves. They did a great job and we stayed busy serving all month!
Of course we loved the First Presidency Christmas devotional. I love President Nelson. He really is a prophet for our time and his testimony and emphasis on our Savior is so timely and needed! Then the Church put out a new video that was so touching. https://youtu.be/yXWoKi5x3lw. This 17ish minute video called The Christ Child is probably one of best things we did together this Christmas season. It is so beautiful and yes, I bawled. Do yourself a favor and watch it or watch it again. I love my Savior!
We had some fun class parties. My preschool class party went on without a hitch, the kids loved it all! We also put on a program at the nursing home and for our families. They all did great! I came up with the script the night before to tie it all in and everyone really liked it! Then I got to go to a brunch for Lucy’s class and was in charge of the games for Covey’s class. So much fun! We played marshmallow toss, bow balance, ring a reindeer, candy cane fishing and decorate the "tree". The kids had a blast! And the games were so simple to put together, especially because I used the same for my preschool kids and Cov's class. I also had a party with all of the employees at Kid's Club. Yes, I was the champion candy cane mouth fisher and yes, we might be old but we still know how to have fun! We had a nice night for Dave's Christmas work party also. They had beef stew, breads, salads and cheesecake and good company. There were tons of give aways and a few games.
We usually do a friend Christmas party, but after listening to the Christmas devotional, I felt the need to cut it out. So we did. Simpler is better and that was my thing to cut this year. And everyone was okay with that. It's okay no to do everything sometimes. We made our gingerbread house this year together. It was a winter castle that we bought premade in a box. This is kind of sacrilege to me but it was either that or not happening. Working even part time and being mom is not easy! But the kids were so creative with it, I loved the icicles they did. I missed the good smells, but they didn't seem to care. Just being together is enough.
We left to Utah the Friday before Christmas. We got down late at night and were so happy for nice weather on the way down. Saturday, we ran a few errands, went to do a session at the temple with Erin, Randy & Julie, hung out with Grandma Di & Grandpa Scott and went to see the Grinch movie at the free theater at HAFB where my dad works. The kids liked it but Sydnie was all over the place, but luckily they had a glass room in the back for the noisy ones, which was nice. Dave went to Star Wars with Randy and they liked it!
Sunday, we went to church with both grandparents. They were nice programs, from the elderly Meadows branch choir with accordion accompaniment to the Canyon Estates ward Heidi Alley presentation with featuring an original song by a high school student and my dad singing and my mom playing the piano, it was spirit-filled. I love the Sunday before Christmas service! We hung out with my parents after - ate lunch, played with toys, and talked a lot. Then we went back and the Ryerse cousins from NM had just made it and Todd, Julie & kiddos were there. The kids were so excited! I love how much they love each other. We played with them, ate Ryerse tacos, and caught up with the adults.
Monday morning, we woke up and went to Star Wars and Frozen II. I loved Star Wars and felt it was a perfect ending to the saga. I'm such a nerd and cried multiple times during the movie and kept thinking of parallel life lessons and scriptures that went along with things said. Dave took the three youngers to Frozen since he had already seen Star Wars and he was in the back with Sydnie most of the time. Lucy loved it and Cov said "it was actually pretty decent!" He cried for 30 minutes before we left because he couldn't go to Star Wars because it was just too intense. Grandpa Scott joked that he would've really been crying after if he had ended up going. “The force will be with you, always.” – Luke and Leia. Might be over but it's not over! Then we went to the store and helped clean up. The kids were playing with the Little People and Lucy said she thought Jesus should go as the guide on Santa's sleigh because "Jesus guides our way every day." So sweet! I love all of the reminders all over of Christ and his birth and life. Seeing nativities all around makes me happy. Sue got a new one they put outside that is super fun. We went to the Candlelight Christmas event at This is the Place pioneer park. We enjoyed riding the train, seeing Father Christmas, eating gingerbread man cookies, viewing the live nativity, watching pioneer Christmas demonstrations, listening to live music, and seeing the beautiful lights and scenery. After, we got the Pie Pizza. Such a fun day!
Tuesday was Christmas eve! We woke up and had a baking day with Grandma Di. Emma chose to make pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, Cal made M&M fudge, Lucy made Mint Chocolate meltaways, Cov wasn't interested in baking anything so he just played and Sydnie was our official taste tester. We had a good time. Shortly after Christmas, when Lucy and I were baking a treat, Lucy said "Mom, was Grandma Di an amazing mother?" "Yes, she was the best!" I replied. She said that Grandma Di was the best role model for me and I told her she as right. She said we should make a shirt for Grandma that said "The Best Role Model". Pretty cute and true! We are thankful for all Grandma teaches us! We also found a neat old picture of when my Grandpa Darrell served in the Korean war. He was stationed at the Marshall Islands and was a bar tender. He served as a bar tender, because his captain knew he wouldn't sneak any of the alcohol. On the back of the picture he told the story. On this Christmas day, the captain played a trick on him. He wrapped a whiskey bottle and gave it to my grandpa. Well my grandpa started passing it around for everyone to take a swig. After about the fourth person took a drink, the captain told everyone that it was just bitters and water in the whiskey bottle, something he could have taken a drink of. Everyone had a good laugh and my Grandpa Darrell never broke the word of wisdom. Kind of a neat story and picture. My Grandpa is the one in the middle next to his "Santa" captain. Back at the Ryerses, we had some pizza and dips other foods for dinner. Then we got ready for the pinata! Emma and Tayla got to duct tape it this year and they took pride in their job, which held up for a long time! We then sang for Brian and ate some spice cake and ice cream. Then we got the kids settled down for a long winters nap while the adults did the usual 7-11 run and midnight mass on TV. We are getting old, but still know how to have fun.
Wednesday was Christmas and magical. Christmas morning with the Ryerses...always a crazy good time! Cov and Lucy sneaked and peeked around the corner so when we lined up, they were last. We saw the Santa goods. Emma got a Gabb smart "dumb" phone. She was excited but wasn't sure if she should think it was too good to be true. She was a little bummed she couldn't have all the apps on there, but this one is text, talk, radio and camera. That's about it, which is by design. She also got matching headphones. Cal got an MP3 player and Risk, which he loves and has been playing a lot! Lucy got a camera and clothes for her American Girl doll, Covey got a Beyblades set and a remote control motorcycle and Sydnie got a new doll (named baby Joy) and a little ball. All the kids got some stocking stuff too. They were excited and we all played for a while. Then it was or present exchange. Everyone loved the calendars we made for them! We got spoiled and tried to spoil others. Then we had breakfast cakes we made - peaches and cream, cream cheese spice and blueberry with sausages and hash browns. We played games together, we did a Christmas song lip sync battle and played an add on drawing game. Most importantly thought about how blessed we are to have each other and the Savior. We ended the night with the Stoddards - we yummy ham dinner, lots of talking and laughing, Danish rice pudding (Cov got the marzipan pig, which the person who finds the whole almond gets!), a program, Christmas music, more gifts and fun games Grandma Di came up with and a hug huddle to end the night off! We are sure blessed to have the families we do!
Thursday we helped put away some decorations, cleaned up, did some laundry, ran a few errands, and in the afternoon, Miss Kitty was put down. She was 19 and was ready to go. She has been really sick for a couple of years now and it was time. Everyone enjoyed giving her extra snuggles. Then we went with some of the Ryerse adults to the temple to do sealings for family members. It was nice to be there together, it has been a while! We got hair cuts from Aunt Stacy and then I went with Calena to get ice cream. We chatted for 2 1/2 hours. But who's keeping track? It was so much fun and I love that friend of mine! She is quite amazing!
Friday was the day with the cousins. We had sleepovers, made breakfast, played games, then temple square was pretty epic. The Giving machine was pretty neat. You get to pick out what charity to help, local and global. Our kids loved picking things out for others, from chickens to go to third world farmers to basketballs for high risk kids, food to help the hungry and eyeglasses for those who need them. We watched some of the new Book of Mormon videos at Legacy theater, enjoyed the live music and walking around temple square one last time before renovation and Elder Uchtdorf and Sister Harriet waved and smiled at us! We were all so excited by that part. We also went to City Creek to do some shopping at the Disney Store and Claires. We also picked up cheesecake, yum! We celebrated Tayla's birthday that day and had some dinner and then Stacy, Emma and I went shopping. We had a blast together! Always so fun to be together!
Saturday, we went up to Ogden to visit Grammie and did what we could for her, then went to visit Lois and Keith and Randy, they are all facing serious health challenges. It was great to see them. I love these people. Then we went to the Stoddards and met up with them and Amy and Kolby and Boji and my Aunt Debbie & Uncle Rich and their kids. Cov and Boj had a blast together, they are so cute when they play! Then we made personal pizzas, ate cookies, did eggnog taste testing, and played games together. It was a good time! Then that night, we went to the temple to do sealings again. What could be better than one trip to the temple? How about 3 trips to the temple??? I love this sacred place!
Sunday, we went to sacrament meeting and left to go home. When we arrived, we had dinner, then acted out the nativity. Emma was a wise men, Cal was an angel, Lucy was a shepherd, Cov was Joseph and Sydnie was Mary. Dave read the story and they acted it out. This is one of my favorite things about Christmas. It's what makes Christmas Christmas. Then they exchanged sibling gifts. I love how much thought and care they put into them and how appreciative and sweet they are to each other about them. Cov made Sydnie a super hero cape (with a little help from mom), and Sydnie made Cal a trophy that said #1 Brother Cal Cal that she colored on and a glow in the dark football (with a little help from mom), Emma got Cov a back scratcher, which she joked was the butt scratcher, which he was excited about and immediately started scratching you-know-where and a little soccer nut craker, ..... The kids got to open their gifts from us -they all got a suitcase and will get to use that when they take their first air plane ride next summer. They were so excited! We got another nativity, as we do every year. We got a new Melissa and Doug one and I love hearing the kids play with it and our others we have. He is Christmas! He is every day! He is our guide! I hope my family and I will do our best to follow Him always!
