Monthly: December 2019 (Christmas)

Ahhh, December, my favorite month of the year. The happiest, loveliest, busiest, most wonderful time of the year. This last December sits in my memory as being particularly joyful. 

 It's always a debate about getting a real tree (for $$$) or a fake one (also $$$)... but real trees always win, no matter how much they cost each year. And honestly we somehow picked an amazing one, that was green and beautiful and smelled so nice for the whole season and would've kept going had it not been January. 

The Living Christmas Tree was different this year - there was no tree, it was at the Brandt Center across the street at NNU, and Mandisa was the guest artist! The kids were a part of it as usual, although they didn't get to sing with Mandisa, they were very excited to get to meet her backstage. 

Lina was given this hand-me-down Yoda jacket by our librarian and it is her favorite thing. Since this picture the zipper has totally come off but she still wears it. 

We squeezed in a baking afternoon with Linda, but this time it was at our house... we don't have quite the counter space of her kitchen, but we made it work. And plenty of fudge still resides in my freezer for Liam to eat all through the year. 

 The kids Christmas Showcase was cute as always - Liam has moved on from being in the singing parts to doing skits with the bigger kids.  The highlight was Alice's first time in the show... and contrary to the character that she is, she refused  to sing or jingle her bell along with the other kids. She just stood. It was quite hilarious.

 We went to Patrick's fire academy graduation - he is beyond excited to be a firefighter, and we are so glad that he found a passion in it.

 This kid would go to the library every day I think - it's probably his favorite place in town.

We went to see Star Wars - Carolina's porg came along and we spent the big bucks for movie theater candy once we saw the "lightsaber" Nerd ropes. 

 We were so glad that we got to spend time with the Michaelson's while they were here visiting family. The kids go way back... literally to the beginning.

I only had 3 days off of work before it was Christmas Eve... I wish we would get more - I love the time off before Christmas comes. It was a last minute race to get the wrapping and baking done before Christmas!

 

 But it came so fast and the kids participated in their last Christmas obligation - the living nativity. Carolina and Whit were cows and Liam was a wise man. 

At our traditional Christmas Eve party at Steve and Linda's, Carolina and Liam decided grandma needed a Christmas tree in her living room, and that they would provide that for her.
 Another fun thing happened when Lina lost a tooth and got a visit from Santa and the tooth fairy in one night!

 Christmas Morning! Grandma and Papa and Uncle Pat came over to open stockings and presents.
 The kids big presents this year were an Instax camera for Carolina and a Nintendo Switch for Liam.

 

 Mom and Dad came over for Christmas dinner, then we did a puzzle and watched Christmas movies - no pictures were taken.

 That night the kids asked to sleep by the Christmas tree - and who are we to say no to that kind of amazing new tradition?!

A few days later the Millers returned and we had another Christmas with them and Nana and Poppa in the morning...

 And that afternoon the California McConnel's arrived and yet another Christmas was had.

The cousins had a great time playing video games and hanging out together. 

We rang in the New Year at our house with both sides of the family all together and had way more food than we needed and an epic game of Catchphrase with everyone squished together around the living room. Again - zero pictures taken - why do I do this?











I had so few videos from November (besides Disneyland) that I made the monthly video compilation include both months... these are so fun to make, especially since I seem to take more videos than pictures lately!