Non-Christmasy December photos!

Lucy Lucy Lucy....

As quite the busy little girl, she is often found playing in the sink. Sometimes her feet stay on the stool, while other times not.

 

If locked out of the bathroom, she'll find other amusement with the light switches,

 

or opening and closing doors. 

(Usually closing- and getting stuck inside a room until someone frees her. She's still mastering the skill of turning the doorknob. )

But, she's most likely to be found tickling, chasing, and giggling with her best buddy Emery. (Until one of them doesn't get their way and starts screaming.)

Emery is coming to understand the value of alone time. Not such a big fan of the girlish screams.

Lucy loves to point out her belly button,

eyes,

mouth,

and ears.

And she knows just how to get her way with that cheeser!

 

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

I decided to make our big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year. We had ham, cheesy potato casserole (funeral potatoes!), rolls, salad, and ginger ale. It worked out perfect so we could enjoy the leftovers Christmas day without all the work!

We made sugar cookies and frosted them for Santa on Christmas Eve too.

Then the kids opened their 1 gift...pajamas!

Both kids pj's were too small. Those kids are tall! But they wore them for 1 night anyways. Emery's were 4T/5T but I guess I should have gotten the 6/7. And Lucy's were 18 months and she's now 19 months so oops on my part!

We couldn't forget carrots for the reindeer and milk for the cookies!

Late at night Santa delivered the gifts and filled the stockings

Christmas morning was filled with oohs and ahhs and smiles all around!

And then off to church we went! What a wonderful way to spend Christmas!

More Christmas season fun!

 In the middle of December Emery had his Christmas program at his preschool. My camera has done me well over these 5 years but it really can't handle the far away low light! Maybe 2012 we'll upgrade :)

He sang with all his heart and we couldn't be prouder of him!

 Lucy did not appreciate being put into the nursery during the program. But she was full of wiggles and sequels and I knew I'd be getting nasty looks from other parents if I didn't take her. At least the program was only 20 minutes long!

For our girl's night out we had a fun gift exchange, drank hot coca, and went to see Christmas lights! So much fun with the girls!

Emery was so excited to have a Christmas party to go to with his buddies! The decorated ornaments, made treats, had lunch, and even had a gift exchange. My fried Julie Rogers really outdid herself. She is a great hostess for the parties!!

During the holidays it's fun to make more goodies than usually socially acceptable. We enjoyed white chocolate popcorn, lots of cookies, and candies too!

Merry Christmas!

"Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the "spirit of Christmas", we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the "Spirit of Christ". 

-President Thomas S. Monson

7 Year Anniversary

7 years ago we were married in the beautiful Salt Lake Temple. It was a chilly day but I didn't even notice for a while because I was just so happy!

Along the way we got 2 bachelor's degrees, 1 master's degree, 3 apartments, 1 house, 2 kids, and career at Michelin. And I wouldn't want to have been through it all with anyone else.

We celebrated our anniversary by going out to dinner and then to an indoor shooting range. I haven't been shooting since before I had kids. It was a fun date! Later we wrapped Christmas gifts for the kids while watching the movie "While you were sleeping". I'm so excited to see the kids faces on Christmas morning!

Love you Joel! Thanks for these 7 years and all the memories. I can't wait to make some more :)

Getting in the Christmas spirit!

We having been having so much fun this December getting in the Christmas spirit! Emery and Lucy did some sticker Nativity scenes.

And saw Santa Claus. Lucy was not a fan.

Emery went ice skating for the first time!

Of coarse we put up our Christmas tree Thanksgiving day!

 Our little elf "Elvie" has been keeping an eye on the kids and reporting back to Santa!

Joel put Christmas lights on our house for the first time!

They aren't much but I just love them! We'll gradually add more each year. Actually we have 3 little spiral trees on the grass too that we added after I took this picture.

 

We dressed up as people of Jerusalem for our church Christmas party.

 The kids loved making a gingerbread house (and eating all the candy and frosting off it!)

It's quite a work of art!

And one of my favorite things was visiting a house that goes all out with their Christmas lights! We even lucked out and happened to come by a the same time a little concert was going on in the backyard!

 

 

We also did the driving tour of the Roper Mountain Holiday Lights with some friends. We got out to walk around a bit and took a quick family picture!

And there is still more fun to come! And then Christmas day! Yay for the holidays!!