Happy Christmas!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wonderful! We had a lot of fun enjoying family and traditions. Setting out stockings, opening a gift, cookies and egg nog for Santa, carrots for reindeer, special sleeping hot Chocolate, a Christmas movie, and of course reading the story of the Saviors birth. All the kids (minus Grace) slept in the boys room together on Christmas Eve. We could here them whispering excitedly and giggling. Christmas morning bright and early the kids were up and ready for presents. Opening some presents.

Christmas fun

Writing letters to Santa is taken pretty seriously over here. This year was no different. We had a family home evening dedicated to writing the big man. Rebekah was very specific as she told Dad what to write. Jace and Hyrum were thrilled when we finally got our first batch of real snow. They bundled up after school and went out to get started on this years snow forts. Grace went out for a bit to help but would not keep her gloves on. After a few handfuls of icy snow with her bare hands she decided to stay inside with mama. Every Friday we have Friday night movie night. The month of December was filled with all our favorite Christmas movies. We had a Grinch night with "Grinch juice" and green "Grinch popcorn". The kids picked a name out of a bowl of who to buy a gift for this year. They loved planning and picking out gifts. Here they are with the gifts they wrapped for each other.

Christmas is coming...

Christmas seemed to sneek right up for us this year. It seemed like Halloween had just ended when it was all of a sudden time to decorate our tree. We enjoyed every minute of it, the Christmas music, the hot chocolate, the Christmas secrets, the snow, and of course remembering our Saviors birth. We especially loved gathering around the Christmas tree each night to read our Christmas stories.

HalLoWeEn!

We had a fun Halloween. Bekah was awake enough that day to get in her costume and ride in the wagon for trick or treating. This year we had a sleepy princess, an Indian, Harry Potter and a black cat. Grace was pretty upset about the black nose I drew on. She warmed up quick when she realized that if she meowed people gave her double the candy. Sorting the goods! They came home with tons of candy! Even now as I type this, in January, we have not polished it off. We just supplemented it with the last of the Christmas candy.

snippits from the fall

Rebekah got a bad case of Mono, so she spent the fall sleeping, and watching princess movies. She was sick for about 6 weeks. Some days she felt great and stayed awake playing and was able to go to school like normal, but for the better part of those weeks, she had little appetite, slept hours a day and wasn't her usual chatty bubbly self. She was sick for Halloween, so Joe pulled her in a wagon and her brothers took her bag up to the door for her. Thankfully she felt much better by Thanksgiving, and by the Christmas season we had our happy little Bekah back. The purple picture is before the mono and the picture of her in gray is about three weeks into the mono. We built some awesome forts during our spud harvest break. I cut my hair off. I celebrated my 30th birthday! Yikes! We carved some pumpkins while Grace made the most of an empty bucket. Hyrum Turned 8!!! He had a great birthday, particularly enjoying his two new BB guns. 100% Joe's idea!He looks pretty mischievous in that picture doesn't he? He is now a cub scout and was baptized the following Saturday. We are so proud of Hyrum and cannot believe how fast he has grown!