Girl Time!

This girl cashed in a Christmas present to spend some time getting pampered with her mom!

Christmas Eve and Day

So this happened a couple days before Christmas.

We had a slab leak in our master bedroom that surfaced in the garage and then caused more troubles in our master bedroom later. We were grateful for Rudy to be able to come over and help move furniture and help bounce ideas off of as we decided which way to go with the plumbing solution. Turned out that we did not need to jackhammer but rerouted into the attic and walls. Everything was up in the air for just a bit but they had it all wrapped up the afternoon before Christmas Eve. We are still running fans today to dry carpet which we had to pull up quite a bit.

We just finished paying off the minivan a few days before as our Christmas gift to ourselves. Given the cost and timing, I felt tempted to complain. However, I was given some extra insight from a church video I happened upon at the time and spent some time pondering and decided to demonstrate gratitude to my Heavenly Father and husband for the blessings they have provided to our family and that we were able to take care of this given that. It helped Neal to view it differently too and helped us enjoy our Christmas.

Christmas Eve Opa and Oma came over and we had fun talking and eating and playing games. Actually, the game was not fun but it was fun to be together. Had fun opening gifts and hanging out. Kids got carrots out for the reindeer but forgot to treat Santa which is a good thing in the end.

With the fans roaring away in our master bedroom, we had the added perk of a few minutes more sleep as we couldn't hear the kids exploring their stockings over the fans. We got ourselves dress and headed to church for an hour of song and testimony. It was great. And everyone was so warm but even more so than usual.

Back at home, Neal wanted a family photo before we changed into more comfortable clothes. We put cinnamon rolls in the oven and made icing and then got started opening gifts. It was a great time and all were happy with their spoils.  We then spoiled ourselves with the cinnamon rolls that I had been dreaming about since my cousin, Barbara Knudsen, had made them at Thanksgiving. So sweet, so good.

Spent the rest of the day with getting gifts in working order, playing, going for a walk (given it was a balmy and in the 70s!) and calling and texting family. We ended the day with Christmas nachos for dinner and watched Home Alone (One) for the first time since I was a kid. I had forgotten how rude the family members were but it was a blast watching the kids laugh at some of the better scenes.

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Hope your Christmas was special in it's own ways. Love you!

Touring the Christmas Lights

One of our family's favorite traditions!

Most Awesome Date Ever!

So Neal and I really needed a date because of they added craziness of me working and us having to get more done in the evenings, our crazy church callings, and the fact that we have kids. So he took the day off and we visited our friend, Tyler, in the hospital who was recovering from back surgery, ate amazing tacos at a fuel stop, and went to see Star Wars Rogue One (opening day!). See the awesome shirts my sweetheart got us?! Aren't we cute?! Then we had to get the kids from school (as required by law) and later dropped them off at Oma's and Opa's so we could go to the Millennial Choir and Orchestra Christmas performance of Good Will Towards Men. Went to a temple sealing of some great people, the Lewis', from our church the next morning and didn't pick the kids up until lunch. Pretty AWESOME!

Christmas Kick-Off

The first weekend of December is always packed for us but with all things good!
Friday night Christmas Tree Lighting at City Hall.  The light sprinkling of rain kept the crowd a little lighter this year so we braved the line for photos with Santa. While indoors, they moved up the time of lighting as the rain threatened to increase and we missed it! But we caught the fireworks display that immediately follows the lighting. Then we gathered at the tree for fun and awkward photos and headed home.

Saturday afternoon is the Nativity Exhibit that our church organizes. Neal served as an ambassador, which is basically someone who stands around dressed nice to assist visitors and ask guests not to touch the nativities. We came to see the nativities during his assignment and enjoyed seeing friends, seeing new nativities, and hearing a visiting gospel choir from another local church preform. I have only seen gospel singing like that in movies as our meetings tend to be more quiet and reflective. It was great so see how others worship, though Rhys ended up covering his ears after the first song due to the volume of their singing. Rhys' favorite nativity was by far the LEGO nativities, two in particular being very well designed. I enjoyed the origami nativity.

Love the look on the shepherd's face. Biblically accurate.

Neal with his friend, John Sterrett.

Sunday evening we lit our Christmas candles, made hot cocoa with marshmallows AND whipped cream, and cuddled up in blankets on the couch to watch the Christmas Devotional prepared by our church leaders on the internet.  The last 15 minutes were the best, not because the topic was better but because I was in comfortable, warm surroundings, hearing uplifting things, and encircled by my lightly snoring husband and the peaceful breathing of my sleeping children. I just sat there and smiled...and took pictures for evidence, the flash waking Neal.

Sophie is under there

 

And It's Up!

As the holiday stuff went up in the stores, Neal and I kept thinking, "Gee, we better buy some net lights. I know some are shot" and "After Christmas this year we should look for a tree that's on sale, because that whole middle section is out."  When I went to the local store, they did not have any LED net lights so I held back.

And good thing we did because we were shocked to find that we had already bought these items at the after Christmas sales last year. And we were shocked how bad our memories were.

Thanksgiving Day

Visited with my cousin, Barbara, and the Knudsen family on Thanksgiving. We went non-traditional with Dutch risolles, Cuban roast beef, etc. and an assortment of desserts. But Barbara started our day with THE MOST AMAZING CINNAMON ROLLS! It was her first go at it too! I am hoping to recreate them this Christmas.

Skipped the football and parade and spent the day watching Star Wars and eating and repeating. Did get a bike ride/walk in though. Kids played great together.

Pre-Thanksgiving Visit

Oma and Opa came over to spend time with us the evening before Thanksgiving. They brought some delicious food and we made sure the desserts were ready. They are always good to tolerate a game of Uno with the family.

Our lego-loving boy's creation of a turkey

Oma taking time to look through Rhys' baby book with him.

That is how excited he is about Thanksgiving!

In her Harry Potter garb

Rebuilt Fire Station Opens

When I asked the kids if they wanted a picture with our fire safety dog, they said, "No! The mayor!" But I'm not too proud! Thank you City of Allen for involving the community!