Christmas Eve

We had such an amazing Christmas, filled with laughter, friends, and family, topped with the warmth of His Love. 

Giving

On Christmas Eve, we made a new tradition of GIVING.  We busily assembled and dropped off little bundles for the kids’ neighborhood friends.  Between scouts and school, Tanner has gotten to know quite a few friends!  I picked something simple Tanner could do – he filled mason jars with M&Ms, attached this Christmas M&M poem, and made name tags for over a dozen friends.  I’m not very creative, but I can copy really well :)

The best part was delivering them to the friends home.  The kids ALL wanted to help, even Rylee.  As we were getting out of the car, Brooke saw some decorations on the lawn, and yelled ahead, “Tanner – Look out for the REINDEER!” as if it was about to take off right in front of him.   She is SO funny.  As we delivered them, it even started to snow!  Yes, Christmas is a magical time of the year.

Brooke insisted on making some for her 2 best friends – Scarlett and Quincy.  Later in the day, she came with me as I dropped off more goodies of home-baked yumminess.  Growing up, I was always my mom’s elf—one of my earliest Christmas memories isn’t opening gifts, but helping her with all the wrapping the night before.  So…I hope Brooke continues to the tradition and loves to be my little elf!

On Christmas Eve night, we had a few close friends over, Zach and Sara, along with my parents and brother Brendan.  Usually we get together with our HUGE extended family, but this year it worked  better for everyone to only get together on Christmas Day. 

And by those SMILES, the kids LOVED all the extra attention!

 

The Muppets Christmas Carol came highly recommended so we watched it together.  We loved it – all the cute songs and the Muppets kept us laughing, even during the scarier parts with the ghosts appearing.   

  

By far the highlight of the night…was a SNOWBALL FIGHT! 

One of Anthony’s fondest memories as a child was “sock wars.”  They’d start a snowball fight in the family room with tons of socks balled up together.  Well – it’s about time we pass the tradition along to our family. 

Everyone was throwing snowballs…everyone!  

Brendan would hoard them – then throw them like a bandit!  

And I’m not sure who…but someone stuff Rylee’s shirt with snowballs in exactly the right places.  She was laughing and grabbing at them…it was HILARIOUS!

  

Nothing can really capture the evening…

This idea came when I found cute packages of snowballs on clearance.  Next year, each kid might also get a pkg of socks along with their Christmas jammies – so the epic SNOWBALLING can begin.

The Nativity

We watched a Bible Video of the Nativity here and then re-enacted a simpler version from Luke Chapter 2.

The props were minimal (this is where the extended family helps out!), not that Brooke would have worn it.  But it was cute and adorable none-the-less.

Pregnant Mary and Joseph travel on a donkey to Bethlehem.

And the Innkeeper looks a little too happy about there not being room in the inn – but offers a lowly stable instead.

And it was there the Christ-child was born.

And the Angel appeared to the shepherds, saying “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

And I’m obviously not a good shepherd cause my only sheep was trying to hide :)

And the star appeared in the East.    

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

We sang our favorite Christmas carols, in which Tanner stayed in character and BAA-ed the entire time. 

In the hussle and bussle of the Christmas season, I hope you have had time to reflect on the Savior life’s and teachings, on that Holy Night years ago.  One random day running errands with a car full of kids, tears were in my eyes as I listened to “O Holy Night” on the radio.  I promise you there is a calmness and joy that only HE can bring, for he is truly the Prince of Peace.  I Love Him!

The kids then hurried off to bed, but not before taking a million pics, hoping for one cute one!

Tanner happily declared, “I can’t WAIT for Santa to come!”  which then caused Brooke to be alarmed, “But I don’t like him.  I don’t want Santa to come!”  She hasn’t been a fan…all season long. 

While the kids went to bed and “visions of sugar-plums danced in their head,” we played a few games with just the adults.  We tried to play COUP, but my mom quickly declared she didn’t like it and we needed a new game.  Instead, we played cards – something I knew we’d all like.  We played “Up and Down the River” and the boys kept joking how they were playing for $$$, with Zach being a professional and all.  Finally, my mom blurted out, “We’re not playing for money, we’ll play for NUTS!” To her credit, my dad happened to be cracking a bowl full of nuts right next to her, but still, we couldn’t stop laughing, all night long.  Good times, good times. 

Then it was time let the “elves go to work” and find all those gifts hidden away.  But next year, Santa may need to re-locate his workshop from my closet and the basement…cause someone peeked and saw something they shouldn’t have!

Tanner told Anthony he knew for SURE he was getting a Nerf bow and arrow.  I thought it was cause that’s what he told Santa he wanted – and he definitely BELIEVED Santa would pull through for him.  Yet on Christmas Eve night (when it’s clearly too late)– Anthony told me Tanner was in there playing and saw the package  **sigh**

But the elf should have learned her lesson from last year not to wait til the last moment to wrap presents, considering I spend Christmas Eve in the ER until 3am with the worst gall-bladder attack.  At that point, I was grateful to just be alive, and didn’t mind wrapping at 3am. 

Health is a beautiful gift, and thankfully, we were the healthiest we’ve been all Fall  leading up to Christmas.  We miraculously escaped the flu and stomach bugs, and I’m pretty sure the rest of KC, and my extended family FOR SURE, was not as fortunate.

 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!

Christmas Letter – 2014 Edition

Merry Christmas to our family and friends! We hope you’ve had a happy and joyous year. Here’s a quick recap of our year:

We’ve learned to be careful what you name your child. Rylee (14 months) is always, always all RILED up! (For future reference, names like Serenity sound amazing). She’s always on the go, conquering the stairs and the playground, and when we’re not looking—the toilet. Before her 1^st birthday, she’d climb to the top of the slide, go down on her belly, then repeat 20 times, all by herself. Through various octaves of shrills and shreaks, there’s never a doubt what she wants, yet says “thank you” in the sweetest voice known to mankind. She’s a thrill-seeker by day, and a cuddle bug by night. She thinks she’s still attached to an umbilical cord, requiring constant rocking and feedings. She’s adorable, loves to laugh – and no doubt her energy and passion are unmatched.

Brooke (2) is a ray of sunshine mixed with a whole lotta drama. She’s usually scheming up a plan that involves seeing her cousins – “my Quincy” and “my Scarlett.” And once together, they accessorize until they’re piled high in tutus and necklaces. She’s a little mastermind and self-taught in colors, shapes, and counts into the teens. If you stop at 10, she’ll ask you to keep going to 25! Yet her intelligence is too often spent triggering upheavals with “a-nah-nah-a-boo-boo” and pretending she can’t hear you when she’s in trouble.

Brooke’s favorites include singing along with Mr. Froggy at music class or coloring/painting at home, although she’s still learning bodies and kitchens are not canvases. She’s got a strong-willed streak that runs deep (no clue where that came from!) and can reach any height she sets her mind on. Quite literally – with the help of a stool! She frequents the pantry daily – trying to sustain life on “petzel wolls.” When she enters the room, she lights it up with her dramatic entries, huge smiles and lashes. She frequently breaks out in song and dance, spinning and twirling along her merry way, and never stops TALKING. I have to say, 2 might be my favorite stage! I hear repeatedly Brooke is just like me, and it’s the best complement I’ve received.

Family life seems to revolve around Tanner (6). He’s taken a liking to sports – soccer, baseball, basketball – but his new fave is Cub Scouts. He imagines elaborate stories, transforming anything (think bottle caps) into super heroes. He plays with Legos all day (not sure that’ll ever change). When I pulled out the KRAGLE this year, he said I was hurting his feelings. Ok, you win! He overcame major fears– learning to swim the entire length of the pool and performing a magic show for his birthday. He’s tender hearted and kind, and likely one of the sole reasons (yes, divine intervention too) Rylee hasn’t taken a major tumble down the stairs. He makes the whole family laugh, and after a fight with Brooke, he’ll be holding her hand.

Tanner had a rough start the beginning of 1^st grade, kicking and screaming out the door every day. He enjoys it now—“I had to tell my brain I like school and now I do!” There’s still the occasional report from his teacher were he’s not focused, to which he responded, “Maybe I shouldn’t sit next to Anderson!” and later revealed, “Maybe I shouldn’t ‘dream think’ while I’m at school!” Yet he’s making awesome progress, whizzing through 2^nd grade sight words and beginning to read CHAPTER BOOKS. The best part of 1^st grade is when he writes us love notes. When I put one in his lunchbox, he cherished it! In fact, he still has it in his room. He now has my permission to grow up, knowing he’ll always be my baby boy!

Anthony is the happiest he’s been at his office and had a fantastic year. He’s working the “official” dentist hours– off on Fridays, a total game-changer for our family! Living in KC, the infusion of BBQ obsession has taken full-effect, learning how to SMOKE the best ribs and meats I’ve ever tasted. Anything that furthers his interest in cooking – I fully support!

For me, I’m in full-fledged mommy mode. This has been the 1^st year in 10 not working a busy season. I always miss the people (and sometimes the work). I’ve learned there’s only a finite amount of time and I’d rather give my best to those I love the most. The opportunities to serve are endless, whether it’s my own huge family, Tanner’s class at school, or my Mormon family on Sundays. I love it all…except I could do with one less diaper change and one less heap of food thrown on the floor (maybe we should get a dog?!). To be fair, I’ve also spent hours perusing Facebook, trying to sleep through morning cartoons, and when I’m feeling productive, writing on the family blog. I’m not a perfect mom, and I see many of you do it better than me, but I’m THEIR mom, and my love for them is perfect and unconditional (just PLEASE don’t ask at 3am).

Anthony and I are celebrating 10 awesome, wonderful, amazing years of marriage this December. As I’ve watched him wear many hats – drilling on my teeth (braces off = cavities!), wrestling with Tanner and Brooke, rocking Rylee to sleep, kneeling in prayer every night, helping with the mounds of laundry, being Tanner’s den leader for Tiger Cubs, and spending countless hours serving in church, trust me when I say marrying him was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’m grateful through the sealing powers found in the Holy Temple, he’s mine, FOREVER!

The Love of my family gives me a tiny glimpse of our Savior’s love for each one of us, who promises Light and Love to all who come unto Him. May your season be BRIGHT with the warmth of His LOVE and PEACE! Thanks for amazing example you have shown, filling our year with joy and laughter, friendship and love.

November’s Daily Happenings

The best things in life are not things, they are moments. 

Captured one at a time.