We were a little late getting our wood split and stacked but we are improving our system each year. This year we split the wood right next to our deck and that eliminated the need to haul the split wood from the pasture to the deck.
Justin set the train up and I snapped this picture. It was a magical moment. But only a moment because I'm pretty sure that a few moments later, those two were arguing about something. But I'm not going to dwell on that. Our Christmas season was wonderful and it was magical and that's what I want to remember. “It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.” -Charles Dickens
The girls got a little make-over from Justin one afternoon.
I love traditions, especially at Christmas-time. As the kids are getting older, they really look forward to our traditions and it is fun to see their anticipation for them. I printed our Christmas Bucket List and hung it on the fridge and we checked off our activities when we had time for them. I really enjoyed carrying out all of our traditions and making memories with my family. First up was the Christmas Devotional and caramel popcorn on December 2nd. I loved the talks this year and thought the Hallelujah Chorus by the choir was so good.
Jingling some neighbors/friends. This is a tradition that will need to be adjusted next year. We were good the first time. The second time, I just took the kids on my own (Justin was at work) but we still had fun. The third time we did it, it was kind of a crazy night and everyone was wanting to stay home. I still made everyone go because I had made cookies but I think next year, we will make a variety of cookies and do it once.
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| We made Christmas swig cookies (my favorite this year), chocolate chip cookies with red and green M&M's, and ginger cookies that we dipped in white chocolate. And sugar cookies, of course, for Santa. |
When it gets cold enough, this puddle at the bus stop turns into an mini ice skating rink for the kids.
As soon as there was enough snow, Stockton and Brynn headed out to go sledding on the Anderson's hill behind their house.
I wish I could have bottled up Stockton's excitement and anticipation for Christmas. His excitement was magical and contagious. I'm not sure how much longer he will be so child-like in this area. We wrote letters to Santa. Stockton asked for a compound bow/bow and arrow and Brynn asked for high heels. Ivy was so proud of her letter-she asked for a pink Aurora dress. Molly also ended up writing a letter and her main request was a desk for her room.
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| His handwriting is immaculate! "I have been very good this year. I want a compound bow and a surprise. I have 3 questions for you. How many elves are in the North Pole? How much snow do you have? Last but not least, how long does it take you to give out presents on Christmas Eve? Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!" |
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| "This year I would like high heels for church. I would also like a surprise. Stay warm and stay safe. I have some questions. How do reindeer fly? How do you make toys?" |
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| "Santa, Merry Christmastime! I don't really know what I want. I do want 2 things so far. A desk (roll top) and an old record player. I also want an animal hat. (Husky!) Merry Christmas! |
Stockton brought home the class "pets" for a weekend and was supposed to take them on adventures and then write about what they did. We didn't have anything too exciting planned for the weekend. Justin had to work all day that Saturday. I took the kids to the ward party and then after chores were done I took them to the rec center to run around for a couple of hours.
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| Ivy, Roxy Tobler, Molly, Stockton |
Part of the reason I enjoyed the season so much was probably because we did all our shopping early and were pretty much done before Thanksgiving. It felt so nice. Our closet was getting a little crowded with boxes so we let the kids wrap their presents for each other.
Justin and Molly worked on a ukulele duet for the season. They did a medley of The First Noel and Joy to the World and they did a great job! They played it for each of the family parties.
It was an off year for a Moyes Christmas Eve. When this happens, we try to get together quickly on Christmas day for the cousins to exchange their gifts but it's 30 minutes or an hour tops. My mom has played around with having our Christmas Eve party on another day but we have told both our families that we will drive down once for Christmas and that's it (sounds rude but a lot of driving back and forth gets old and expensive-and sometimes scary when you factor in weather!) so she hasn't done it because she'd rather have us visit on Christmas Day. We solved that problem this year by hosting it at our house and making everyone drive up to us. Yay! The cousins get super excited to come to our house. My mom and I made dinner-I made a meatball pasta casserole and my mom made a chicken and white sauce pasta casserole. Erin, Erin, and Ali brought sides and desserts and I made some punch. It was a low-fuss meal but kid friendly! Each family brought a game, we had dinner, the cousins exchanged their gifts, the kids did their talent show, and they acted out the nativity. We gave my mom and dad their gifts from us and then everyone went home. It was a lot of fun and I think it's something we will continue to do every other year when we aren't getting together on Christmas Eve.
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| Gavin, Ben, Abby, Grace, Brynn, Molly, Chloe, Grant, Stockton, Spencer, Tessa, Harper, Ivy-they made candy cane sleds and raced them down a track |
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| Molly, Abby, Ben |
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| Ivy and Erin |
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| Ivy, Grace, Brynn, Tessa |
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| Gavin, Ben, Seth, Spencer, Stockton |
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| Chloe, Molly, Abby |
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| Molly, Josie, Chloe, Ben, Stockton, Gavin, Abby, Spencer, Seth, Lucy, Harper, Grant, Ivy, Brynn, Tessa, Grace |
We opened our new book on the 10th. This year's book was a chapter book, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." Justin read a chapter each night until it was finished...we missed some nights and some nights he read a couple of chapters. The kids loved the book although it might take Ivy a few years to fully appreciate it!
I debated whether to make playdough or not but then decided that I was going to keep doing it as long as I have a kid at home. I set up a playdough station on the little table in the kitchen with the playdough, Christmas cookie cutters, and rolling pins and kept it there all month. I was surprised (and delighted!) with how often it was played with! Ivy loved to make cookies and "bake" them in the diner oven which is set up right next to the kitchen.
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| Corbin Anderson and Stockton |
Molly had a choir concert that we got to go watch. She doesn't have choir next term and I'm not sure she'll sign up for it again next year (unless it's required) so I am glad I got to experience two middle school choir concerts this fall and winter.
Rival to Stockton's excitement over Christmas and the season was his excitement over the chance to go with Justin to a Jazz game...with tickets on the 2nd row! Justin has been able to go to the AFCU suite several times over the years but this was a first for the seats so close to the court. It was a bad night for me to go with him so Stockton got to go instead. That morning he told me that he thought that day was the best day of his life, after his baptism day. He had a great time and told me all about being so close to the bench that he could hear the players talking. He wore his Stockton jersey but took his Mitchell T-shirt. Justin said that every time Donovan Mitchell did something well, he would wave the T-shirt in the air. The Jazz won which was definitely a bonus. It really was so amazing for him to be there and I'm glad I wasn't able to go because I would not have been as excited as Stockton to be there. It was pretty fun for Justin to be there with him and we had a few good laughs about his excitement later that night after they had gotten home and Stockton was tucked in bed.
Peppermint ice cream is a must-have at Christmastime!
Our craft this year was a pasta wreath. They turned out cute! We hung them in the window.
I finished reading "Little House in the Big Woods" with Brynn.
Justin and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on the 13th. That's a big milestone! We didn't do much on our actual anniversary but we did make it on a little date that weekend. We finished up the little bit of Christmas shopping we still had and then went to Bombay House for dinner. I asked Molly to take a picture of us before we left and these are a few of the goofy pictures I got.
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| this one is decent |
I am hopeful we can take a small vacation this spring but we'll see. Life is good!
Justin pulled the kids' mattresses out so they could sleep under the tree. I hope no one ever outgrows this tradition.
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| This craziness the next morning made me a little insane. |
Molly and Stockton helped Brynn put on every dress-up that she possibly could.
We made snowflakes while watching "A Muppet's Christmas Carol" one Sunday evening. We strung them up from the loft railing. The kids wanted me to print some coloring pages for them so I did that and they gathered around for some coloring when they were done with snowflakes.
We went to Temple Square to see the lights. Stockton wanted to see the Christus statue but the line was pretty long so we explored the basement of the visitor's center a little instead. There is a lot to see down there! We had the front row for the nativity which is my favorite. We went and got hot chocolate from the Lion House Pantry and it was so good. I think they put cinnamon flavoring in it...it tasted like chocolate covered cinnamon bears which is one of my all-time favorite treats. We had so much fun and the lights were incredible but I remembered the next day that we forgot to go see the candy windows at Macy's. I was bummed and will not forget that next time!
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| Molly bought that penguin hat with her own money. I was skeptical but it is actually really cute! |
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| I also love the pink trees! |
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| All smiles on the ride home. |
Brynn had her 2nd grade Cowboy Christmas program. It was adorable and none were cuter than our Brynn on the front row missing her two front teeth (yes, they even sang the song). She got to do a dance for one of the songs.
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| Jacob Pearson, Whitney Smith, Nevea, Ivy, Brynn, Layla, Cloee Horrocks |
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| Marianne Freeman and Brynn |
I helped in Stockton's class for their Christmas party. I didn't have to plan anything, just be there to help. The whole 4th grade rotated through the classes so I only saw him when he came in the room where I was helping. We made pioneer ornaments out of yarn.
I held my piano party after the last day of school before the break. It worked out well. They played their Christmas songs for each other and we played Bingo. I've been doing that since I started teaching so many years ago. It was a little crazy so I completely spaced taking a picture until half of the students had already left. I've added 5 new students this week (3 of them violinists!) and so I'm am pretty booked up. Exciting and crazy!
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| Ethan Pearson, Brynn, Stockton, Easton Anderson, Molly, Samantha Steiner |
We had the Friday before Christmas off from school and the kids wanted to have friends over. Since we had nothing planned, I thought this was a great idea! Molly had Roxy Tobler and Stockton and Brynn had Sam and Mari Freeman. I can't remember what the older girls did but the boys played Legos and the little girls made a Christmas tree pasta craft. I had leftover from our craft the week before so it worked out for them to use it up.
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| Mari and Brynn |
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| Stockton and Sam |
I had some posterboard leftover from the pasta craft and the kids used them to draw some neat pictures on them. This was Stockton's.
We decorated sugar cookies for Santa.
We had our Bethlehem dinner on the Sunday before Christmas. It was an easy dinner to prepare! We had rosemary bread, grapes, cheese, olives, cashews, popcorn shrimp, oranges, mangoes, and summer sausage. I never think it's going to fill me up but it always does! After dinner, we got in the car, drove around Heber, and looked at lights. There is one house up here that coordinates their lights to music so we stayed there for a while.
When we got home from seeing the lights, the kids got in their jammies and Justin caught up on some of the Christmas books we hadn't gotten around to reading since he was doing the chapter book. He let each of the kids pick a book. I am usually the reader around here and I think Justin enjoys reading the Christmas books as much as the kids enjoy listening to them!
Only two more sleeps until Christmas Day! They all had a sleepover in Brynn's room that night. On Christmas Eve day, Justin went to work and I wrote down all the Christmas movies we still needed to watch and let the kids do that all day until it was time to get ready to go to the Christmas Eve party-best night of the whole year!!
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