December

We start off the lovely month of December with Brynn's tattooed arms. She came home from school with them. I wasn't mad but I did tell her "maybe don't do that again." She nodded her head and wanted a picture.

Sometimes there a pictures on my phone that I don't have an explanation for. These are a couple of those. I'm guessing Ivy had someone put all these bobbles in her hair and then asked for a picture.

Thanksgiving was late. Our tree got put up later than normal. Justin put the tree up in the loft but we had something every night until Thursday that week. I spent a few hours that afternoon wrapping the lights so the kids could decorate after dinner. We loved having the tree in the loft! I think it will be our new thing from now on. (We bought a fake tree on a post-Christmas sale to put in the living room so the live tree can be the "kid tree" from now on.)

I am a traditions person. Big traditions, little traditions, I love them all. One little tradition that my kids have come to love is Saturday morning hot chocolate. I have a special hot chocolate maker that makes it just the right temperature and nice and frothy. It's the best.

In keeping with tradition...Christmas playdough! The kids definitely wanted to do this again-so we did. They make all kinds of Christmas cookies and serve them to everyone who wants some. They even like to use my cookies sheets, hot pads, and the oven as long as it's not hot. Stockton also got creative this year and made a nativity.

Stockton got to go to a birthday party at the bowling alley for Kyson McAffee.

Sam Freeman, Stockton, ?, Kyson, Brayson McAffee, Kason and Kesley Crystal

Stockton, Sam, ?, Kyson, Kason, Kesley, Brayson

Christmas Devotional + caramel popcorn. In our room this year since we didn't have a living room. Also, all those funny faces. I guess the kids needed a little entertainment!

Brynn was excited when it was her turn to do the "All About Me" poster at school. She was anxious to work on in right away but I managed to persuade her to wait until I could help her.

All About Brynn

I am 8 years old

My favorite color is light blue

My favorite animals is a bunny

My favorite food is tacos

This is what I look like

My family

Cabin in Bear Lake is my favorite place

When I grow up I want to be a teacher (drawing)

My favorite thing to do is play with siblings

If I had one wish, I would wish for my family to be with me forever

Crepes were on the menu one morning. It was a regular old Monday morning and I thought I could step up my crepe game to make it a little more exciting. It wasn't hard to divide the batter and color the two batters red and greed. Voila...Christmas crepes! This was something I did on a whim that will probably happen again.

The kids opened their new Christmas book,

We don't have very many weeknights that are free but we had one mid-December and decided to use it to go to Temple Square. We prefer to go on a weeknight because weekends get so busy there. Gene and April met us there. Brett wasn't feeling well and we missed him but everyone loves this tradition and they were even more excited to have Grandma and Grandpa with us. My favorites are the pink trees and the nativity. Grandpa treated everyone to Lion House hot chocolate. We took a break in the old tabernacle and saw the Macy's candy windows before we left (since we forgot to do that

with Grandma

with Grandpa

Grandma and Ivy

Brynn and Grandpa

Grandpa and kids

Our neighbor, Shay, was decorating a birthday cake for her daughter Maive and invited Molly to go over and decorate her own cake for practice. Molly was super excited. She took these pictures to send to April. I think she put a doughnut on the top which is why it's devoid of decoration...but her flowers look pretty good! Molly also took the photo of the table runner she sewed (Grandma Kay quilted and binded), her new Christmas socks, and the selfie of her in the mirror. She is such a teenager!

Ivy with the marshmallow mouth. She took my phone and showed this picture to anyone she could. I caught her singing some made up songs this morning and she was so expressive. She didn't notice me for a couple of minutes and was done as soon as she did. It was cute while it lasted.

Molly loved her job as an elf!

I really wanted to do some sort of service project this year and involve the kids. I set aside a little bit of my piano money from November and we looked on

Justin bet the kids that he could carry 16 bags of groceries into the house. We didn't believe him but he proved us wrong.

Stockton got Molly's extra pepperoni.

The next day after church we put all the bags together. We didn't have any sort of system, just dumped all the food on the counter and filled the bags. We were careful not to put two similar items in one bag and we put 5-6 items in each bag. We ended up filling something like 93 bags!

We delivered them to the food pantry as a family on Monday after school. The bags filled up all of my laundry baskets (4 of them). It was a rewarding project and the best part was seeing the kids excitement while they were doing it-they were kinder to each other and more helpful. And it was very little work, actually. I wish I would have done something like this years ago!

This Santa hat is almost always on Stockton's head during December. We've had it for a few years and it's mostly him that wears it. He is still fully invested in the Christmas magic and I love it. It put a smile on my face to see him wearing it during family scripture time.

The kids wrapped their presents for each other. That is not a new tradition.

Ivy had her sing-a-long at preschool. She learns songs so well but can be shy to perform them for others. She doesn't look like she is enjoying it very much but the songs are one of her favorite parts of preschool!

I was asked to accompany a group for the Christmas program at church. Ivy took these pictures while I was practicing one day.

Stockton and Brynn wrote letters to Santa this year. They didn't do it until the 17th but there were no surprises.

"Dear Santa, I have been very good this year. How are you and your elves? I am doing good here in Heber. This year I would like a Kindle, skiis, Legos, and a surprise. Merry Christmas! P.S. It is very kind of you to give people whatever they want. Thank you! Love, Stockton 😊" Also, Stockton has impeccable handwriting.

"Dear Santa, You rock! I want this Christmas a camera that prints pictures and with film and then a surprise. Thank you!!! Love, Brynn P.S. Hope you fly safe."

We had a couple of different crafts this year. Brynn and Ivy made

We always get a kick out of the wild turkeys that we see on our street in the winter. Ivy and I saw these in front of our neighbors house driving home from the bus stop one morning.

Music party! I don't remember how many years I've been doing the exact same thing. Bingo + prizes + Christmas songs. Each year I know more and more of how it should go and it gets smoother and smoother. It was really fun this year and makes my job so rewarding.

Corbin Cunningham, Chloe Mitchell, Easton Anderson, Ethan Pearson, Blain Mitchell, Taylor Allen, Stockton, Kelton Webb, Logan Cunningham, Brynn, Ivy (didn't play anything but still wanted in on the picture), Verity Phelps, Corbin Anderson-missing: Mallory Pearson, Ava Treu

Brynn wrote this card to her teacher to put on her Christmas gift. I thought it was hilarious. Justin read it and then had her write a new one but I wanted to remember this sentiment. She had the best of intentions when she wrote it.

"Dear Ms. Linnell, You rock. You can never get meaner. You are the only teacher I can ask for. Love, Brynn"

Edited note: "Dear Ms. Linnell, You rock! You are the best teacher ever! You are always so nice. Merry Christmas. Love, Brynn"

Ivy and I found these reindeer antlers at the store and bought them for Cash. They were too big and he didn't like them-but he looked cute in them while they lasted!

Justin had tickets to the new Star Wars (for a work thing). Instead of taking me this time, he took Stockton who would appreciate it much more than me. Since they were going out for a boy's night, I thought the girls needed a girls night to go see Frozen 2. So we all headed down to Utah County and then our separate ways. I had a great time with my girls. They loved the movie and have played the music non-stop since we saw it. Stockton also loved the movie-he is more of a Stars Wars fan than Justin has ever been. He even got to take his friend, Kyson McAffee, when Justin was able to get an extra ticket.

The Saturday before Christmas was when we managed to squeeze in some last minute Christmas traditions that we hadn't done yet-it was the last evening that we didn't have something else going. We had our Bethlehem dinner...in the kitchen instead of around the fire. But still good. We watched nativity videos.

After Bethlehem dinner, we went out jingling. We had made a few different kinds of cookies that afternoon and made up several cookie plates-some were delivered in person (to Primary teachers) and some the kids left on porches, knocked and ran.

That night the kids slept under the Christmas tree. They even got all their mattresses to the loft by themselves.

is there anything sweeter? or more magical?

We had our Goodrich Christmas Eve on the Sunday before Christmas. One of our favorite nights of the year. Appetizer dinner. Spiritual message. 12 Days of Christmas game. The kids got to open their presents. Ivy got a Jasmine doll and costume. Brynn got Legos. Stockton got a Donovan Mitchell jersey. Molly got an art kit. They were excited because they had picked them out themselves. Adults opened their presents. Justin and I got dishes (white Corell-wear) and a new blender. Exciting for Justin, huh? Eric and Heidi got reclining camp chairs for their property that the kids tried out. Then singing around the piano.

making Christmas Eve slush

Grandma had hid these little love notes inside of homemade crackers on the table. They say "Grandma/Grandpa/Brett loves you."

Tiana and Molly

Stockton and Grandma-spiritual message by Grandpa

12 Days of Christmas game-Tiana, Brett, Ivy, Justin, Brynn, Heidi, Jake, Luke, Grandpa, Grandma, Stockton, Molly, Eli

Ivy, Jake, Grandma, Luke, Brynn, Stockton, Molly, Evie, Tiana, Eli-everyone has a present that is not necessarily theirs

Ivy and Eli

Ivy sang, "When Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus" and Molly took this picture. I love it. If you zoom in and see the look she is giving me...such a good shot and makes my heart melt a little.

We also decorated sugar cookies for Santa that morning. Lots and lots of sprinkles made it extra fun! Molly had to work on the train that night so we were squeezing it in before she left.

our pile of sprinkles that did not make it onto any cookies

this is the cookie that Ivy picked to leave for Santa-I'm sure Santa loves extra sprinkles

Christmas Eve! Usually this day is spent with me in the kitchen making all the food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day while the kids watch whatever Christmas movies they haven't watched yet. I don't think they watched many movies due to the fact that the only TV was upstairs. I don't remember what they did all day. Brynn made a sweet quote on the letterboard, Ivy helped me in the kitchen (a little risque-Molly made me censor the original picture), and a little (!!) excitement as they were all ready and waiting for Justin to get home. We rode to Plain City with the Grinch at the wheel.