Christmas! The Final 2017 Post!

How lame is this?!  It is now mid-August and I still haven't finished blogging about 2017!  If you think that is bad, you should see my journal!  Sigh.  Well, better late than never I guess...I hope.

Seasonal Traditions

We have several seasonal traditions, baking, eating, caroling, decorating, seeing lights, temple square, reading scriptures, the Christmas book, Luke 2, and more.  Here are a few of the things we enjoy every Christmas season.  

Decorating the Home

A family fave!  We usually make hot cocoa, eat some treats, turn up the Christmas tunes and get it done.  The kids love to help.  Of course, I wish our home were bigger so we could do more.  But even in tight space, nothing brings in the spirit of the holiday like decking the halls!

This year's favorite Christmas ornament is a Hawai'ian surfing Santa
given to me by my good friend, Nancy.   

It's a bit blurry, but you get the idea.  Leah, Dax and Marley celebrating a job well done.

Dax's birthday party was in December so we repurposed his Birthday banner.

The snowmen table

One of our favorite traditions is reading a Christ centered scripture every night
and then answering questions from this book on the table, The Christmas ? Book.

The Manger table.

The Santa mantle

One of my favorites.  As we get cards from friends, family and customers,
we tape them up.  By the season's end, the wall and door are completely covered.

The outside gets decorated too.  The snow usually adds a nice feel of Christmas
every year, but this year we didn't get much.  

To quote Leah, "Our house is stupid with wreaths!"  She isn't wrong.  We had 10 this year.

We don't just decorate our own crib, but we usually make a gingerbread house or two as well!

Their favorite part...eating their creations.

Train Ride to Temple Square

Another fun tradition is taking the train to Temple Square with the cousins.  The train ride is the most favorite part for the kids, I think.  It started out just us and the Reeds, but then both Wilson families have joined us the last two years.  It's a fun time.  We take the train all the way downtown and then visit the lights at temple square, enjoy the tabernacle, Nativity scene, reflection pond then enjoy the window displays on the way back to the train.  The train though...that's what it's all about for them.

Dax and Little Jake.  Leah and Big Jake in the background.

Aunt Sarah and Emerson being goofy.  

A typical picture of Cole.

Molly and Duane were particularly excited for this year's trip to temple square.
They did their gender reveal this night and found out they're having boy #5. 
I guess they'll have to try again.  If they do, my money is on Blue.

Elijah

A blurry pic of Leah and Jake.

The cutest thing on the train that night for certain!

Old Saint Nick!

Of course, the kids love visiting Old Saint Nick himself.  In fact we cut back on this tradition this year and only visited him once.  This time at Cabela's.  

Dax contemplating on what he is going to ask Santa for Christmas.  A red rider
action bb gun perhaps?

Molly and Sarah waiting in line.  

One hugs and one chokes.  

Duane and Jake waiting to see Santa.

Dax and Emerson writing letters to Santa.

Leah writing a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Clause.  "Clause"  Is that how it's spelled?

Elijah's getting too big and too cool to sit on Santa's lap.  The other three aren't.
Emerson, Jake and Cole

Leah and Dax with the jolly old fat man himself.  

Prancer looking on.  

Even my beard was festive!

like I said, there wasn't much snow, but when it hit, the kids were in it!

Dax was in his first school Christmas presentation.  I know I'm biased,
but I really think he stole the show.  He was so animated and happy up there.

Such a ham.

Christmas with My Family

So, with more of my family living up here (Jim's family lives near us now), splitting Christmas up was a bit more of a challenge.  We ended up celebrating two Christmas Eves.  One on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas Eve Eve.  We also had two Christmases.  One Christmas morning with Sarah's family and one Christmas night with my family.  Or at least that's how I think it went down.  It's hard to remember when you blog about it 8 months later!  Anyway, both of our families get along great and treat the others as if they are actual family anyway, so there was some crossover, but it was no big deal.  

Both Christmas Eves were similar.  We read and acted out Luke 2, did a white elephant gift exchange, sang some Christmas songs, played some games, ate some food, wrote letters to Santa, etc.  

Christmas Eve was at my Mom and Grandma's house.  Their tree is beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful.  My Mom is amazing.  Anybody who knows her loves
her and knows she doesn't have a mean or spiteful bone in her body.  She is
one of the most beautiful people you will ever meet.  

We went caroling, but it was mostly a flop.  Nobody was home!  We had a fun
time anyway.  

My white elephant gift was a brand new pair of French Loafers!

They even fit Dax!

Sarah's white elephant gift was "Seasons Greetings".  They were seasoning
salts with different salutations on them, such as, "How are you?" or "Good
to see you!"

Mom showing off her white elephant gift.  The best part was watching Dax
open his white elephant gift.  He totally doesn't get the concept and gets
angry when he finds out he got a crappy gift.  It's hilarious.

Every year, since we were children, my Mom would give us a new ornament.
It's one of my most favorite traditions.  Leah got a Cheer megaphone.  My
Mom tries to get us something of a consistent theme or either something that
has to do with our lives that year.  

Sarah got this beautiful manger ornament.

Uncle Ray and Aunt Lynette partied with us and brought a real fun game. 
Here is Dax rolling the dice while Leah tries to unwrap the gift to get to the
goodies inside.  

Uncle Jim and Leah having a media device moment.

More proof that I'm the most blessed man.

We're very lucky to still have my Grandmother with us.  Here she is showing
off her white elephant gift which is a needlepoint that my Mom or Dad did
back in the 70's.  

In case you didn't notice the balloons to the right of her chair, those weren't
for Jesus' birthday.  The day before we celebrated her 94th birthday!

Of course, what is Christmas Eve without new pajamas?!  Sarah
made me a t-shirt to sleep in that has Cousin Eddie's hat with the
quote, "You serious, Clark?"  I dare you to read that without hearing
Cousin Eddie's voice.  It can't be done.

The kids loved their matching PJs. 

Dax and Uncle Jimmy

Cousin Mady also got striped PJs.

The kids wrote letters to Santa and left cookies and milk for him too.

While Christmas Eve was at Mom and Grandma's, we went to Jim and Sam's for Christmas Day.  Hailey came up to Utah a week later so we got to go back again and open more presents. 

Leah and Dax patiently waiting to open presents. 

Sarah loves anything Pioneer Woman.

My Grandmother gave us these gifts in the same box, but there was
nothing specifying which gift belong to whom.  Of course, we knew
what gift belong to which person, but we had some fun with it.

More Pioneer Woman!

Dax was so excited to open up this present of a dinosaur.  His face just
doesn't show it.

Christmas with Sarah's Family

Christmas Eve was on a Sunday this year, so it was nice to go include church in
our celebration of the birth of Christ.  

Leah and Dax love baby Reagan.

Elijah loves Marley

Getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner.

Ready to get our festive grub on!

Uncle Josh reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the kids.

Dave getting cozy in front of the fire. 

Reading from the Christmas Question Book.

Dax giving the thumbs up for the reading of Luke 2.  He's ready for his
closeup, Mr. DeMille!

I'm not sure what character Dave is supposed to be.  

I really enjoy the reading of Luke 2 every Christmas Eve.  It is an important tradition to me.  It is one of those things that brings us back to center and the real purpose of the holiday.  I was a bit upset this year as it seemed to be too jovial and irreverent.  Honestly, it made me sad.  I get it though.  It's hard with kids, but it's also important that we teach our kids these things.  For we know society won't.

Yet another letter to Santa was written.  

And they were just as excited to write this one as the last. 

With Christmas Pajamas on, we took Christmas Eve photos and hit the sack.

Mom and Dave stayed the night with us to celebrate the following morning.

After the kids went to bed, the elves went to work.  

Leah asked Santa for a microscope and Dax asked him for a talking tractor.

Not only does this tractor talk, but it dances too!

Santa always writes a letter to the kids and leaves it in their stocking.

Stockings are the best!  It's an explosion of gifts and goodies in a sock!

For my gift, Santa gave each of us USC shirts.  

A big color by numbers canvas of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

A Wally World eggnog mug set.

Some new Sanuks!

Based on this photo, I'm not sure if he thinks this is a gift or a joke.

Dad and Dax got a shoe shine kit so Dax can start earning some money around
the neighborhood.  

Too bad we got hardly any snow this year to use these.

Dax, I'm not sure that Paw Patrol undies are appropriate snow sledding attire.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!  Even in August!