Yuletide Festivities 2018

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  We hope your holidays were festive and filled with family and thoughts of Christ and His sacrifice on our behalf.  

We love Thanksgiving, so we try our best to not let Christmas encroach on our November holiday.  It's not always easy, particularly with regards to Christmas music, but we typically demonstrate great patience.  The Christmas holiday officially kicks off the day we put up the tree and decorate the house.  From that point on, everything is about Christmas....family, neighbors, church, music, food, and more.  

We live in an amazing neighborhood and ward.  As a neighborhood we used to get together often as couples and enjoy good food and better company.  Life seems to have gotten a bit busy these days so that tradition has fallen by the wayside for the last few years.  We resurrected it this year and had a great dinner with some of our neighbors.  It was good to feel of their light once more. 

We try to do something Christmas related and Christ-centered every day of the week in the month of December.  Life is busy, so sometimes it is something as simple as reading stories of Christ from the scriptures or it may be service or baking or going to different events.  One event that we enjoy is the living nativity in Manila.  They recreate Bethlehem so the kids have an opportunity to participate in crafts, games, food and the like of that period.  They then recreate the census decree and birth of the Savior which is capped off by singing and reflecting.  

Dax made his Mother this ornament of a bloody snowman.  He's all boy!

Grandma got a new walker from Santa this year!  I don't know who got it for her, but she
needed it and was excited to get it.  While she was at our place celebrating her birthday, St.
Nick left this in her house.  

Another fun tradition we have is going to visit Santa at the Riverwoods with the Reeds.  We always have a fun time with the cousins, visiting Santa, browsing at the old timey toy store and walking around.  

Jonah's first Christmas!

Hey Elijah!  Can you give me a hand?

 

On one of their date nights with Grandma Leslie, they made these Christmas
art boxes.  They always have fun with Grandma Leslie.

Dax and I got deathly ill the day of our ward Christmas party.  It was a
fun time by all accounts.  Dax was even in the Christmas video that can be
seen by clicking here. 

Leah participated as well in the program. 

 

One night we went to look at Christmas lights with Grandma Leslie, Jim, Samantha, Hailey, Madyson, Josh and Marie.  Afterwards we went to Rockwell for some delicious ice cream!

 

 

The Sunday before Christmas.

Neither of these two run short in the personality and character departments!

In preparation for Christmas Eve, we donned our ugly Christmas sweaters!

Dax played the part of the lamb.  

Leah, being the only girl, is always Mary.  Jake was Joseph
and Jonah was type casted as the baby Jesus. 

I played the part of one of the wisemen.  I must be some
amazing actor to pull off being wise!

Emerson played the part of a Wiseman too!

Cole the shepherd.

Madyson the shepherd and her sheep, Dax.  Dax came up with the sheep hooves on his own.

Grandma Leslie played the part of the angel.

Hailey moved back home just in time for Christmas!

Q the 3 toed sloth.

Madyson is helping Dax make reindeer food to scatter out on the lawn.

We always eat and drink well when we visit Jim and Sam's.

Leah is taking piano lessons from a neighbor now and so there is no recital.  This year she
learned a couple new Christmas songs and played them for us all during our Christmas Eve.

Mad-Dawg and Jonah

They love their Uncle Jim.  I can't even begin to guess why they are sitting like they are.

Dax's white elephant gift were these Rudolph slippers with noses that light up.

Elijah's white elephant gift was the world's smallest taco pinata.

Cole got this coloring book filled with pictures of animals farting.  HAHAHA!



Mady got this phone holder for her white elephant gift.

Everybody loves their turn with Jonah!

Our final Christmas Eve tradition is the opening of the Christmas Eve present.  It's always pajamas.  It's never not been pajamas.  We then sprinkle some reindeer food on the lawn, leave out a plate of cookies and milk for Santa and write our letters for our stockings.  



Told ya'!  PJs.

 

All the youngens in their PJs.



 

Spreading reindeer food on the front lawn.

Cookies and milk for Santa.  Leah even left him a book to read!

 

Christmas morning was fun.  We woke up earlier than usual, 8am.  Usually, our kids sleep in until 9, but not this year.  8am still seems late to me.  I remember as a kid being up at 5am and waiting around until 6!  We opened presents and had breakfast then headed to a long day of festivities with both families; my family at my Mom and Grandma's and Sarah's family at Josh and Marie's. 

 

Leah was stoked to get a new bike.



 





Dax was equally stoked to get his HotWheels track.

 



Sarah got me this awesome print called "Completing The Circle". 

Cars, cars and more cars!  Dax loves Hot Wheels!

Even Marley got something from her friend, Charlie. 



Thanks, Charlie!

Sarah showing off her S'mores kit that she got from Leah and Dax.

Whatever it is, Leah is happy and surprised. 

 

 

Then it was off to Mom's.  Jim's family, my family and Mom were there.  Grandma was in CA visiting family there for the holidays.  We know she had fun, but we missed her.  It's always nice to spend time with Mom and my family.  If only Scott and his family lived closer it would have been completed.  There were a lot of gifts, but I didn't get pics of everything.  We had a good dinner too, but alas, we had another party to hit.  I wish we had more time to chill. 

 

The adults in my family exchange names every year.  Jim
had my name this year and he did great!  He got me a
cool patch, a Mr Zog's surfwax candle and some Civil
War antiquities.  I was very stoked to say the least. 

Like I said, Grandma wasn't there with us, but I snagged this picture from
her facebook page.



The best Mom on the planet!

Leah got the latest volume in her favorite book series.  She was reading it
all day. 

Hailey opening her custom wrapped gift from Leah and Dax.



Sarah and Samantha showing off their matching gifts.  Leah reading in the
middle. 

You're never too old or too big to sit on Grandma's lap.  Just ask Hailey.

Grandma got all the kids blankets.  They were a big hit.

I had Sam for my gift exchange.  I got her a shawl, some warm fuzzy sock slippers and a
piece of Christmas art of the Griswold's. 



Dax with his blanket.  Like I said, a big hit.



Grandma got me a cool outdoor knife set for grilling. 

Next we headed to Josh and Marie's.  Josh and Marie were wonderful hosts.  They had the house decorated nicely for our family dinner.  I didn't eat much because we had just eaten at my Mom's, but what I did have was delicious!  After eating we switched gears to opening presents.  We had a wonderful evening with Sarah's family, but we missed Jake, Erin and baby Reagan.  It wasn't the same without them.  Somehow, I got even less pictures of the evening than I did during the day.  I'm guessing that my phone must have died after taking pics all day.  Needless to say, it was a fun time.

 

I did manage to get a single pic of the spread before dinner.  Thanks, Josh and Marie!

 

Leah and Dax on Boxing Day enjoying the new Polar Express Train we got
for Christmas. 

 



We had a wonderful Christmas and we hope you did too!  May we all celebrate the life of Christ year round. He is the reason for the season.  He is everything.