Christmastime Is Here!

This year it was officially confirmed that I am a traditions maniac. Yep. I am. If I am going to do something, I might was well DO IT! Christmas is going to come. So we are going to celebrate it!

I only braved the cold long enough to snap some pictures, but Kent and Natalie and Caleb did a great job decorating the outside of the house!

I bought a new Christmas book this year in honor of our very own Charlie Brown! And when we opened the book from under the book tree we came out and added some ball ornaments. It was the coolest. =o]

How do people live without books? We opened a Christmas book each day and most of the days we had something to do that went along with it. Kent even got to be in on reading most of them with us this year!

We love playing with our nativity sets! Caleb had set them up and was playing so contentedly I just had to take a picture! =o]

On the day we read The Polar Express we set up the train set. We also have the movie, but we watched it a different day.

Seth is the only one who plays with it the rest of the year, but everyone enjoys it as part of Christmas. 

More Christmas treats! I think these were the favorites again this year- peppermint patty cookies!

Kent opened this book and watched the movie with the kids the morning I was at the cookie exchange. Luckily I have the book memorized and can visualize every scene of the movie so I didn't feel left out at all!

We participated in a local tradition here- the Christkindlmarkt. It was a sunny but cold day, and there were tons of other people who had the same plans as we did. 

There was some quality entertainment! Right before we got there, the Candy Bomber had told his story and I'm super bummed we missed it! These horns sounded so cool!!

There were fun games for the kids to play like finding these little gnomes everywhere and reading about different German (or European) Christmastime traditions.  

There were tons of shops set up with super expensive and breakable things inside!

One of the shop keepers gave Jenna a little candy cane. Lucky!

We got some kettle corn and caramel corn to munch on while we wandered through the shops. YUM! There were some beautiful nutcrackers and cuckoo clocks that we would have purchased if we were frivolous or extremely wealthy lol! 

Kent picked out this hand-carved Santa ornament for us to take home instead. =o] 

My favorite Christmas books are nonfiction! 

Hooray for the Christmas Devotional! I listened to all the previous Christmas Devotional talks available online before watching this year's. I am glad they changed it to include a variety of speakers to take some of the strain off the First Presidency, but also so we can hear the insights and stories of others. There is such a special spirit about this devotional- I love it! 

More book openings. The books were kept under the living room tree. 

More nativity playing, though this was an FHE activity. 

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We just went to a live nativity that didn't actually exist. Bummer! In other news, we came home to find that our neighbors have THE LAMP. 😂

Who knew they actually made these in real life?!?

Natalie got the cutest package from my Grandpa. Once when she was little she saw a pile of stamps and stickers he had cut out from junk mail and he told her that she could have them. She was thrilled! Ever since that time she occasionally receives an envelope full of them with instructions to share with the other kids. They had a grand ol' time sorting through them and divvying them up. 

The kids got so many special treats from Cal and Kathy while they were here, including these gummy kabobs. 

We enjoyed watching Mr. Krueger's Christmas again this year, and actually everyone stayed in the same room for the whole thing instead of some of the kids deciding it was too boring.

We got these awesome stamps to send with our Christmas cards! 

One year Kent's mom made him this Christmas picture album and I have kept it up since then with pictures from our family, so he enjoys getting to reminisce with the kids about when he was growing up. It is pretty adorable.  

Kathy loves Dunford Donuts so Kent got some for her birthday, and I have to admit this peppermint chocolate variety was one of the happiest things I have ever tasted. =o] Natalie and I both LOVE the peppermint and chocolate combo for pretty much anything!

Natalie had a gift exchange with her Activity Days group and she really wanted to get this picture but the frame was dented so she begged me to take her picture with it instead. Her friend Emily got her present and loved the variety of things Natalie did decide on including a make up bag, a treat, and a couple other things I can't remember right now. 

More books. Natalie had been feeling each package to try and find the puffy lettering on the Fancy Nancy book but was foiled again with this Curious George Christmas. Poor girl. Lol!

We tried a new recipe for these delectable Christmas delights and I think I ate at least 6 before they were gone. Good thing I've been working out everyday! 

Grandma got to participate in the book tradition too! This book about one of the wise men's camels is actually one of my favorites. =o]

Seth finally warmed up to Grandma and Grandpa after a couple times of seeing them. Here he is with Cal watching a barbershop quartet perform a Christmas carol. Several of them actually. Cal said he is training him up early. =o] 

We got to go see the light show at Thanksgiving Point with them and Russ and D'Ann. Natalie felt so special because she got to ride in their car, and they said she talked the whole time. =o]

Okay so you can't tell what this is at all, but it was my favorite part of the show. After the lights there were these big signs with parts of the Christmas story on them followed by beautiful paintings. There must have been a dozen sets. It was awesome!

Afterwards everyone came to our house for hot chocolate and Christmas stories. 

We did the binder with everyone there, and also read our Christmas book of the day. 

Everyone came to church with us the next day, and then came over for dinner and to spend the evening afterwards.

Jenna just loves D'Ann. It is so sweet because D'Ann couldn't be more thrilled to shower her with attention so they are a perfect match!

Again we saved the Christmas book to read with Grandma and Grandpa. The more the merrier!

The next afternoon we went up with Cal and Kathy to visit his family in Bountiful. We got to do some Christmas crafts while there. 

And also read some special (and fragile!) Christmas books that he later gave us to add to our collection. 

Last year Natalie got this nutcracker for Kent but they never got the chance to make it. While Kent, Caleb and Jenna were gone at a friend's house to watch the bowl game, we took the opportunity to do it! It was super fun!

Kent and I got to go on a date that night, we saw The Forgotten Carols, which is something I will never forget! I loved it! We hadn't been to a show like this in so long! And I felt the Spirit so often throughout the performance that it was a perfect anniversary present/Christmas present!

After the show Michael McLean came back out on the stage and did an extra part- his testimony using music and also lead the congregation in singing "we can be together forever some day" and "silent night". It was so uplifting!

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Then Kent and I got to go on a date for our anniversary! I am so grateful my sister mentioned this show to us because I got the CD and loved the music so I suggested to Kent that we go. We haven't been to a show in WAY too long! It was wonderful!! 

And have I mentioned that our babysitter Abby is such a blessing to us? Well she is an absolute angel. When we got home she had wrapped presents under the tree for each of the kids, and even a gift for us. When I thanked her mom at church today for sharing her sweet daughter with us we got to have a special moment just feeling so grateful and mutually blessed. It was awesome!

The Sunday before Christmas we all wore our special Christmas outfits. I even altered the dress I got for Christmas after Seth was born (it was too big!) so I felt super festive too!

Handsome Caleb! =o]

Silly Seth! 

The Little Miss! (How could I choose just one of these to post?!?)

My personality is this big! Ha Ha!!

I am so proud of Natalie! Not only was she asked at the last minute to give a talk in primary (and rocked it!), but she was asked to sing a solo in sacrament meeting as part of the primary's Christmas program. She sang the verses of "Could I Hold the Baby" and everyone joined in on the chorus. We have known and loved this song for years, and we practiced a ton so she totally knew it and was ready to go! But after the sacrament she had a little panic moment where she hid her face against my shoulder and said she couldn't do it! I gave her a big hug and told her it was totally natural to be nervous but that I knew she could do it! We whispered a prayer together and then afterwards I suggested that this could be a gift she gives to Jesus this year to share her testimony and love for Him in the song. She nodded her head bravely and then it was time to go up! You guys, she nailed it! Her voice was sweet and clear and loving. The whole first verse she stared at the microphone but then when everyone else joined in she looked up and continued looking at the audience for the rest of the song. She told me after that she did that so she wouldn't feel so nervous- a resourceful coping mechanism in my opinion! She was grinning ear to ear when she sat down and gave me a big hug and exclaimed "I did it, Mom!" The primary chorister later told me that she didn't know who looked happier, Natalie or me! =o]  

She is definitely growing up!

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I wanted to take a family picture before church. You know the beautiful kind where everyone is smiling and dressed festively standing together by the Christmas tree. Well, this is what I got instead. We were all just too stressed trying to get out the door. So I consoled myself by saying that we would take one before we went to tithing settlement tonight. Nope. Too crazy trying to get out the door after dinner again so I forgot. At least we had a good experience with the bishop. And a great experience at church. That is what really counts, right? RIGHT?? Ah well.
Then tonight we read our Christmas binder by the fireplace in Kent and I's room. We all sang together. It was nice. Getting ready for bed wasn't nice lol! But now it is easy to forget the hard parts of the day. Now I get to read my scriptures and spend time with Kent and hit the sack early so we can start off the Christmas week on the right foot! Merry Christmas! I hope you are making it a good one!!

We found this book on our date so one of the days they got a bonus book. A total hit!

Here we are hard at work putting together the Foosball table. I am so glad that we decided to do this days before Christmas Eve and just make the cold storage room off limits. It took HOURS. And I got a horrible gash in my hand that bled all over (and still hasn't healed as of this writing on January 3rd). But we finished it and it works so that is all that matters! 

Have I mentioned how much the kids enjoyed having a "White Christmas"? Well they did. And I have to admit it was picturesque. 

One of my favorite Christmas books is the Nutcracker. I LOVE the music!! This book has a cd with the story told in words with parts of the songs in between. Someday I want to get the full songs version. 

The kids love cracking nuts! I love to eat them!

Jenna loves to dance around pretending to be in the ballet! All of the kids danced around after the nuts were gone actually. 

Seth was rolling all over the ground....not sure why but it was hilarious!

Another new tradition this year was going to see the lights on Temple Square! We went on "Christmas Adam", the night before Christmas Eve. We have heard so much about it, and it was cool! But I'm sure it would have been cooler if the kids were a little older and we could have handled staying a little long to participate in more of the programs there instead of just walking around to see the lights and listening to the last few minutes of the nativity story. It was BEAUTIFUL! But I can imagine the experience getting better with time. =o]

As we left there was a guy playing Christmas carols on his bagpipe. I think it is my favorite instrument. Okay so it IS my favorite instrument. Thank you bagpiper. You made my Christmas brighter! 

When we got home we had eggnog and cookies. I take that back. Kent had eggnog. All the rest of us tried it and gagged and switched to milk. Here is Natalie trying to gear up to take a sip because on her first pass she got a sniff before it touched her lips and she backed down. LOL!

Then Kent read from the Christmas Carol (his dad is a HUGE fan and has like every book and movie version ever made). I think this is a great tradition. President Monson reads it every year, why shouldn't we!

I also just have to mention this special Christmas platter that we got from Kent's grandma when she passed away. I love getting it out each year and thinking of the gracious, kind, and gentle lady that she was. I can't express adequately my gratitude that all my grandparents are still here with me. As I spoke with them this Christmas season I felt that might not be true next year. I love them all so much! I guess I will have to be sure to try and find something from each of them that I can get out to remember them with, and make memories with them as much as I can while I still can!

The kids have LOVED playing with all their new toys! I can't believe how perfectly each of them was materially blessed with presents this year that were just what they wanted! =o]

Also, I can't believe I didn't get a picture of this sooner, but we LOVED reading from this binder each night. So many of the stories remind me of home and my family growing up. And some of the stories that I have replaced over the years of our marriage remind me of people and places we have moved away from. Almost every night I had to choke back the tears and some nights I didn't succeed. I hope my children could feel the special spirit of these tales and carols each night. 

Christmastime is the perfect way to wrap up each year!