Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

I have been so far behind in my blogging. I'm trying to get caught up. Here is Christmas Eve & Christmas!

Our matching jammies!

Putting out the reindeer food & cookies for Santa!

*Christmas Morning*

Our new cool cars!

We have the tradition of everyone receiving a new ornament for something they did that year. Derek got a little football player.

After about 45 minutes Owen finally got out of the car to open some presents! It took a little while but he finally got into it!

It was a great day with many fun memeories! I hope you had a wonderful holiday too!

Derek exploring the backyard with his new wheels!

Gingerbread Houses!

Decorating the gingerbread houses has always been a family tradition. When I was little my mom use to make her own gingerbread and cut out the pattern for houses. We would also make little gingerbread men and women. We would decorate them. It was one of my favorite family traditions. I'm so happy to carry it on with my boys. Only now I take the easy way out and buy the boxed kits at Sam's.

They had so much fun adding (I mean eating) the decorations.

The finished project!

ICE ICE BABY!!

The Opryland Hotel has an amazing ICE exhibit every year! This year they did How The Grinch Stole Christmas! It was so fun, amazing and cold. It was only 9 degrees the whole time. We had a couple of layers on. Every picture that you see was made out of ice (except for us, of course but we felt like ice).

I could not believe all the detail and the colors. It was amazing.

They even had ice slides for the boys to go down. Owen got stuck.

At the end they had an amazing ice nativity. The pictures don't even do it justice. I have never seen anything like it.


Afterwards we warmed up with hot coco and homemade smores and this cute little shop!

Party!

I haven't blogged forever. December has just flown by! We had company, then got sick and then had all those busy December things going on. I'm going to back track a little mostly just to document the things we did this month. It wa so much fun and so busy!

First, we had a ward Christmas breakfast instead of the traditional Christmas dinner. It was fun and different.

The nursery acted out the nativity. They really didn't do much acting but they all looked really cute. Owen was a wiseman!

The next week we had Derek's school party. They had different stations and the kids got to make an ornament and decoration a cookie. Then they played a game. It was so fun and Derek was so excited to have me at his party, which made me feel so happy!

There is his cute teacher. She looks like she could be Derek's older sister!

Little Christmas Gift ideas

I know this is long but it is an awesome tradition!

Gifts for the Savior
Scott and Angelle Anderson, “Gifts for the Savior,” Ensign, Dec. 1997, 58–59

One December we gathered our family together for a family meeting. We asked our 11-year-old son how it would be if on his birthday the family members gave presents to everyone but him. He didn’t like that idea at all. We went on to ask if there was a holiday when we gave gifts to others but not to the person whose birthday we were celebrating. It didn’t take the children long to realize we were talking about Christmas. That year, however, we wanted to make Christmas more meaningful by giving gifts to the Savior, whose birthday we were celebrating. Three-year-old Laralyn headed to her room and returned carrying her favorite doll. “Daddy, could I give my dolly to Jesus?” she asked. We explained that the Savior knew of her willingness to give him her most prized possession and that he would want her to take care of the dolly for him. She was delighted and said, “I love giving gifts to Jesus!” By now our older children had become more reflective. What could they give the Savior? We discussed what he would want. We talked about how he had paid for our sins and wanted us to give them up. We talked about how he would want us to give of ourselves through service and sharing our talents. Gifts could also include being more obedient in such areas as journal writing, scripture reading, and keeping the commandments. We put a little white box on the fireplace mantle and asked our family members to write their gifts on slips of paper and place the slips in the box. Then we explained that on Christmas morning, before all of the other gifts were opened, we would have family prayer and then share with each other the gifts we were giving to the Savior for the coming year. As the years have come and gone, the tradition of the white box has helped our family focus on the real meaning of Christmas and on our love and gratitude for the Savior.

Gift Idea for Children
(give out on Dec. 13th or 14th)

Did you know that Santa Claus chews gum everyday?
And that Santa blows bubbles in his sleigh!
Only twelve more days tell Christmas, it is coming fast
so plan carefully to make your blubble gum last.
A piece of gum everyday is all that you should chew
and with every bubble that you blow think of my Christmas wish to you.

Gifts for neighbors and friends

(attach to a candle)

Light a Christmas Candle
To Remind You of the Star
That Guided Humble Shepards
And Wisemen from Afar
May it's Light Still Lead You
As You Journey on Your Way
And Bring Thoughts of our Savior
Throughout Your Christmas Day

(attach with a bag of candy)
(sung to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Dashing from the mall,
with groceries yet to buy;
lessons, work and housecleaning,
life is so crazy! Why?

Bells on our phone ring;
the machine will take the call,
we have no time for family or friends,
it drives us up the wall

How are you? How’s your life?
We really want to know.
We’d love to chat and hear the news,
but please don’t talk too slow.

How are you? How’s your life?
We really want to know.
Hope you’re ready for Christmas,
now maybe it will snow.

A day or two ago,
we thought we’d make a treat,
for all our special friends.
a Christmas gift to eat.

Our intentions were top notch,
but our schedules would not budge,
hence, here’s this years edition,
of homemade Christmas fudge.

(attach to a bag of muffin mix)

You're getting
"muffin" for
Christmas!

Let the Birthday Celebration Begin!

As a kid I use to love birthday parties especially mine. I do have to say though getting older isn't half bad when you get a week long celebration!

My birthday Celebration began last Monday when this cute Christmas plate arrived in the mail from my wonderful friends Michelle and Laura. Isn't it adorable? I just love it.

Then Thursday my new friends from Tennessee took me and two other birthday girls out for a little birthday lunch at my favorite lunch spot.

Zoe's birthday was on the 8th, mine the 9th and Christina was on the 6th.


I love how Owen is eating ice cream and holding a piece of lettuce.

Friday my husband sent me two dozen red roses! I absolutely love getting flowers delivered!

Friday night one of my best friends Lauren from elementary school came for a weekend visit. She is the best! I laughed so hard the whole weekend! It was so much fun.

Friday night we went to this awesome place called the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. It is a small cafe where you can listen to up and coming singer/songwriters. Many stars over the years have performed here.

Saturday we went and had a little lunch at the Loveless Cafe another hot spot around Nashville. They had the best biscuits I have ever tasted.

Saturday night Lauren wanted to see the Nashville Nightlife. Let's just say that is way out of my element. I don't drink and usually avoid these types of places. But it was so much fun and we had a great time dancing to the

Colley Jones Band.

Sunday was my actual birthday and it was great. I went to church, took a nap, my husband cooked an amazing dinner complete with coconut cream pie. After dinner we headed to the Opryland and got to see all the amazing Christmas lights and they had this wonderful outdoor Nativity (and you all know how much I love Nativities).

Yesterday morning we made a quick stop to the Pancake Pantry and I had the best breakfast of my life. I had an amazing omelet. But I wish I had take a picture of the chocolate chip pancakes Lauren ordered they looked amazing. (and I don't even like breakfast!)

This weekend my hubby is taking me on a special date. I can't wait!! Getting older isn't half as bad as I thought it would be!!