December in a Nutshell

While my side of the family was here for Thanksgiving, we decorated the Christmas tree together! Us adults spent an entire afternoon pulling the old burned out lights off the tree and then stringing up new ones. What a pain! But it was sure pretty once we finished.

December 1st Addison became a double-digit baby! He invited a few buddies over and had cake and ice cream and did an escape room that turned out to be a lot of fun. It's crazy that he's ten!

The cake was themed after one of his current favorite book series, Warriors.

Puzzling over a problem and trying to beat the clock!

Success! They made it just in time!

Addison also earned his bear award and his religious knot in scouts.

Nate and Asa went on a date to the Roy library, which is so, so cool. They even got a treat at the cafe there.

We had some snow days.

Threw a singing party.

Look at this adorable nativity Bryn made in Activity Days!

Decorated gingerbread houses with Aunt Bri and Uncle Mason.

And visited the Roy lights.

Nate and I were whisked away by some favorite neighbors, Candice and Nolan, to see the Lower Lights in concert. What fun!

And we went to the ward Christmas party, where Nate and Nolan, who team teach in Primary, got to entertain the line of kids waiting to see Santa. These two are the dream team.

Nate took Leah and Addison to the Messiah sing-in in Ogden.

Addison, Bryn, and Leah did a great job in playing in their piano recital.

We strung cranberries for our Christmas tree.

Put together this award-winning Christmas video as part of my side of the family's annual video exchange.

And visited the lights at Temple Square with Aunt Jenna and Uncle Preston. We rode the train there and back.

We made gingerbread cookies.

And had Grandma and Grandpa and the Aarons over. Quiplash is one of our favorite games to play when we're all together.

We got to go out with Nate's parents and Aaron - adults only! They had a big deal anniversary and treated us to the Melting Pot in SLC, which was so yummy and really fun.

Aaron is in the temple square handbell choir and got us some tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. Nate, Bryn, me, and Nate's parents all went together. What a neat concert! My favorite part was the organ solo, and I don't really even like the organ that much. It was incredible.

Asa and I had some fun preschools. Look at his cute ornament!

Did some sneaking around and wrapping presents.

Nate and I got invited to sing in a local Christmas choir. It was a delight! Another one of the choir members' daughters would come over after our kids went to bed on Sunday nights so that Nate and I could go to practice together. Sometimes I forget how much I love music, and then I get to participate in an awesome something like this that reminds me. We sang at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on the 23rd. After it was done we went out to dinner, just the two of us. What a treat.

On Christmas Eve I turned 33!

And we went to church. Ain't they cute and Christmasy?

That evening we spent time together prepping for Christmas breakfast and preparing our Christmas Eve feast. It's such a fun time year after year.

After our delicious dinner, we read the Christmas story and exchanged gifts. We draw names and have a ten dollar limit, and usually try to make at least part of the gift homemade.

Here we are, ready to rock with new slippers on Christmas morning!

One of the three things Leah asked for was a pet pomegranate. She got it!

After stockings we did breakfast, as always.

And then the present opening commenced! We were all happy and surprised with our gifts.

These next two pictures make me so happy. I can't decide which I like more. Leah in her new unicorn sled, or Nate inflating it.

Nate and I loved watching the kids play together with the dollhouse in Montana last summer, so we decided to get one of our own. We've had lots of hours of fun with it.

The day was lazy and laid-back. It was fun to explore all the new loot as a family and just be home with nowhere to go.

Nate took the time between Christmas and the new year off of work. We worked and played and had a good old time.

We got fresh snow on Christmas day, and went sledding over by the school the next day. The unicorn sled did not disappoint! Leah had more fun sledding than she ever has in her life. That girl is invincible with her new sled.

Check out this homework desk! Nate and I designed it together and he built it all on his own. It's been a very nice addition to Addison's room.

Nolan and Candice invited us to go to the zoo with them and their grandchildren, Charlotte and Teagan, who are some of our favorite playmates.

December 31, 2017 was a red-letter day for our family! We finished reading the Book of Mormon all the way through for the first time! It took us years to complete!