Christmas 2018

Christmas is so fun and magical with our little ones. And busy! Here's a look at last year's Christmas festivities at our house!

A revelation by Asa. Very profound.

Nate edited a book outside of work this past year for a super nice guy. How nice, you ask? The guy was so nice, in fact, that he went to the mountains and cut a fresh Christmas tree for our family room! He delivered it right to its resting spot. The smell was heavenly!

A baby at Christmastime is a delight.

Mike's favorite perch.

Christmas also means lots of baking and treats for friends and neighbors. (And us.)

Decorating gingerbread boys with the cousins was so fun. All the kids really got into it!

We met someone special at the ward Christmas party.

We tend to be major concert-goers in December, because that's when all the best music comes out. 

Tabernacle Choir concert where we got to see Uncle Aaron play in the bell choir (thanks for the tickets, Aaron!)

Messiah sing-in.

Cathedral of the Madeline, my personal favorite.

Here's our family's fine arts contribution for the year:

Caroling from some neighbors!

Bryn helped me whip out a new stocking for our new girl!

The last Sunday before Christmas.

A Christmas Eve snowman.

Happy birthday, Mom!

Christmas Eve dinner. Simpler than usual, which I am all for!

And the long-awaited gift exchange.

I bought Leah a little cat wallet and made her a jewelry holder to hang on her wall.

Asa made a toy for Emmie and bought her some snacks and another toy. He was SO excited to give them to her!

Dad decorated an awesome clipboard for Addison, our resident cartoonist, and printed out some awesome minecraft origami guys for him to work on.

Addison folded some Star Wars origami for Asa and gave him the perfect gift - enough money to go to Rush funplex with his brother!

Leah made an earring holder for Bryn.

Bryn made a scarf for Dad and bought him a map of Yosemite, which is a place that he's dying to visit.

And Emmie got me a new makeup bag filled with sweet little notes of appreciation. 

Nate read the Christmas story. (Clearly excitement was in the air!)

And the next morning we were happy to see that Santa had come!

Shoveling in some cinnamon rolls so we could start in on gifts!

And some highlights from the haul:

Sweet little thing!

So excited about her kindle! She loaded it up with books that very day!

Ballet slippers!

We sat around in our jammies all day and played with new stuff. This Sleeping Queens puzzle was a fun one.

And the next day the boys hit Rush,

and the girls cashed in their gift card at the pottery-painting studio. We were there all afternoon - so fun!