Christmas 2015

The Christmas season is really my favorite. I love everything about it. The increase in generosity, the twinkle lights, the tree, the activities, the magic, the family time, the increased focus on our Savior and our annual reading of the Savior's birth.

This year we got to spend the season with my family. Mom, Sarah and Perryn all came down a week before Christmas for Leah's graduation from Nursing school! It was awesome to have so much time to be together as a family. The season was truly filled with so much joy and all the fun activities that go along with it. None of these photos are in chronological order, but they all happened before Christmas :)

1. Decorating the tree! We pulled out our tree right before Thanksgiving this year so that we could come home to it after Thanksgiving in South Carolina. Jack was so excited to decorate the tree on his birthday, that we might make it a family tradition. 

2. Gingerbread houses! We got the kit at the store about a week before Mimi came. Every day Jackson would ask when Mimi was coming so that we could decorate the gingerbread house. Which mostly consisted of Jack putting on candy and Kate pulling it off and eating it! We also decorated plenty of sugar cookies!

3. Seeing the lights in South Carolina! We went to see the Lights of Hope right after Thanksgiving while we were in South Carolina. It even had a "Santa's village." There the kids could meet Santa, get balloon animals, and stand around a fire. It was pretty fun and the kids had a blast.

4. Christmas Parade! I had no idea that Lexington did a Christmas parade until some friends asked us if we wanted to join in. The kids love getting candy thrown to them and seeing Santa. The highlight of the evening was when Kate started stripping down in 40 degree weather. She got her shoes, socks, and both jackets off before I could stop her! This girl is a hoot.

 5. The annual Ward Christmas Party. For some reason, Chuck has been dubbed the Santa for our ward. Kind of silly, since he has young kids and doesn't really look old, but hey, he does a good job. Kate wanted absolutely nothing to do with him for the second year in a row and Jack looked up at me and said, "Mom...? Is that...dad?" It was a traumatic evening for my kids ;) The primary kids also performed their two Christmas songs that they had been working on!

6. I actually got some house projects done! Like hanging the curtain rod and curtains that have been hanging out in the corner for a month. I also built an advent calendar and sewed some new stockings. I didn't get to all the stockings, but it's on the list for January so that I won't feel rushed come Christmas 2016!

7. Wrote Christmas cards to Elder Krebs and sent him ornaments with the kids photos!

8. Lots of puzzling! Jackson is actually a pretty good helper on these big puzzles if I give him a bunch of pieces that look alike.

9. Hot cocoa as much as possible.

10. Technology overload.

11. Skype with Elder Krebs and the whole fam! It was really fun to talk with him and see his smiling face.

12. Lots of family time. And lots of selfies apparently :)

13. An Ugly sweater party with the Bylunds!

14. And just so I don't forget the crazy: I did Market 301 in November and December. I absolutely love this local Market, all the vendors that are a part of it, and all of the wonderful customers that I've met. It was a crazy holiday season, but it was a blast.

15. Santa came to visit our house. I absolutely LOVE being Santa. It is way too much fun.

16. Christmas morning! Our family from Michigan (Aunt Karen, the Conniffs and the Parkers) all came down to Kentucky to celebrate. We had a fabulous Christmas eve with them baking pizzas and playing. And then spent most of Christmas day with them at my dad's house. It was so fun to spend the holidays together as a family!

Christmas was so much fun and I'm grateful that we got to spend it all together as a family!

Family Photos 2015

Over Thanksgiving, Sarah was gracious enough to snap a few family photos. I am always amazed at how talented she is, especially with kids who aren't always the most cooperative. Thank you, Sarah!