December 2014

Our Christmas tree - with a few new ornaments - birds from Yellowstone
and Granite Bay, a heart one from Midway where we stayed for our anniversary,
and a Peace one and chalkboard Merry Christmas one from Provo stores

I gave Emma a haircut since her friend had chopped a few chunks out
of all sides of her hair - I love it short now!  No more tangles and it's so cute!

Emma at the BYU Christmas party

At Macey's with the only Santa Emma trusted enough to sit on

Emma's 1st Dance Recital

Emma had fun at her dance recital - performing in two dances with
her Fairytale Ballet dance class

Skiing Fun

Fun skiing at Alta

Joshua enjoyed the most skiing during the holidays -
at Alta and Park City and the Canyons

YW in Excellence

Megan conducted - with a Superhero theme -
I also gave a talk about how YW are superheroes

Megan's poster she made for YW in Excellence

Emma looking so cute that night!

Photo  props afterwards

Superhero shield fruit platter that I made

Joshua with his Jr. Jazz team - Joshua is a great bball player!

Teacher gifts for Zachary's teachers

Church leader gifts

Neighbor gifts - I made the salsa

Zachary and Megan helped make sugar cookies for the neighbors
and for us to share on Christmas Eve

Megan and Zachary made this gingerbread house

Christmas Eve at Our House

We hosted a Christmas Eve dinner with Eddie's family last minute -
Larry was sick with the flu, so he couldn't host as planned, and
Mike and Angie's family were sick, too. - This was the table for adults

We had a yummy Honeybaked Ham, a turkey & stuffing that Dottie made, cheesy ranch potatoes
from the Astons, fruit and jello from the Lutz's, and sparkling cider & other drinks from the Chalmers
YUM!

Here was the little kids' table - so cute!  The big kids were at the bar.

We watched "The Gift" and other short Christmas videos in the basement

Then the kids opened one present each

Emma loves her Sophia purse and phone

Later we put out the stockings for Santa to fill - I made this Minecraft stocking for Zachary

 Merry Christmas!

We had a very fun Christmas, giving gifts to a few families in our ward (through the Angel Tree) and one needy family in our stake - anonymously.  Eddie's family decided not to draw names this year or give gifts to Pop-Pop - instead we used the money to get gifts for the needy family Eddie found in our stake - a family with 6 kids and a dad who works as a dishwasher and who all live in a trailer.  We got a list of things they wanted and needed and bought most of those things and got help from a few stake members to fill in the rest.  Megan also started a project of getting things for the homeless and making blankets for them - we are still needing to make the blankets.  Canyon also came over for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us - it worked out well with Mom and Dad on their mission, and since we drew Canyon's name for giving to this year.  We love our Savior, are so grateful for His birth and life on earth and for His Atonement for us!

Emma loves her "Frozen" castle

Zachary loves his new bike

Here's Megan's new chair that I painted and made a seat covering for 

Megan is on her chair and has a popcorn popper for the basement beside her,
and Joshua got mission luggage and disk golf baskets to practice with

Finally, I got a beach cruiser bike like I've been wanting :)

Megan made this soap jar for our master bathroom - love it!!

We really enjoyed having Canyon over for Christmas!  We had drawn his name
for our family present exchange, and we gave him a calendar with scrapbook photos
of his adventures and Copa birthdays, a Swig gift card, a "Beast Mode" water bottle
- from Megan's work at Shopko, hand and foot warmers, a car hanging scent from Joshua's work at Supersonic,
an "Ugly Sweater Game" with a Simpson's t-shirt (from a white elephant gift
night for Eddie's work), a cordless charger for phones, etc., Lucky Charms cereals from Costco,
coconut soda, and a stocking full of treats and such from Mom and Dad.
Canyon gave us two dvds (just as a nice gesture for hosting him for Christmas) -
a crazy one "Guardians of the Galaxy" and a great one "God is Not Dead" - so nice of him!!

We had our first good snow of the season on Christmas - a nice White Christmas! :)

We had fun sledding on Christmas

Emma's friend came sledding with her family, too.

More Snow Fun at our House

Megan made another small snowman in our backyard

Megan made a snow fort in our front yard

We went sledding again with other friends

Emma's friend got skates for Christmas - they loved
trying to skate around the house :) 

Tired out from all the holiday fun - asleep in the cart at Macey's

 New Year's Eve

We had fun playing games, opening party crackers that I made, and
blowing horns and using glow sticks that Cameo and James bought :)
Joshua and Megan had fun with friends at the New Year's Eve Stake Dance
and then at our house afterwards (and during).  The youngest kids had fun
with a sleepover in Zachary's room.

Emma and Eli were night owls - while Zachary and Jacob slept
they made a pathway of glowsticks to their bigger glowsticks so
they would know where to find them, they said :)

Happy New Year!

We had fun sledding with Cameo's and Kirk's families and then
eating at the Training Table - fun New Year's Day!