December 2011

I love the holidays. I feel like we did a lot of things to prepare this year, but I didn't have my camera out for most of it, which is so unlike me. Here are a few things we did this month, before Christmas:)

Jay, Hollie and their girls stopped to spend the night on their way home from Park City. We loved having them here. The girls had lots of fun playing and I loved reading some of our Christmas stories to them. I got to read some that my kids are too old for like, "Dora's Christmas Present" and "Arthur's Christmas." Also, one of my favorites, "I Believe in Santa Claus." It was great.

Also, another last this month - Braxton went to his last Christmas dance at LHS. He went with Serena, a girl from another area of Utah that he met at an FBLA conference.

And one more picture of them because I realized this is the only picture that got taken of our tree or any decorations this year.

McKell made this wonderful gingerbread house at Activity Days and was so proud of it. She did a great job and she was so pleased with how it turned out.

I noticed I had taken this picture along with many others at the school - empty stage and empty risers - this probably doesn't mean much to most people but to me it means my programs are over:) They were all great but it is such a great feeling when they are done and I can stand alone and clean up the auditorium in complete silence.

A few other things that I don't want to forget that happened, even though I have no pictures: we had pizza by the tree, drove through our neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, delivered neighbor gifts, had a yummy breakfast and played games with Ken and Janae and their family, and I went to a fun "Favorite Things" friends party with some fabulous gals in my neighborhood. December was great!

Giving Thanks

I'm so behind and I don't feel like I can post any December pictures until I put these pictures on from Thanksgiving. We, of course, had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent at my parents house. It was an off year so there was only 3 out of 7 of my siblings there but it was still fun.

My dad carving the turkey. I have been snapping as many pictures of my dad as possible lately. It has been a long year for him. Although, I have never really mentioned it (because I have had an extremely hard time processing it myself) and will say more about it in the future, he was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in March and it has been tough watching him go through some intense chemotherapy treatment. We have been so, so blessed this year that he is responding well to treatment. I am so thankful he is here with us to celebrate.

It's tradition to use the plates that my siblings and I decorated for my grandma when we were kids. McKell always thinks it is great to use mine.

My brother and his wife had these shirts made for their girls that announced they were expecting a baby in July. Some great news!

We ate a lot of yummy food. My mom is such a great cook.

We went through all the ads and wrote our Christmas lists. My mom, sisters, and I always go shopping on Black Friday. However, I went out at about midnight and stayed out all night into the next afternoon and realized I am way too old to stay up all night. By mid-morning I felt terribly tired and sick and had to take a break and rest in my sister's suburban. It didn't even phase my younger sister she just kept going and going.

Braxton and Haylie hanging out. It is sad to think that Braxton may not be with us next Thanksgiving as he turns 19 next September and is hoping to leave soon after that for a mission. Time goes too fast!

Of course, the hot tub is always a hit.

And to end the weekend we helped my mom set up her Christmas tree. I don't think McKell was doing much, she just likes to climb the ladder:) I feel so blessed to have such a great family.