Christmas 2017

I liked Christmas Eve on Sunday. It was nice to be able to go to church for sacrament meeting and then enjoy the rest of the day with other Christmas Eve activities. Jason, Victoria, and I sang in the choir for the program. Karissa and the boys managed well enough without us in our pew. I love singing Christmas music, so it was a great experience to participate in the choir for a couple months again. I have also enjoyed singing carols at home with my three piano players! After sacrament meeting, we participated in the annual caroling activity at a Senior Living Center with other friends from our ward. More Christmas singing, hurray! After wards, greeting the residents always brings a smile to my face. Karissa gave out many hugs!

Karissa, Austin, and Erik sat so well on this couch while we practiced with the choir before the meeting. 

If you could ask for the perfect white Christmas, we got it! Most of the snow had melted and they were only calling for flurries on Christmas Eve, not very promising. It turned out they adjusted the weather statement and we got steady snow from 2pm on.! We got about 4 inches and another few during the night and on Christmas Day. Since we had no where to go, it didn't affect us one bit! Only gave us a beautiful white Christmas. Now that the temperature is 0 with a wind chill of negative 3, at least it looks nice! We can play in the snow for about 20 minutes too, before frostbite starts to set in on uncovered skin.

Our house at some point during the day.

Christmas Eve from our front window. Our neighbor's decor and the falling snow were beautiful!

We spent the rest of the day playing games, focusing on the Nativity, eating our dinner of nachos with the "works" that we learned our kids really like, and opening our secret Santa gifts. Victoria headed up a new tradition of drawing names to give one gift to the person's name we drew. It was a secret until we opened them. She was so excited to give her gift of Lego's to Austin, as was everyone else. The boys bought their gifts at the holiday shop at school, so I didn't even need to help them. Erik picked out a glow ring for Karissa and a stuffed cat. Austin got me a necklace (same one he got me last year) and a MOM rock. Karissa painted a clay cat for Jason, Jason got Erik a Nebraska shirt, and I got Victoria an American Girl doll brush. Everyone was so happy to give and receive, it was the best!

Austin was Joseph, Karissa was Mary, and Erik was the donkey, again. He makes such a good ass!

Victoria was the angel, I was the shepherds and wise men, and Jason was the narrator. 

Luke, right before we went to bed. He knew he got a gift from Santa too. 

Karissa made this picture for Santa and wrote a nice letter on the back. 

We told the kids not to come into our room before 7 am the next morning, which they honored. We still had a nice long day of opening gifts, eating yummy food, playing games, and watching movies. If I had cross country skis, I would have gone outside, even if it was dang cold! Jason and I even managed to get our workouts in, because, why not?

Someone was excited! 

The girls got Go Pro cameras.

New pjs for everyone. Victoria got hers early because she was there when I bought them two days before Christmas and had no other pjs.

Enjoying the gift!

Karissa got some modeling clay and paints.

Victoria got a new coat.

Merry Christmas everyone!