Christmas Fun...

Can't believe that Christmas already came and went!

We sure had fun this season doing all kinds of stuff like...

Spending time with our awesome neighbors at our annual Caroling/Spoons Tournament Party.

This year was exceptionally fun because it was a nice "warm" night for our caroling.  I felt the sweet spirit of giving that night as we sang and delivered treats to others.  I was grateful for the memories that this tradition will hold in our daughters' hearts, and grateful for wonderful neighbors to share it with.

 Definitely some healthy competition involved in the spoons tournament.  And although the trophy resided in our house for a whole year thanks to Shane.  Josh was the champion this year... as runner-up I was congratulating him for a hard fought win...

We spent a fun afternoon at "Pickleville's Christmas Show".  The girls love this and we were especially excited to see Megan in it this year!  She did such a fabulous job!

We saw Santa there...

Lydia wasn't extremely excited about sitting on his lap.

But Jadyn would have NONE of it!!

I told her that I needed a picture of her for her scrapbook and she let me know that, "she knew I already had a picture of her with Santa because she saw one from last year."

She was shaking just for this high five!

"Santa" came again for Tayler's Christmas Party.

Jadyn was FREAKING out for this one.

Santa may or may not have been one of our very good friends...  He is hardly recognizable and Jadyn could not figure out why he would dress up in that and wear those glasses!

Even after he took off the beard and stuff for her she was still quivering!

Tayler and her friends sure enjoyed the visit!!

Lydia...  just plain adorable.



Tayler finished up her last 10 hour project making blankets for our ward's humanitarian project... and finished her Personal Progress!  Way to go Tay!!



Kenna had lots of fun in her class readers' theater...



and in her 1st Orchestra concert...

And Lydi and I had fun helping with Jadyn's class party...

We had a great time at our annual party with the Olson's...

and party with the Carlsen's... in their brand new gorgeous home that they had been in for about 36 hours!



We attended lots of fun Aggie Games...

(Love the photo bomb Andy!!)

We had a fun lunch at Kabuki's...

Yum Yum Yum Thanks Mom and Dad!

We had our annual "sleep under the tree" event.

Which leads to the "sore back day" the next day...

We got out to Shane's family party late...  it was on a Sunday... choir and Bishopric kept us but we made it just in time for Jadyn to "willingly" sit on Santa's lap!!

Jadyn is one who decides where and what she will do!

And she has a strange obsession with boys in her class.

She is sure that she "loves 4 of them", can't understand why she can't kiss them if she wants to, and why she can't "date them", her reasoning is that, "Well I already went on a date with Nate (heaps) when I was like 4, so what's the big deal!"

Child number 4 is going to give us a run for our money!!

The kids had a fabulous time with our elf Simon this year!

He sure was a sneaky little guy, Lydia took most of these next pictures on my phone... good thing because I kept forgetting to get out the camera!

Lydia didn't like this one much...  She wouldn't use the potty in that bathroom all day because in her words, "he's just sitting there watching me, that's creepy mom!"

The girls were pretty excited when on Christmas Eve Simon left a note saying that they had a few minutes to hold and hug him before he had to go back with Santa that night.

Their excitement was priceless!

I don't want them to EVER grow up!!

The girls looked beautiful all ready for "Christmas Sunday".

The 3 little ones sang, I played a couple choir songs and Tayler and Saige recited "The Living Christ" by memory with the rest of the YW.  That was AMAZING.  So grateful for our fabulous ward.

O, and I gave my first Relief Society lesson in 18 years.

Glad my 1st one is over... of course feeling like there were things I wish I had been able to express better, and that I wasn't such an emotional person... but I sure was relieved to have my 1st one behind me!

Tayler was SUPER excited that we found a car for her.

That she can't actually drive for another 6 months...

but Shane and I sure sure are loving having a little - gas efficient run around car!

She doesn't drive much now that there is lots of snow on the ground... she's a little nervous!  But once I found her like this, just admiring.

Our Christmas Season was fabulous and busy and o so perfect.

Hoping that my girls remember all the fun stuff...

But most especially the sweet moments of giving and sharing that we tried to focus on this season.

Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year!!