Christmas 2007

The stage is set!

Surveying the gifts! (under the blanket are the bikes!)

Wasting no time getting started!

Jack was as excited about Max's bike as Max was!

Gracie enjoying her traditional breakfast of bran muffins, an orange from Santa, and eggnog! Yummy!

The boys enthralled watching "Transformers"
(they each got a transformer Jack-Optimus Prime? and Max-Bumblebee)

We had a very wonderful Christmas this year! As the kiddies get older, each year brings additional excitement and oh how this season flies by so very quickly. So much to do, I feel like I'm running around non stop all month and then it comes to a haltering stop Christmas morning. Ahhh, Christmas morning. The quiet thrill of Christmas morning. The sweet, sweet smiles and exhilarating laughter and giggles of Christmas morning. And then I realize that what I have put myself through is sooo worth these priceless moments. These moments that seem so plentiful on Christmas day. I relive my own childhood memories and pray that my children will have the same joyous memories as they grow up. I think of my dear family and friends. And of course, I think of my Savior. His birth, life, and death. His example and influence in my life, and most importantly His gift to me. His Atoning Sacrifice. His love I feel every day of my life. My heart is full of love, joy, and gratitude. I hope you had a Christmas of merry moments as well!

I give up

Um, yeah. This is the closest I got to a photo of them in their cute Christmas attire. I got about 15 just like this one before I gave up in a mix of frustration and laughter (only one smiling, two bothering each other, Gracie wanted to hold hands and Jack wanted to put his arm around Max, and Max wanted to be left alone...at least they are all looking at the camera in this pic! ) Oh well. But hey, see those cute matching sweaters? Too cute huh? This year I got matching pajamas for all three of them. Last year I got Gracie an adorable April Cornell petticoat and the boys red flannel classic (GAP) pajamas. Gracie was sad she couldn't match too. I think she needs a little sister. (that wasn't an announcement).

Christmas Reading

Between shopping, wrapping, cleaning, and baking, we've managed to do lots holiday reading! Here are a few books that have found a home on our fireplace the last few weeks.

Walt Disney's Santa's Toy Shop. This is a charming story of the classic tales of Santa. I love the illustrations. very vintage and colorful!

Little Red's Christmas Story by Sarah Ferguson. I love this book! I so want to live at Buttercup Cottage!

Santa's New Suit by Laura Radaer. I have to be talked into reading this one. Need I say more.

A sweet board book about about the true meaning of Christmas. A must read almost every day!

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore ill. by Donald Mills. Of course the ultimate classic read! I love this Illustrator. He really painted Santa's face beautifully.. how I would hope he really looks!!!

The Biggest Best Snowman By Margery Cuyler. The kiddies love this one too. It's about Little "Nell" and her forest friends working together! Soo cute!

Snow by Uri Shulevtz. Cute book about the excitement snow brings to a childs world. Very sweet and again, I love the illustrations!

The Friend. Lots of sweet stories (I swear I get more out of this than the Kiddies~ I get teary reading some of this stuff~ They really know how to get to me)and fun things to do!!

Christmas Shopping

Today we (the kiddies and I) went to the Mall for some last minute gifts. We were at Macey's looking around for something Clay would like. Jack and Grace kept looking at the watches in the glass case. Jack came over to me and said "I think Daddy needs a clock for his arm." Clay and I don't own Watches (we don't see the need for them) so Jack, obviously, didn't know what to call it! I just thought this was a cute way to describe a watch and I don't want to forget these precious moments of motherhood... and... I just had to share!

Oh, and an update on the Santa and Grace Situation... when we were at the mall I suggested that we go sit on Santa's lap. Jack and Max were psyched, of course, and Grace was quite apprehensive with the idea. We got in line and she said "That's not Santa. He doesn't have a red suit on." So I went into this big spill on how it was probably at the cleaners or something because it got dirty somehow.... and he has to have it nice and clean for Christmas Eve! This explanation made sense and was satisfying, but she still refused to sit on his lap.

Johnny Nicholas

The other day I heard Jack talking to Grace about

"Johnny Nicholas".

Gracie didn't know what he was talking about and Jack was getting frustrated. Finally, Jack said

"you know, Santa"!

Then I remembered earlier that day we were listening to the song that starts out "Jolly old St. Nicholas" he must of misunderstood it . I couldn't help but laugh!
Speaking of St Nick, Jack and Max are still firm believers but Gracie, I'm not so sure. This year she has been asking a lot of questions. Like

"how does he fit down the chimney?" and

"how does he see me when I'm sleeping, and how does he know when I'm awake?"

Lots

of things like that. I think she wants to believe but is confused about some of the facts. I'm not prepared to give her explanations. I just have been saying "what do you think?" or "He's Magic" But that just generates more questions. I'm sorry, but it's weird to me to make up lies and exaggerate the whole Santa thing.

How do you answer these questions?

I need help!

My December To Do List!

*make Grandma Peterson's caramels
*watch it's a wonderful life
---have an overnighter in Salt Lake with girlfriends *I'm thinking this isn't going to happen...maybe next year!
*address and mail cards
find misletoe (I think The Flower Basket has some), hang it in my house and kiss under it.
*go to Borders and buy a new Christmas CD
*take the kiddies to Salt Lake Temple to see the Nativity and Lights

Our family at Temple Square! This is where it all began!

This is Max in the visitors center. We were all wandering around looking at the displays downstairs. We turned around and saw little Max trying to catch some Zs. I felt so bad.
*go to a Christmas Concert

Sunday morning my Mom and I went to "The Spoken Word" at the confrence center(I watch this every sunday morning with my family as we eat breakfast). It was sooo fun to be there. It was pretty much exactly like the concerts on Friday and Saturday (after the recording of the spoken word they put on the Concert). Where do I begin to tell you how much I loved listening and watching the "Tabernacle Choir", The "King's Singers," the "Orchestra at Temple Square" in person sitting 14 rows behind the First Presidency of the Church.

The spirit was so strong and I can't tell you in words how it moved me! There is something about music that touches my heart more than anything else. They sang many beautiful songs about the birth of our Savior and threw in a few "Old English" classics ( I can't get enough of songs about "don"ing gay apparel and lads and lasses hailing in the new year! I LOVE IT!)

Oh, and they performed a wonderful arrangement of the Twelve Days of Cristmas" a song that I usually find unbearable to listen to. Even the Uof U Ballet also made a few appearances.

MoTab, Ballet, an Orchestra, and six talented, funny, English guys.

I was in Heaven!

The First Presidency gave the Kings Singers their Geneology as a gift at the end of the concert.

Can you imagine??

*sign up to buy gifts for a needy child
have a romantic, candle lit dinner by the Christmas tree
tell childhood Christmas memories around the fire
*go shopping and out to a festive dinner with Clay one evening
*buy/give the kiddies their Christmas Pajamas for Christmas eve
*put some of my favorite Christmas CDs in the car and sing along with the kids.
*make gingerbread houses~ Clay and Jack made one and Gracie and I made one (and Max just ate a bunch of candy). Can you guess which is which??

*make hot chocolate (& marshmallows) and popcorn and watch the Grinch with the kiddies
*buy/ put a wreath on our front door
*donate canned goods
*give neighbors/friends gifts
*display friend's and family's Christmas cards
*make gingerbread men with friends

make bitsy elf clogs
*figure out what I'm giving Clay for Christmas
*mail out a bunch of gifts
--relax the entire week before Christmas --Yeah right, I wish!

What was I thinking?
*plan a Christmas lesson I will be teaching (the Beehives) on the 23rd ~started!
*go to Melanie's Annual Cookie Exchange Party
*make some realistic resolutions for 2008
*go to Summer's Christmas Party
*crochet Gracie a dress
*go to family Christmas Parties
****take lots of bubble baths
go tubing at rock canyon park

*bake
*bake
*bake

I will put a star by the ones I've finished!

Happy Winter

This

is what we woke up to the first day of

December!

beautiful~ pure~ fluffy~ white~ delight!

We stayed inside all morning and ate apple cinnamon muffins and drank hot chocolate while we watched the snow fall and some occasional cars sliding all over the roads (this is actually quite entertaining). Then we got bundled up and went sledding in our front yard. The kiddies had a lot of fun rediscovering the flurry of winter! The cutest was when Max said with raised eyebrows, "I wuuuuub gwoubs. huh?" (I looooove gloves, huh?).