More Christmas

I was very spoiled this Christmas. My boots and new phone were my favorite.

B got a remote control car and basketball hoop for his room.

D got lots of girlie things like dress-ups and princess dolls.

A opted for one big present, a laptop for school so she did lots of passing out presents.

C got a car, dr. kit and dinosaurs.

I wish I would have got a good picture of us all ready for church. Since church was at 1:00 it was nice to have Christmas on a Sunday. After church we went back to my parents and had dinner with my oldest brother and exchanged presents with them. I love the Christmas season and that everyone tends to refocus on what's really important.

Christmas

For the first time that I can remember I spent the night in my own bed on Christmas Eve and woke up in my own bed. My brother, sister, and their families spent the night at my house! This was before the madness begun.

Since my parents didn't spend the night we had to make the kids wait for them to come. So we blocked them up stairs.

My parents came at 7:00a.m.

Then the craziness started. Stockings first.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was at my parents house with everyone but my oldest brother and his family. We had a very nice dinner by candle light. My parents house was built in the 1920's and they haven't started to restore it yet. During the day we were trying to warm up the house with space heaters and the circuits blew. The circuits are very old and we couldn't figure out how to fix them so no lights in the dinning room. It was actually fun to eat by candle light.

The kids in their Christmas p.j.'s they got to open with their proud Grandpa.

The kids worked so hard the week before Christmas making up a dance to show everyone. It was to the Polar Express train song. They did such a great job. C and D really surprised me. My niece jumped in and danced with them too.

A was in charge of putting on the nativity. She wrote the script and had the kids audition for parts. I was very impressed with how she did. The funniest part was that she gave D the biggest part but she did it, with A's help.

The ladies of the house got matching p.j's too.

Christmas at Disneyland

Disneyland is wonderful at Christmas time. They decorate everything, have a great parade, the castle has tons of lights on it, and it even snows after the fireworks. The little kids and I were able to sneak away to see all the fun that goes on at night.

They loved the parade with all the characters in it. D loved the princesses!

The castle was beautiful.

The kids loved bundling up, having hot chocolate and taking in all the Christmas cheer.

Also during Christmas break we went to see the Chipmunk movie. I was able to get all 6 of us in with popcorn and drinks for about $25! It was D's first movie in the theater. Good thing there was popcorn to keep her busy:)

Sea World

Awhile ago Big B won 2 free tickets to Sea World in a golf tournament. C wanted to go so bad that we told him if he stopped sucking his thumb we would take him. Time was running out before the tickets expired but C did it. He didn't suck his thumb for 1 week so we went during Christmas break. (Since he has started sucking his thumb again.) As the kids and I were watching the pet show my mom went to save seats in the Shamu show.

She got the best seats in the house. Front and center.

We had the best view but along with the great seats came what they call the "splash zone". At first the kids were thrilled and excited to get wet but by the end of the show most of them were crying. The water was freezing and they would not stop splashing. Good thing it was a warm day. We laid out our jackets on some bushes and by the time the sun went down they were dry and we could use them.

The kids loved everything about Sea World but they were most excited to see the penguins. Especially A! She is obsessed with penguins.

It was a great day with the kids!

Rogers Gardens

The kids needed a picture with Santa so we headed to Roger Gardens to find Santa and lots of pretty Christmas things. The temple is on the way so we stopped and walked around. They had this nice manger scene up.

Roger Gardens is a garden center where you can buy plants and lots of other yard things but at Christmas time they decorate with tons of lights, trees, ordements, and other festive things that you can, also of course, buy. Everyone got a kick out of this snowman made of sticks. This is A's BFF.

To bad it was $300 and that wasn't even for the biggest one!

This is just one of the many trees that were decorated.

And this is as good as it gets for a picture with Santa this year. A is all about not smiling in pictures these days and so it makes for not the best pictures. (You should see her school picture!)

B's Christmas Performance

This year neither of the older kids did a big school program for Christmas but B's teacher had them do one in their classroom. It was very cute and more personal then having several classes do it together.

This is the whole class.

C and D came to watch too.

This is B's teacher.

C's Preschool Field Trip

I had to teach preschool just before Christmas so I did a field trip to the mall. The kids started by doing a scavenger hunt to find things related to Christmas. Here they got a clue that led them to a toy store and they got a little toy.

One clue led them to a place that sold warm clothes like gloves.

There were several more but the last clue took them to Santa.

They all took a turn with Santa and then we got a picture.

After we headed to a park for lunch and a little time on the playground.

Disneyland!!

So the little kids and I went to Dland by ourselves for the first time. (We always go with cousins.) It was so much fun! D loves everything girlie. A did too but nothing like D and A grew out of it real fast. I don't think D will. Anyways, D has been afraid of the characters even the Princesses but all of a sudden she was thrilled to go see Cinderella. She gave her a hug and talked with her without hesitation. It was so cute!

We did the tea cups, Matterhorn, Pirates, and 2 rides in Toon Town.

Toon town was fun for the kids and they haven't done it before. We waited in an amazingly small line for a chance to meet Mickey. Good thing D was over her fear of characters.

Thanksgiving in Panaca

Just like every year we went to Panaca for Thanksgiving. We love going back there! I'm always so busy relaxing and hanging out with family that I never get the camera out. The only pictures I got were of the annual Christmas tree hunt. We went hunting on our way out of town and I think we left a little late. Pickings were slim and time was short but we found one. We used just the top of this big tree.

The kids love this tradition and so do I. Big B and I have done this just about every year since we've been married.

Despite our lack of choices I actually loved our tree. It wasn't as fat as our usual Panaca bush, as Big B calls it. (You can't beat $3 either.) Also while there my uncle and his family came to ride horses and we took them to the caves. One night just the adults went to St. George for dinner and bowling. It was nice to be able to go out with just the siblings and spouses. But most of the time the kids were just happy to be with their cousins.

Brianhead

During our annual trip to Panaca we went to Cedar and then up to my Aunt and Uncles cabin in Brianhead. To our surprise there was good snow. Well good enough to play in and sled. The kids loved it!

I think the kids could have stayed outside for hours if it would have stayed light.

Even D had a blast and never complained about the cold.

The kids got very creative in the things they were trying to build with snow.

To top it all off the kids got in the hot tub after to warm up. We had such a great time...THANK-YOU for letting us use your place "favorite great aunt"!!