Tosh lost his two front teeth the night we set up our Christmas tree (the Monday after Thanksgiving). It was perfect timing! I think he looks so cute:
I felt a little stressed about getting a family photo this year and considered not sending out Christmas cards. I keep thinking I'll go back to doing Valentines one of these years, but I figured my belly wasn't getting any smaller anytime soon--ha! I asked Sue if she would come over and get a couple of shots of the family.
I tested the lighting on this photo of Liv (and Bunny, of course):
We actually managed to get a couple with everyone looking at the camera and smiling this year-- a miracle :)
This next one is the one I picked for our Christmas card, although I was really bummed that it printed a lot darker for some reason. Oh well.
One of just the kiddos:
A couple of cute ones of the boys:
That evening we went to our ward Christmas party where we had been asked to perform a number. Rob put together a jazzy arrangement of Jingle Bells and then went into the Christmas song, "Favorite Time of Year" that he wrote when I was on my mission. Liv sang the first part of Jingle Bells as a solo and it was pretty darn adorable. She has the cutest little voice (and excellent pitch). What really gets me is how willing she is to sing and doesn't get nervous at all (she had asked to practice several times and felt very prepared). It's fantastic. She held the microphone all on her own like a pro. Sue took this photo with her phone right after Liv's solo when we all joined in (and I had taken the mic back). Tosh had gotten into it and was dancing. I wish you all could have been there:
Hewitt invited me to go a special open house at his school and when I asked him about it he wanted it to be a surprise. When I clarified that the event went from 1:30-3:30 he said, "Mom, it STARTS at 1:30." I took that to mean that there was some program that I would want to be early for (to get a good seat) so I was there about 20 minutes early. No need to be early--it was simply an open house. The kids had built all of these buildings and different things out of cardboard that they had then lit using batteries and Christmas lights (based on the book "The City of Ember"). Hewitt was very excited to have me there. After the event we left school a little early and got sundaes at McDonald's before picking Burke up from school.
Hewitt with his project:
I loved these guys playing soccer in one section of the resort:
I thought this was pretty cute:
We invited the Andelin family over for dinner the weekend before Christmas so we could celebrate with them before they left for California. Liv was really excited to help me make the mint cheesecake. Happy little elf:
We had ham and funeral potatoes as well as other yummy things before we decorated sugar cones as Christmas trees:
Hewitt making snowmen next to his tree:
Candy overload!
Sue caught this darling photo of these sweet cousins while Rob and I were singing in the choir during the Christmas program in sacrament meeting. Cuties in bowties:
Our family went caroling a couple of different nights before Christmas. We mostly hit Rob's home teaching families as well as neighbors. Our cute new neighbors (the Finders) were so excited to get carolers for the first time EVER and invited us in for a treat and took a photo of us (with their two kids that ride the bus with Tosh and Liv). She then texted the photo to me; it was so sweet!
We went to the Lundell's home on Christmas Eve this year. They are always so sweet to include us with their big extended family! Alecia is half Mexican and her mom's family does this huge, delicious mexican spread. It was so yummy. We contributed by bringing a ton of Neapolitan cookies and providing the entertainment (a few Christmas songs with guitar and then leading a sing-a-long). Liv insisted on wrapping up and bringing gifts along with (I wasn't sure what she had wrapped, but I think it was pass-a-long cards of pictures of the Savior):
After most of the extended family had left, Rob L. took my Rob and all the kids on a little ride in their razor. The kids REALLY want to buy a razor now and are talking about saving their money for one--ha! Again, another horrible night photo, but I wanted to remember how much fun they were having:
Christmas Day felt really perfect (and simple!) being just our little family. We had a lovely breakfast of blueberry muffins, eggs, bacon, orange juice, and frozen peaches. A first look at what Santa left:
We had the kids draw names this year for sibling gifts so they could spend more money on one gift and really put some thought into what to get that person. Hewitt was so excited to have drawn Liv's name and we spent a LONG time in Target looking for the perfect thing. Hewitt went over the allowed amount, but kept reminding me that it was all his money and he knew that Liv would really like what he picked. He was absolutely right! She adores the monkey that Hewitt picked out (it moves and makes noise) and watching Hewitt watch Liv's reaction was pretty priceless.
Seeing how happy the kids are GIVING gifts is my favorite part of Christmas morning!
Liv gave Tosh several things including neon colored markers and crayons, a bottle of rootbeer and Reese's Peanut butter cups.
Burke gave Hewitt Halo figures.
Tosh gave Burke four 1/2 gallons of ice cream and some eggnog.
In all cases, it seems like these were the gifts most talked about and reported to grandparents. It was very sweet:
We did a big turkey dinner on Christmas Day, but it seemed so much easier compared to the big crowd (and three turkeys!) for Thanksgiving. I did something a bit different this year and did a brownie trifle for dessert instead of pie. It was all delish!
Because we had been with friends on Christmas Eve, we read and acted out the nativity on Christmas Day. It was special to close the holiday with our focus on the birth of the Savior instead of presents or any other fun traditions. HE is the gift!
Between Christmas and New Year's we went to the Mesa temple lights. This is always fun and we picked a great night as it wasn't really crowded at all! Excuse more blurry and dark night photos:
It was a great Christmas season and we all enjoyed having Rob home from work for a good week and a half!
