TNT: Christmas 2017

We enjoyed the Christmas season this year with some old traditions and some new.

Instead of doing our annual Christmas Eve party on December 24th with Tom's family, we ended up doing it on December 10th. This was because Bryce and Sara's family, and Tom's parents were going to be in Nauvoo for Christmas.

Tom and I came with our Utah and BYU santa hats.

We enjoyed pizzas for dinner and some Danish desserts. Plus the nut in the pudding.

Then the kids reenacted the Nativity while Grandpa read from the New Testiment.

We then sang around the Christmas tree and then ended with our gift exchange.

It was fun to have the party early and have it be the first of many for the season.

The following weekend we had our ward Christmas party Saturday night. Jeff was one of the wise men in the Nativity story. And all the kids and I sang.

The following day we had our annual Christmas party with my side of the family. The kids did another Nativity skit.

We also did a talent show, watched the "Breath of Heaven" video and enjoyed dinner, visiting and cookies!

Later that night, we did a white elephant exchange with the CLAW Club friends.

The following week we did our traditional red & green dinner with our long-time friends, Amanda and Jeff and their kids. We only get together about once a year, but it's become a fun tradition.

On December 21st we had the extended family party with a nice meal and a tribute to my great-Aunt Marion for her 90th birthday.

On Saturday, December 23rd we let the kids open their presents from each other.

Jeff gave Sophie a Dream Tent.

Lily gave Jeff Salt & Vinegar chips and a 4x4 Rubik's Cube.

Sophie gave Cedric a dream tent (they both wanted the same thing).

And Cedric gave Lily a new shirt and a wall decoration to hang up her pictures on.

One of the things we like to do around Christmas is de-clutter our toys. These are just Sophie's toys! We spent Christmas Even going through these after our Sacrament Meeting (we only had the one hour of church that day).

Because we didn't have our usual party with Tom's family on Christmas Eve, we did something different. We had a nice dinner with salmon and chicken. Then we decorated gingerbread houses and had hot chocolate. My cousin made gingerbread house kits, so each of us got to design our houses differently.

They all turned out so cute!

After that, we watched a movie called "The Shepherd". Then we read the story of the Saviors birth from the New Testiment (the kids hear it when they act it out, but we thought it'd be nice to have them read it too).

The kids set out their blankets where they wanted Santa to leave their stuff. Then they all had a sleepover in the preschool. It's become a tradition for the kids to have a sleepover on Christmas Eve. The rule was, they could get up after 7am, but they had to stay downstairs and couldn't call or text us until 8am.

Santa was very generous this year.

Right at 7am on the dot, I heard the kids get up. Tom and I got up right before 8am so we could go down and get the kids. We had family prayer and then they lined up youngest to oldest.

They were all so excited to see their stuff! Lily got a new desk and chair and a cat tree for Angel.

Jeff got some new Nerf Guns and a big chair.

Cedric got an electric scooter and a robot arm.

Sophie got twin Hatchimals and Little Live Pet bugs.

We then enjoyed putting together and playing with the new stuff for a while.

We lucked out with a white Christmas again! It's hardly snowed at all this season, and it was the perfect amount of snow to make it special.

Later, the kids opened their present from Mom and Dad. It was one big present for all of them.

It was a suit case, and inside were a bunch of little presents.

First they opened up travel toothbrushes. Sophie's had a note that said "something for the hotel".

Next, they opened up pads of paper and colored pencils. Cedric's had a not that said "something for the plane".

Then they opened up new shirts, and Jeff's had a note that said "something for the Parks". And last, they opened an envelope with money. Lily's had a note that said "something for souvenirs". It also had a letter that said "Merry Christmas!" We are going to Disneyland in 19 days!"

The kids didn't act as excited as I was hoping they would, but I think they were still in Christmas/open presents mode. Once Christmas passed and the trip got closer, they got more and more excited.

Tom and I gave each other a few gifts. I got a watch band, new shirt, a skillet... He already had his main present earlier when he went to the Broncos/Bengals game, but I made him an insulator to go between our front doors and a new shirt.