An Amazing December

We've had such a great December! It started out with Spence flying out to California and South Carolina for work. While that normally is not the most fun for us, he did have good paychecks which is rare for December. His work is basically closed starting on the 23rd until after New Year's so paying the bills is always iffy. Thanks to his work trips we'll be just fine. :) We started a new tradition this year with Kindness Elves. Each day the elves write a note to the kids about the kind things they noticed them doing. Then they usually gave a kind idea or activity for us to do. Some of the things we did were taking cookies to a neighbor, writing letters to family, giving compliments to each other, and donating toys, books, food, and stuffed animals. Yes the kids were still super excited about Christmas and presents, but they were also super focused on being kind. I loved that by having the Kindness Elves come I was reminded of simple things I can do to be kind like just smiling at someone or letting someone go before me in the grocery store line. Lizzie started noticing when other people were being kind to us as well. It really did snowball into everything. When Spence got home he spent the next couple weeks getting a family video edited. We were still able to squeeze in some of our favorite Christmas activities. We made/decorated gingerbread and sugar cookies. The kids built two gingerbread houses and a gingerbread train (Logan of course). We saw the lights in Spanish Fork and Thanksgiving Point. We haven't made it to Temple Square yet since Spence was busy, but that should be this next week. We made some holiday crafts with cousins. Crafts are always a highlight in this house. Then every night we sang to a video of "Could I Hold the Baby". I taught it to the primary to sing for Christmas. At the end of the day it always brought the spirit into the home. Daniel often talked about how he wished the Second Coming was going to happen on Christmas this year so Jesus could come down and hold him. He's also wishing he could go back to the first Christmas and hold baby Jesus. I think this song really helped us here and the kids in the primary to put Christmas in the right perspective. There's one line that says "And I'll remember that Christmas toys, are not as dear as girls and boys". I'm so grateful for the amazing spirit we've had in our home this December. Not only was it probably the most spiritual/kind/giving December Spence and I have had, but it was also so much fun! On our first Christmas in this house with Lizzie as a baby, we both talked about how fun it would be in a few years when we've got a bunch of kids that all get excited about Christmas. This was totally that year! Lizzie, Daniel, and Logan have been crazy excited all month. Even Charlotte, who shouldn't really be into it yet, was trying to open every gift I wrapped. We slept over with the Scanlons on the 23rd. We had an amazing prime rib dinner cooked by Brandon. Mmm I'm drooling just thinking about it right now! Daniel couldn't wait until morning so he snuck out to sleep under a table by the tree. Lizzie and Kyra made a blizzard of snowflakes. In fact I'm not sure there's anymore paper left in the house. We opened presents in the morning, had juevos rancheros for breakfast, and played with cousins. It was so fun and relaxing. Then we headed home to host Christmas Eve dinner for the Jacksons with our traditional fishes and loaves dinner. I always love hearing Spence teach the kids about the miracles of Jesus. We had an interesting nativity where the sheep and shepherd played tag. The innkeepers had strange accents. The songs were all super slow, hmm or maybe we're just super fast. At one point the shepherd and wise men even stole baby Jesus from Joseph and Mary. It was definitely not dull. Before everyone headed off to bed Spence read The Night Before Christmas and Santa Mouse. I told the kids they could choose any song to sing in the morning to wake us up. I figured they'd still stick with Jingle Bells or Rudolph, nope Thomas the train started our Christmas Day. The whole morning was so relaxed and fun. We headed up to the Jackson's for a Christmas turkey lunch and opening presents from cousins and grandparents. Then we spent the next three wonderful days sledding, playing games, hot wheels, legos, reading books, and watching movies. One of my favorite moments, out of many, was with Lizzie on Christmas day. Lizzie realized Santa brought her some things she didn't ask for, but absolutely loves. She then told me "Santa knows what we want even when we don't know kind of like how Heavenly Father knows what we need most even if we don't...love." I had to sit down and just hold her for a while. I'd say we did something right, but I'm pretty sure she was sent here to teach us, not the other way around. Here are some pics from December.

Decorating the Christmas tree

Donating stuffed animals to Project Teddy Bear

Daniel "flying" in superhero dance class

Charlotte outside enjoying the awesome warm weather we had through most of December. Seriously, we wore short sleeves, shorts, and no shoes a good amount of the time.

Daniel started reading at the beginning of December! He sounds words out like a champ and desperately wants to read bigger books already.

Daniel insisted I take pic of his big bum.

Lizzie learning how to spin wool into yarn

Making gingerbread houses

Annual corn syrup painting

Spence and I after our free Allstate Hobbit date! Thanks to Dad for watching the kids!

Charlotte gets terrorized every day by the kitchen chairs. They clearly are out to get her!

Decorating sugar cookies with cousins

 Seeing Santa at Deseret Book

 Sporting their new hats from their Scanlon cousins - Daniel wears his R2D2 hat just about all day.

Logan opening presents

Charlotte playing with her presents

 Lizzie and Daniel loving their pillow pets from Christmas

 Yay for a white Christmas! We woke up to a good 8 in! The kids wanted to show how deep it was.

Sledding fun! Lizzie and Daniel were having a blast, which is a first for our "I hate the cold" Daniel.

Lizzie falling in the snow. She kept saying she just wanted to lay there all day. She seriously loves the snow!