Christmas Sing

Lots of Christmas Sings this year! Between chorus performances for Annabelle and Benson and just regular Christmas performances for Maxwell, I felt like we were juggling, A LOT.

I brought the whole entire crew! My kids have never had such an audience all under the age of four! Luckily Beetle saved the day and met me, and luckily this double stroller has straps that Bayliss didn't figure out a way to wiggle out of until the end of the performance.

             Poor Annabelle inherited personal space issues from me, I can so feel this awkwardness.

             Grandma Phyl and Grandma Cheryl came to the University mall performance to support.

 So did the entire Elder crew, complete with Giant Ricker, sad I didn't get a pic, Pearl was proudly representing though.

                       I don't remember the last time all seven of us strolled through the mall together.

Nothing like these performances to get you in the Christmas Spirit, I wouldn't miss them for anything!

Gingerbread House 2013

I love making Gingerbread Houses. Mainly for the candy. The candy included in this Gingerbread house was kind of weak, but as long as there are sugared gumdrops and actual gum, I am happy.

Brigham was just thinking life was awesome. His little fingers were trying to grab everything and anything.

 When I was younger, it really bothered me how you could never eat your gingerbread house after you made it. Instead it would be a decoration and collect dust until Christmas, then you could eat it. The dust and the rock solid candy never stopped me from eating it, but fresh soft gumdrops would have been better.

So after we spent about an hour creating this beautiful gingerbread house together, I let the kids go at it.

                                                           
                                                           It was delicious, and quiet. 

The Reason for the Season

 I have been anxious to drive our kids up to Salt Lake so they could experience Temple Square. Things kept getting in the way so Friday night I said to Beetle, "we are going no matter what... no excuses, who cares if it's 14 degrees we are going to make memories!"

 So it was pretty cold, but we bundled them all up and really none of them complained too much.

They really loved all the lights, Benson called this the Chicken Pox tree.

We really don't get out much, all of our kids were obsessed with the escalators! They were going up and down them while Beetle was saving our spot in line to see the Christ Statue. 

 I was touched to see how long the line was to see this statue. I love that so many people want to do anything they can this time of year to feel closer to the Savior and to become more like him. We have been the recipients of such kind acts of service this year, I get teary eyed just thinking about them. I know these kind acts of service are because of Him. I will be forever grateful for His perfect example and for others who are His Hands.

                                       
                                            These three are looking too grown up in this picture.

Someone was so nice to take a family picture for us. It's blurry but I still love it.

 Maxwell was so cute. He was really trying to figure out what Temple Square was going to be like on the way up to Salt Lake. Beetle and I were trying to describe it to him. As we were walking around in the visitor's center he looked at me with his huge smile and said "I know what this is now! It's a museum of Jesus!"

Originally we parked semi-close to the temple but then I was worried we were going to get a ticket. So Beetle offered to go find new parking while we started our walk to the temple. What we didn't know is that it was the Christmas Concert. Super Busy. No Parking. Beetle ended up parking at the State capitol building. Our kids were kind of ticked, except for Annabelle she was pretty excited to see the capitol building, since she is learning about it in school this year. 

It was a Good Night.