Traditions

About two years ago my mom started this tradition that we come to her house for a pre-Christmas get together. We eat soup and then bundle up (in A Christmas Story fashion) and go to Christmas Village in Ogden to see the lights, little decorated houses and Santa Claus. After we are sufficiently frozen we return to grandma’s and grandpa’s for hot chocolate and doughnuts. Then my mom and dad give the grown up kids and the grandkids their presents. The grandkids get new pajamas and a book.

Kylie absolutely loves every visit to her grandparents. She loved her cute pink and brown heart jammies (wearing them for several days in a row) and the whole way home kept saying, “Grandma is the nicest grandma ever!”

The grown up kids traditionally get food storage items. This year among other things we got these awesome water bottles that make virtually any water purified through a built in filtration system. We also received a butane burning stove. My un-married siblings may balk at my mom’s dedication to emergency preparedness, but I love it! As an LDS woman food storage, emergency preparedness, and visiting teaching are my 3 main stresses in life and a source of much guilt. It is so nice to get some help in these areas (maybe next year my mom will do my visiting teaching for me too )!

Although the evening is loud and often chaotic I love that my mom brings our family together for the special times. I love that her and my dad make each and every grandchild feel so special! We are so lucky to have them to help us remember the true spirit of Christmas which is “Christ-like Love!”

P.S. I'm almost forgot...A shout out to the BEST AUNTS EVER who stood in line so our little darlings could see Santa before the new year!

Christmas Video

I have a reputation to keep being the wife of a "Technology Guy." So this year I decided to make a Christmas Video instead of sending a Christmas Card. I hope you all enjoy it!

Oh Christmas Tree

If you couldn't tell from my previous "Thanksgiving Post in December," I am running a little behind. Last night for Family Home Evening we decided we better get out the tree and all of our other Christmas Decorations. Kylie was so excited.
She insisted on putting the star at the top of the tree (she has seen one too many Christmas Movies). Then she made Kody and I hold her hands while we all sang Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer around the Christmas Tree (I'm sure this will be a new tradition)!
She keeps saying "I am so excited for Christmas," and "This is going to be the best Christmas EVER!"
I hope Santa doesn't disappoint!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Don't you just hate people that post their Thanksgiving pictures in December?! In my defense Thanksgiving was during the last week of November this year.

So this was our year to travel to Kody's parents in Vale, Oregon. It's about a 7 hour trip with one stop for food and bathroom. I must say the portable DVD player is the greatest travel invention EVER!


With no cousins it's hard to entertain two young girls but grandma pulled out a toy that had lots of gears and wheels. Kylie loved it...maybe she has an engineering mind like her dad!


Kody's dad owns a Pheasant Hunting Ranch but this is the first time in about 5 years that he has gotten to hunt. It obviously brought out the redneck in him! :)



Kody's brother Kip traveled up to Oregon with us and when we got there Tessa started crawling up to him and wanting him to hold her. We laughed that he was a newer, younger version of her Dad.


Tessa loved watching the kittens wrestle on the back deck through the big glass window!


Another toy, grandpa's back massager. The girls loved changing the settings and hearing their vibrating voices!


Of course no Thanksgiving would be complete without some heavy TV viewing!


Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!