The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

I saw the best play last night - "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." If you live in the Salt Lake area, I highly recommend checking out this play. Don and I went with friends last night to see it and we all loved it. The script is great and the cast is wonderful. I laughed... I cried... but mostly I laughed a lot. It is put on by Pinnacle Acting Company. You can get more info about it here. Seriously - so great!

Cookies With Grandma

My mom does cookies with the grandkids each year for Christmas. This year we did it after Christmas so that my sister and neices could be here for it. The kids had so much fun and brought home alot of cookies. Even some of the adults got creative and made some fun cookies.

Christmas Day

Two weeks later...

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I got up earlier than I wanted, but since it was to talk to my little brother from Hawaii, it was worth it. When I got home, the girls were awake and looking through their stockings. The rule is they can do that as soon as they wake up, but we do presents all together.

Don got up right after that and we headed to the tree to open presents. A few years ago we started doing "Something to play with, something you need, something to wear, something to read" for everyone. It has kept things simple and we love it. Britton really got into it and was fun to watch.

After presents, we do a big breakfast with special pancakes, strawberries and whipped cream, bacon, and sausage. Then I'm finished cooking for the day! We spent a very lazy day hanging out, playing games, snacking, and watching a movie. I even got a nap in. It's one of my favorite days of the year.

Christmas Eve

Yes, I realize that I'm behind, but I figured better late than never...

We have a wonderful family tradition of having a big dinner on Christmas Eve with my family followed by a program where we sing Christmas songs and read Christmas stories, including the original one in the New Testament.

Afterwards, we went home to participate in another Christmas Eve tradition; opening one present. Of course, it's always p.j.'s. Britton got so excited for his.

Gingerbread Houses

Okay, so they're not really gingerbread, but graham crackers count, right? This year I got ambitious and made royal icing, though, and it worked so much better. We had a great time being creative and laughing and sneaking candy. Britton was the best at that.

Here is our Christmas Village - Don's, Maddy's, Emma's, mine, Kenzie's, and Syd's. (Her decorating "bag" exploded all over her hands so she made a winter wonderland)

A Night In Bethlehem

For our Ward Christmas activity this year, we planned a "Night In Bethlehem." It was alot of work, but so wonderful. We sent out decrees to everyone and asked them to dress in simple Biblical attire. They brought blankets to sit on and we served a light dinner that they purchased with beads at several different shops. There were also games, crafts, and other activities at "shops" that they could participate in. We ended the evening with a special movie presentation on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Savior. It was a great way to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, which can so easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of the world. Thanks to my amazing committee for making this possible.

One Past Post

Okay, so I wasn't going to look back at all I missed while absent from the blogging world, but I realized that I missed Kenzie's birthday. She's "officially" a teenager now, although everyone who knows her realizes that she has been a teenager her whole life. She has a very strong will and is very determined. You never have to guess where you stand with her - she wears her emotions on her sleeve. There is nothing fake about her!
We love you, Kenz. Your quick wit keeps us laughing and your ability to make friends is amazing. Happy 13th! (2 months late)