Christmas 2021

Christmas Eve we really only had one goal: make food. I made sugar cookie dough weeks before and put in the freezer so all I had to do that morning was let it thaw and unroll it. We tried a new recipe and I liked it because it was so buttery but Justin likes a more traditional sugar cookie.

We also got  a new set of cookie cutters. These were smaller shapes than most of our others so we got more cookies.

While those cookies baked and cooled and I made a sweet potato pie. Then I whipped up some frosting, dyed it 4 different colors and called the crew in.

Also new this year were these eyeballs. They were pretty funny.

When you ask my kids their favorite thing about Christmas they'll say opening presents. If you ask what else, they'll say frosting sugar cookies.

This is only a third of them. They got kind of bored towards the end and I ended up frosting the last 8 or so on my own. It really did make a lot.

Then we went to Justin's parents for Christmas Eve. They have this funny antler ring toss game. The kids wore them around and kind of played with them before dinner.

This was dinner. Yum!

Afterwards Sarah played her violin for us. She played the songs from her concert the week before. Then we played some games for prizes (I got a mug and $5!)

Once we got home the kids quickly got into their pajamas and set out cookies and milk for Santa.

They are so stinking cute. James made reindeer food in preschool but didn't want to sprinkle it outside and put the bag on the tray.

Santa came!

This is the snowman I made with their new bean bags. (They sent me the wrong color for Sarah's so she has to wait for the real one to come)

Full stockings and a double shot game.

"I let you guys sleep in," said Henry. It was 7:15.

They're watching Justin open a present.

Everyone got new wool socks from Justin. And everyone was happy about it.

Notice how we are all sitting on the floor. Our furniture has been on order for months but still hasn't arrived.

Favorite gifts: Sarah: watch and dress, Henry: watch and football gloves, Erica: Doll and art set (her glasses get an honorable mention), James: Legos and take-apart truck.

Then we had our traditional ebelskiver breakfast with 4 kinds of jam. My parents came over to see what the kids got so there was a solid 20 min of "Grandma look at this." Then we got dressed and went to Justin's parents house to open few things from them.

Sarah got a bow and arrow, Henry got a kicking T, Erica got clothes for her new doll and James got a Hotwheels set.

Then we went to my parents house for the afternoon. We played a couple of games and the kids got to fish for their presents since we weren't there the night before to do it.

Whacked in the head!

Then we went home, ate leftovers for dinner (don't feel bad, they were delicious) and watched the Christ Child and Encanto.

The next day the kids went outside to play in the snow. I took this picture of the back of Erica's head because it reminded me so much of my sister Mary when we were kids. She had super long hair and was always active and doing stuff so her hair would fly wild. And it is nearly the same color.

On Tuesday we went to Justin's parents house to make gingerbread houses. Nadine had a bunch of kits to make small houses which were perfect for my kids' attention spans and skill levels.

Even Justin got in on the action.

On Thursday we went bowling with Nate's family and Justin's parents. It was nice to get out and do something even though the kids were just fine staying home and playing with their new stuff.

I realized that all my kids are big enough to bowl without help. It was so nice to sit and watch between my turns! And for the first time ever I beat Justin!

Erica wanted to know what she looked like with her eyes closed so I took this picture and showed her. "I look creepy." Lol.

The fun doesn't stop. Justin's birthday is tomorrow and we have a big party planned!

Winter Break and Christmas Eve Eve

Henry and his friend Beck went sledding down a "hill" over by our church building. I picked him up for dinner and just had to relish in the moment. There's nothing like being a kid at Christmastime.

The kids got out of school on Friday the 17th. This still seems soooo early to me. I remember most years going until the 23rd. I didn't get to help at any Christmas parties. James made more Christmas crafts. Henry's class did a gift exchange and watched Home Alone. Erica's class had a party but I didn't sign up to help. Sarah watched Christmas movies in 3 of her 7 classes. They all wore their pajamas. The all came home hopped up on sugar.

After dinner we checked the traffic cameras and went to the Festival of Lights. Last year the lines were super long but I think more people came than usual because of parties and events cancelled from covid.

They don't have to stay buckled but they do have to stay in their seats. It took Erica 16 seconds to fall and get hurt because she stood up.

Christmas cowboys.

This tree looked new.

Christmas whales.

Christmas dinosaurs.

Christmas frogs.

Saturday Henry went to the Sheen's house to play with Wayne (the moved last summer too--to Orem) and Madison and Luke came to our house. They had so much fun playing together. If it didn't take an hour to swap kids and another hour to swap them back, we would see them more.

Sunday after church we drove to Hurricane for a little pre-Christmas vacation/break. What would we do for a full week before Christmas? 

Go to the children's museum, of course. We hadn't been for 4 years--James didn't remember it.

We ate our packed lunch in the parking lot then drove up to Pioneer Park. Justin wanted to take the kids through the crack. I can't handle that sort of thing without panicking so I hiked up and around to wait for them to come out.

Erica was pretty nervous since this is the area of her big fall last year but if we could kind of distract her or just let her do what she was comfortable with, she did great.

The boys on the other hand were too brave for my liking.

From there we drove around to look at the progress on the St. George temple and the Red Cliffs temple. The kids shopped for presents for eachother at DI and then we ate dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

After that it was time to go to Tuacahn for the Nativity play.

Yes Henry was warned that it would be cold and wore shorts anyway.

We didn't want to wait in the line to see Santa so we just watched for a few minutes.

I was smart and brought blankets this year. I'm pretty sure the hot chocolate was their favorite part of the whole thing.

We sat behind a family with 6 kids. By the end of the 20 minute show, 5 of the 6 kids were sitting on the parents' laps. It was pretty distracting but funny.

The next morning after breakfast we went on a hike in Hurricane. I don't remember what it was called. It was to take us passed 3 waterfalls but they were all dry.

The route past the first waterfall was super steep with lots of loose rocks so we just explored the first area and then hiked back. It might be more worth it in the summer when there's water flowing.

We ended up coming home later that afternoon. We stopped at Hermies in Cedar City (Henry's favorite part of the whole trip).

Thursday was our annual Christmas Eve Eve night. While Justin made dinner I gathered up the kids from friends houses and my mom's and we set up for our festive night.

This night we light all 4 candles. (1 the first Thursday, 2 the second Thursday, etc)

Justin made shortribs and risotto. I made pretzel jello and Henry made the green beans.

After dinner is cleaned up the kids get to open their Christmas pajamas and new Christmas book.

Brothers. Their pajamas came in 2-piece sets and they opted to NOT match.

Sisters.

Then we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and off to bed!