We drove to Utah for Christmas and while the traveling didn't go very smoothly, dang car, the rest of the trip was very relaxing and fun. Before we left, Kobe insisted on packing his snow gear and carrot (a plastic toy one) so that if it snowed at Grandma's house we could build a snowman like the one in a book he likes to read. He was in luck because the day after we got there it SNOWED!
Grandma helped roll the snowballs and then Aunt Kellie had to come and help stack them up. It was a big snowman. Kobe then made sure they didn't forget anything. They had rocks for the eyes and buttons, a hat, a scarf, a carrot-nose, and even sticks for the arms.
It was a good-looking snow person!
Kobe was so pleased with their snowman and was really bummed when it started to rain a couple days later and melted their snowman.
Traditionally we decorate gingerbread houses every year. My mom bakes the gingerbread and cuts them out and glues them all together, it's a lot of work. This year a man in my parents' ward gave them 17 gingerbread train kits that were donated to Toys-for-Tots but couldn't be used because they were considered food items. It saved a lot of time, and were really cute, although not as tasty as Grandma's homemade!
Kobe and I were supposed to work together to make our train, but Kobe didn't need me. He was so into decorating that I frosted it for him and let him go at it. I took my post as photographer and when I said, "Kobe smile for a picture." He said, "No Mom, I'm working!" Another funny conversation we had went like this Kobe: "Look mom I put ears and a nose on my train." Me: "Oh I see, would you like something to use for the eyes." Kobe: "No, Mom. Trains don't have eyes!"
Lily and Justin worked together to decorate their train....or should I say Justin decorated the train as fast as he could while Lily scarfed the candy as fast as she could. Let's just say it was a race to see where the candy would end up, on the train or in the belly!
In the end they both turned out great!
Our kids LOVE Grandmas toy room and especially her GINORMOUS dress up collection! Justin snapped this picture of Lilian one day after emerged from the toy room.
So diva-ish!
On Christmas eve we got to talk to my brother Bret who is serving his mission in Australia. It was so good to hear from him. Too bad for my mom, there are so many people in our family that by the time he talks to everyone there isn't much time left for him to talk to my parents!
Excuse the ugly sweaters, they were for our Ugly Christmas Sweater competition! We don't normally dress so bad :)
Of course the best part of Christmas eve is the Nativity presentation by the little ones! They did so good and some of them even said lines this year. Sooooo cute!
Lily was one of the angels and Kobe was a wiseman.
After the Nativity everyone contributed some type of activity, story, peom, etc. It was a really neat, diversified program! When the program was over we opened some presents and the kids got their pajamas.
Before bed, I told Kobe we needed to leave Santa some cookies and he ran straight to a tin that some neighbors had brought over and pulled out all the cookies and set them on the plate. He then insisted that Santa needed milk. So milk he got! We left him a sign so he would know they were for him.
What Santa left behind!
Christmas Morning:
The kids slept until 8:30, thank goodness! Then we got to see what Santa brought.
Kobe got two new train engines and a track expansion set for his Thomas train set.
Lily got a Little People doll house. After they opened all there presents and played for a while, we went to our family dinner where we got to see all of our extended family. The rest of the day was spent eating, sleeping, relaxing and playing with our new things!
The 28th, my brother Joshua had his eagle court of honor. It was really neat because they had a live eagle come and since we were sitting in the front row it was literally two feet away. It was awesome!
That night he was also ordained an Elder. It was a big night for him, Congratulations Josh!
The 29th was Justin's Birthday! He turned.........28................ :) He feels really old right now, but he's only going to get older so I tell him he needs to get used to the feeling! For his birthday he and I went to lunch at a really yummy BBQ place. Later that night we had cake and ice cream at my parents house and my parents watched all the kiddos while some of us went to a see Harry Potter.
Here's the cake I spent forever making for him. Earlier in the month I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he told me an ice cream cake. I told him I didn't want to make an ice cream cake so he'd have to pick something different. Out of spite, he picked something he thought I wouldn't be able to do. So of course I had to prove him wrong! He wanted a Gamecock football helmet. So that's what he got!
Happy Birthday Honey! Next year I'm going to buy you an ice cream cake!
The original plan was to leave early the morning after Justin's birthday, but due to the weather we stayed an extra day, DARN! We left Friday and while it's been nice to be back in our own beds, we miss spending time with family. Thanks for letting us come! We love you!
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