Ringing In 2016

We had our traditional balloon tree kids party to ring in the year at our house this year.  It was so much fun and I loved having my family here.  My kids do best partying hard and then getting to bed early, so everyone came over early and we ended by 8:00 p.m.

The boys and Mark helped fill the balloons with candy and prizes and we hung them on the tree.  When everything was ready we passed the time watching a little football.

Cousins arrived and we did a little sledding in the park before dinner.

This is the only picture I got of dinner, but Mark made some delicious meat and everyone brought something yummy to add to the meal.

My mom brought a few games to play.  The biggest hit was Pie In The Face.  You put your face in the face spot and turn the knob however many times you spun and you never know when the whipped cream hand will pop up and get you.  Timmy loved this game!  Brian wouldn't even try it.  Timmy loved my mom's jelly bean game too until he got a barf flavored one and it actually made him barf.  He wasn't allowed to play the jelly bean game again, but he did play pie in the face over and over.

After dinner and games we got ready for our countdown!

It was quite the party!

And then it was balloon popping time!  Joey was the cutest to watch.  He thought it was so funny popping those balloons with his dad!

After cleaning up a bit, Mark set off some fireworks outside.  It was the coldest night of the year so we lasted for the fireworks and a few sparklers and headed back in to warm up.

I couldn't get enough of Connor and his smiles!

It was such a fun evening!  We said goodbye to my family and put the kids to bed.  My mom stayed and helped clean everything up and then she stayed with the boys while Mark and I went to our friend's house to make an appearance at their party.  We got to chat with some good friends from our old neighborhood and then we came home for a 10:00 bedtime.  We got plenty of partying in without even losing sleep!  Welcome 2016!  I'm looking forward to another wonderful year!

Christmas 2015

I love Christmas!  It has always been and will always be my favorite holiday.  I love the music, the decorations, the spirit of giving, the food, the books, the the stories, the traditions, the fun and of course the opportunity it provides to think about our Savior Jesus Christ.

This year as always we were planning on being up at the ranch for Christmas Eve dinner and the barn nativity.  The night before Christmas Eve, Brian got very sick.  He was throwing up and had a fever so we decided to stay home.  He was so sweet and was worried about Timmy missing Christmas Eve at the ranch so he told me to take Timmy up and leave him here to be sick with Mark.  Timmy was also sweet when he said we should stay home to make Christmas Eve more enjoyable for sick Brian.  So that is exactly what we did and it was a very special evening in its own special way.  We hadn't planned on staying home so we didn't have the planned food and activities we would have had at the ranch.  We sent the Mexican meat we had prepared up to the ranch with the Scotts and had our own lovely time at home.

Brian was too sick to eat anything or even sit at the table, but he wanted to be with us, so we situated a nice comfortable chair in front of the fire where he could join us.

Timmy's favorite food in the world is crepes, and I had nothing else to make for dinner, so Brian read the recipe and Timmy helped prepare crepes.

This was my view out the kitchen window on Christmas Eve along with my favorite Christmas smell.

After dinner we did our own nativity program.  We would have gone out to the barn if Brian were well enough, but he really wasn't feeling up to it so we did it there in the comfort of the living room with him staying in his chair.

Timmy and I played multiple parts.

Timmy had even learned three of the songs we sang and accompanied us on the piano.  He was so pleased to play so many big parts in the program.  Without the usual Christmas Eve preparation and the usual people, it all seemed so simple and quiet.  Yet, I have never felt the spirit so strongly during our nativity program before.  As Timmy played O Come O Come Emmanuel and Brian sang with his beautiful little voice, my heart swelled with love for our Savior and with love for my family.  It is in moments like these that I am overwhelmed with how much our Heavenly Father loves us and I am so grateful He sent His Son here for us.

We got the kids to bed nice and early in an attempt to get them healthy for the next day.  Mark and I watched a movie and prepared a few things for Christmas morning.  The boys were allowed out of their rooms at 7:00 a.m. and they came bursting into our bedroom with more excitement then I have ever seen from them.  Brian said he was feeling all better and Timmy could not even contain himself with excitement, he ran around and around in circles the whole time while Mark and I got out of bed so we could all go to the living room together.  I found it so adorable that they were most excited to GIVE the presents they had gotten for each other.  The first thing Timmy did was run to the gift he got for Brian and watched with excitement while Brian opened it.  I hope that attitude continues as the years go on.

The boys got some great things and wanted to get started right away working on them.  They got snap circuits, lego sets, telescopes, a crystal mining block, hacky sacks, play dough, books, and some treats.  Timmy got the gingerbread house that he asked for and Brian was surprised with  a real live beta fish.

They first went to town mining for crystals.

Then Timmy decorated his gingerbread house.

And Brian named his fish Creamy and got it all set up in his bedroom.

Both boys spent time building with their new Legos and Grandma and Grandpa came by for a little visit.  I should have taken pictures then.

It had snowed on Christmas Eve and we needed to clear the driveway and the animals were wanting their Christmas food so we headed outside.

Mark and the boys cleared the paths while I fed the animals.

Then Mark helped Brian and Timmy build a little snow fort.

Finally we came inside and decided to get dressed to go visit my Grandma Joyce and to hopefully see my family that was there.  At Grandma Joyce's house Brian and Timmy fell in love with foosball that Christmas day while I chatted with family.

We ended our Christmas Day with the perfect Christmas  dinner at our favorite Sweet Ginger.  It couldn't have been a more Merry Christmas!

Christmas Music Memories

My favorite part of the Christmas season is definitely the music!  I absolutely love listening to Christmas music, playing Christmas music on the piano, playing Christmas music on the cello, singing Christmas music and now watching my boys play and sing Christmas music.  

Piano Music

Brian and Timmy learned a lot of great songs on the piano and most had duets.  Playing piano duets with my mom and sisters was always a tradition growing up and it was so fun for me to play with both my boys all through December in addition to the piano music I usually play.  I am already looking forward to playing more duets with the boys again next year!

Cello Music

I played the cello for the ward Sacrament meeting program and I got a short but sweet chance to play a few Christmas songs with my sisters and my mom up at the ranch.  Brian and Timmy learned some songs to play for the Holiday Cello Concert put on by their teacher and his wife.  Together they have about 80 cello students and they all get together for a concert in December.  It was one of the highlights of the season to watch Brian and Timmy join with 70 other cellists to create some fun Christmas music. It was such a neat experience for all of us!

Singing
The primary kids sang a beautiful medley of Christmas songs in Sacrament meeting and I got to sing with the ward choir through the Christmas season.  At school the kids each learned a few songs to sing with their grade.  Timmy was so excited to perform with his fellow Kindergarten friends and Brian did a great job as well.

Putting away all the Christmas music was the sad part about cleaning up from Christmas.  I was relieved to put away the tree and the decorations, but sad to put away the Christmas books.  I thought for a minute about playing Christmas music all year and then decided it will only be that much more fun to get it out again next year if I have to wait through the year.