Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a great day.  It fell on a Sunday this year which I have to say is my very favorite.  All the hustle and bustle and and movies take place on the 23rd and we get to feel the Spirit, sing Christmas hymns and then be at home for the rest of the day.  We went to our Ward’s Christmas Program from 9:00-10:15, which Katie sang in, and was great.  Wonderful to say hi and Merry Christmas to all of our ward friends before heading home.

Dad and his girls…

We spent a couple of hours wrapping our last few presents, working on the puzzle and then making cookies. Dad and the kids made the cookie dough and baked the cookies while I made sweet potatoes and creamed corn.  Then I made the icing. 

The Santa plate ready to go…

At 3:15 the Richins and Jacksons came over for Christmas Eve Dinner.   We had Baked Brie and French Bread, Potatoes and Gravy, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Corn, Rolls, Pretzel Jello, Raspberry Jello and Blueberry Salad.  It was delicious.  The 7 adults sat in the dining room and chatting about Christmas traditions.  The kids and teens ate in the kitchen.  So fun to be together.

After dinner we gathered in the living room to have a Christmas Lesson.  I prepared a ‘Christ Centered Christmas Lesson with short remarks/stories for each of the 7 Nativity Characters:

1. Mary reminds us to PONDER
2. Joseph reminds us to SERVE
3. The Lamb reminds us to GIVE THANKS
4. The Shepherds remind us to TESTIFY
5. The Wise Men remind us to JOURNEY ANOTHER WAY
6. The Angel reminds us to SHARE THE JOY
7. The Christ Child reminds us to BELIEVE.

The kids performed a cute a capella song that they have been working on together which is so cute!  Then we ate Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce before everyone left. 

Everyone left by about 6:45 or 7:00 and the kids headed up to get their pajamas on and we finished the puzzle.

Three people in the family love Eggnog.  Matthew, Megan and Dad.  And all three of them try to get it out without anyone else seeing so there is more for them.  When I tried to take a picture of Matt, he said, “Hurry Mom! Don’t let anyone else see!”  Sharing egg nog is hard for these three. 

Christmas Pajamas and Stockings…

The kids all slept in the boys room this year.  So much fun!!

Christmas Favorites

One night we filled in a paper called CHRISTMAS THINGS.    Fun to read everyone’s responses.

Dad:

• Favorite Christmas food: Squamish Bars, Christmas Breakfast
• Favorite Christmas song: ‘The Christmas Song’  - Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
• Favorite Christmas activity: Purchasing gifts that I know people will like
• Favorite Christmas movie: Elf
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Waiting to go down
• Present you are excited to give: Katie (Trip to Chicago)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Fireplace, hot chocolate, puzzle, watch a Christmas movie
• Favorite Christmas smell: Fresh Christmas tree smell
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Presents for my wife
• Favorite Christmas traditions: Christmas tree cutting, Christmas breakfast, Puzzles, Wrapping presents while watching ‘The Holiday’, celebrating Christmas Adam.
• Favorite Christmas memory:  Childhood memory – Being with all of my family and cousins at G&G Polsons house, checking out the wrapped presents under the tree and getting ourselves out of control excited for Christmas Day.  Recent memory: watching the kids discover their new luggage and accompanying trip to Europe in 2016.
• Currently reading: Mostly Podcasts ‘Oath Bringer’, ‘Terrible, Thanks for asking’, ‘Revisionist History’
• Favorite Christmas ornament: Santas from all around the World
• What brings you joy this month: Doing puzzles with the family while watching Christmas movies
• How has your life changed since last year: new focus on health and minimalism
• What really matters: relationships with family

Mom

• Favorite Christmas food: Chocolate covered Jo Jo’s from Trader Joe’s
• Favorite Christmas song: Tennessee Christmas, all of Michael Buble Songs
• Favorite Christmas activity: Walking through Denver’s lit up streets, shopping at the Shops at Briargate, going to movies at the Theater with my family
• Favorite Christmas movie: The Holiday
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: The time between Santa Gifts and sitting down to open presents.  Love breakfast and the excitement of stockings and the anticipation of getting and giving great presents.
• Present you are excited to give: Dad (new Santa), Emily (bulletin board stuff and turquoise ukelele) Megan (Stranger Things t-shirt and gold Adidas) Matt (3DS case and Hot Wheels toys) Luke (BB9e Droid) Katie (trip to Chicago) Ryan (Sambas and BYU shirt)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Fire blazing, bundled in my grey blanket with a mug full of hot chocolate watching a BBC show with Chris – like Victoria or Poldark
• Favorite Christmas smells: Evergreen Candle, Cinnamon Candle, Hot Apple Cider
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Wrap, journal ‘day to day’ in December
• Favorite Christmas traditions:  Finding a gift under the tree for someone else, Christmas breakfast between Santa and other presents, going to look at Christmas lights, a movie on Christmas Eve or Christmas Adam, big Turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, shoes out for St. Nicholas, puzzles and movies
• Favorite Christmas memory: Getting my cabbage patch doll and my barbie when I was little, when my Dad gave my mom a serger, when I gave my Dad a BYU Barbarian Shirt, when Chris surprised me with a camera, when we surprised the kids with a trip to Germany – and so many more…
• Currently reading: Nothing : (
• Favorite Christmas ornament: My Santa’s from around the world, my big gold Reindeer
• What brings you joy this month: White Christmas lights, candy cane hot chocolate, cards from friends and family, neighbor gifts, outings with family, seeing Musicals, being organized with presents
• How has your life changed since last year: Kids getting older, Ryan’s 2nd mission Christmas
• What really matters: Finding opportunities to feel the Spirit and teaching my children to do the same

Katie

• Favorite Christmas food: Sugar Cookies
• Favorite Christmas song: Mistletoe – Justin Beiber
• Favorite Christmas activity: Driving and looking at Christmas lights
• Favorite Christmas movie: It’s a Wonderful Life / Miracle on 34th Street
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Waking up with the kids, having Christmas breakfast
• Present you are excited to give: Emily (American Eagle Sweater) and Mom (Letter board)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Partayyyy with friends and family inside
• Favorite Christmas smell: Tree
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Submit my application : / Thx 4 reminding me
• Favorite Christmas traditions: Cutting down a Christmas tree
• Favorite Christmas memory: Strassburg Christmas Market with the Chuggs
• Current December reading: King’s Cage!
• Favorite Christmas ornament:
• What brings you joy this month: The Savior
• How has your life changed since last year: SENIOR LIFE
• What really matters: Christ, the gospel, my family, love, service

Emily

• Favorite Christmas food: Squamish bars, Christmas breakfast
• Favorite Christmas song: Grandma got ran over by a Reindeer
• Favorite Christmas activity: Sledding
• Favorite Christmas movie: ELF
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Walking down the stairs together
• Present you are excited to give: Megans (Soccer field iPod case and soccer ball pop socket)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: In a blanket and Christmas socks, reading
• Favorite Christmas smell: candles
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Buy lots of presents
• Favorite Christmas traditions: the way we open presents
• Favorite Christmas memory: Having all of the Waltons over for Christmas
• Current December reading: The Selection Series
• Favorite Christmas ornament: The Santa ornaments from different countries, and Grandpa as Santa
• What brings you joy this month: Christ and giving gifts that people will like
• How has your life changed since last year: I got my braces off, I started High School
• What really matters: Christ

Megan

• Favorite Christmas food: Squamish Bars
• Favorite Christmas song: Good to be bad – Pentatonix
• Favorite Christmas activity: Decorating the tree and Decorating cookies
• Favorite Christmas movie: ELF, Home Alone, Christmas Story
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Christmas Breakfast
• Present you are excited to give: Emily’s (pineapple keychain) and Dad’s (work out waterbottle)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Eating food and watching a movie
• Favorite Christmas smell: Real Christmas tree
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Katie’s present!
• Favorite Christmas traditions: Christmas breakfast, Elf on the Shelf
• Favorite Christmas memory: When all the Waltons came!!!
• Current December reading: Catching Fire
• Favorite Christmas ornament: Grandpa’s ornament
• What brings you joy this month: The Christmas Spirit
• How has your life changed since last year: Older, cooler, Braces.
• What really matters: Getting presents (jk – GIVING!)

Luke

• Favorite Christmas food: Squamish Bars
• Favorite Christmas song: Nearer My God to Thee
• Favorite Christmas activity: Making sugar cookies
• Favorite Christmas movie: ELF, Christmas story, Home Alone
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Presents and Christmas Breakfast
• Present you are excited to give: Matts (3DS Game) and Mom’s (Keychain from Anthropology)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Stand by the fire, watch movies and drink hot chocolate
• Favorite Christmas smell: Peppermint
• What do you still need to do before Christmas: Get Emily, Megan and Katie’s present
• Favorite Christmas traditions:  Acting out the Nativity, Having Christmas Breakfast
• Favorite Christmas memory: Getting my 3DS
• Current December reading: Harry Potter 7
• Favorite Christmas ornament: Grandpa’s Santa Ornament
• What brings you joy this month: My family
• How has your life changed since last year: I’m in the fourth grade now
• What really matters: Having our family together

Matthew

• Favorite Christmas food: Christmas breakfast
• Favorite Christmas song: Goofy Jingle Bells
• Favorite Christmas activity: Decorating Cookies for Santa
• Favorite Christmas movie: ELF
• Favorite part of Christmas morning: Playing with presents
• Present you are excited to give: Luke’s present (a 3DS Case) and Megan’s (Stranger Things t-shirt)
• Best way to spend a cold evening: Drinking hot chocolate
• Favorite Christmas smell: Candles
• What do you still need to do before Christmas:  Emily and Kate’s presents
• Favorite Christmas traditions: Stockings
• Favorite Christmas memory: The year I got my 3DS and the Wii U
• Current December reading: Harry Potter 2
• Favorite Christmas ornament: Pictures of the family
• What brings you joy this month: Lights
• How has your life changed since last year: I’m baptized
• What really matters: Presents

Christmas Card 2017

Miscellaneous November Life

• I taught the YW combined lesson on Fast Sunday about Conversion.  It went well.
• Scott came to Colorado Springs and spent the night on the 8th.  Fun to chat with him. 
• Young Women in Excellence was great!  Katie talked about Knowledge, Emily performed in a piano/violin duet with Emma Larson and Megan played and sang ‘As I Search the Holy Scriptures’ on the ukulele with Brynnley.   Everything was really well done!  Carmel apple bar for dessert.
• Fun to volunteer in Matthew’s 3rd grade class with Mrs. Owens.  Helping with Math groups this time.
• Relief Society Night was a service project to gather supplies for the homeless shelter.  So well attended and fun to be a part of a ward that serves together.  Love the sisters in my ward! 
• Matthew’s Elementary School Veteran’s Day Program – I watched the first 20 minutes.  Long enough to wave at Matt up in the choir, and to be so moved at the service and sacrifice or so many service men.  It makes me emotional every time.
• Katie had her surgery to remove her rods on Friday, November 10th.  It went well.  Nice to have that over with.  We relaxed at home that night and celebrated Luke’s birthday with pizza, Nothing Bundt Cake and presents.
• Lots of normal stuff like YMCA basketball practices and games for Luke and Matt, Piano and Voice lessons for Emily, Piano lessons (given by Emily) for Luke and Matt, Nanny work for Katie, volunteering at the Family History Center, Cubs and YW.  (Nice to have a break from soccer.  Bob doesn’t think so, but I do.)
• Headed to the Pattersons for dinner (delicious pasta and salad) and games on Sunday, the 12th.
• My birthday on the 15th!  I got a big striped Crate and Barrel bowl, Crate and Barrel silver tree napkin holders and place cards, a pancake mixing bowl and syrup pitcher and lots of Stephens Candy Cane Hot Chocolate.
• The girls headed to a few Pine Creek football games with friends.  Pine Creek went to State again – but lost this year.
• Fun YW Activity – I made some cute turkeys and everyone signed them and then we dropped them off at some leaders houses to tell them how THANKFUL we are for all that they do.  Fun Beehives!
• Emily got her braces off and I am finished with Invisalign!!  So so happy about that!  We celebrated by going to Panera Bread for lunch before dropping Emily back off at school.
• Dad spent a while getting the Dominion Box all organized so that every card fits in the big box.  Thank you Ben Patterson for the file.  It freed up so much space in our games closet too!
• I volunteered at School in the Woods on Mondays.  That means Luke gets to have some extra time in the mornings and we leave at 8:15 after Matt goes to choir.  One Monday I took some pictures of them getting ready and eating breakfast and sent them to Ryan.  Always fun to correspond with Ryan on Monday mornings. : )
• Our Combined YW/YM activity was really fun… human fusbol. The youth loved it.