The biggest "kid" with his new skates… which weren't a surprise, but no one could have predicted how much fun he would have with them. The "ice rink smile" has actually gotten bigger.
None of my pictures really capture the magic of Christmas morning… but my short, dark video does – so I will hang on to that. We had a wonderful, relaxing, pajama-wearing, gift-enjoying, no cooking day. Merry Christmas!!!
Sugar cookies
"Operation Secret Santa" (aka neighbor gift drop, which inadvertently became "secret" when all the gift tags got soaked and fell off due to all the hiding in the snow…)
SPRINKLES!!!
Fondue,
The "First Gift of Christmas!" (jammies all around); sharing my Bethlehem experience, watching "the Nativity", tracking Santa with NORAD, hanging up the sheet, setting out cookies (had to be chocolate chip, Santa said so!), Nate and I watching the fireplace scene on the WB (???) and making it to bed before Santa got to our house. I LOVE Christmas Eve!
A pile of Christmas cards and Reese's seasonal trees… yep, it's the most wonderful time of the year!
Salt Lake City, that is. Thanks to Nate's parents, we were able to spend 4 fun-filled days in Utah having holiday fun with family. Here are some highlights of our trip!
Grandma Adams' iphone…
"pool balls"…
Christmas bingo with the Adams family – especially eating the m&m's…
and getting "BINGO!"…
"secret" cousin pictures…
hanging out in Uncle David's fire truck…
cousins' bowling party…
(form gets better every year!)
Never have I seen a kid his age so invested in the outcome of his turn. The joy, and the sadness, were both extreme!
We also made trips to Temple Square with Nate's parents (sure felt warm compared to MN!) and to an adult-only dinner at the Roof with my family (while the kids partied with the Adams) without my camera. Both were super fun and I have high hopes of stealing pictures from other people's cameras at some point.
The only bad thing about the trip was going home… literally. 5 1/2 hours on an airplane for a ride that was supposed to be under 3 hours. Thankfully my 2 little seatmates finally fell asleep – after consuming just about every snack and treat we had, of course.
Thanks again, Craig and Becky, for bringing us out! After several years without being in UT for the holidays, it was so great to spend some time with family!
This is the first day (after many days of Nate working on it) that the ice was skate-able… and everyone absolutely loved it.
It was no small job… but it has become Nate's pet project and his pride and joy. I just love the smile on his face whenever he gets out there…
Dear friends and family,
For those of you with more on your Christmas to-do list than read our entire blog to find out the year's highlights, here is a quick update on our family.
We are still in Minnesota, in year 5 of 6 of Nate's oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program. We have decided to make the best of the frigid temperatures this year and Nate made an ice rink in the backyard – which will last probably until March, at least. Zach (2nd grade) and Emma (K) are both in school this year and loving it. Carter (2.5) is our resident firefighter and loves to make us laugh. They are all excited (although Emma is most excited) to welcome a new little girl to our family next March. And all of the grandparents are excited that this summer brought the news that when Nate's program is done here in 2012 we will be settling in the Salt Lake area.
We are mindful of the many blessings we enjoy, especially our associations with each of you through the years. It is fun to think of you all at Christmastime and remember the good times we've shared and things we've learned from you. We hope your Christmas season is filled with the JOY of the Savior. Merry Christmas!
With our trip to UT starting before school got out for the holiday break, both Zach and Emma had to miss some fun class activities. The one Emma was most disappointed about was making the classic kindergarten gingerbread houses with graham crackers on an old milk container… so we had arranged to have her teacher send one home with her so we could do it for one of our countdown activities. However, the blizzard came and cancelled school, and on top of that our car wouldn't start that day, so in addition to not having the milk cartons, we also couldn't make our planned trip to the store, and ended up with a rather scarce selection of candy.
Luckily, Emma wasn't bothered. She and Carter still had a good time making their houses (and of course eating any of the good candy that we did have…) Zach's gingerbread house still sits completely undecorated with the others on our counter, since he was totally occupied with painting his salt dough creations. He is just fine with that, and consequently, so am I.
16 + inches of snow.
35 mph winds.
3 crazy kids who never seem to get cold.
1 snowblower (thank goodness!) and a couple of good helpers with shovels.
The flag on the sledding hill completely buried by the snowplow… after trying to console crying children and then digging for half an hour in the hill, we conceded that we will just have to find it in the spring.
No church the next day.
No school the day after that! (There was just too much snow everywhere to get all the parking lots and streets taken care of!)
It was a great, blizzardy long weekend! (and don't you just love Carter's "blizzard hair"?!
Things I love about visiting Santa:
1. we get to eat dinner at the food court
2. we do our "toys for tots" shopping and donating that night.
3. what the kids ask Santa for is often not what they put on the list or what they've been talking about. (Carter is the notable exception, set on "Buzz Lightyear who makes noise!"
4. it is ALWAYS "pet night" when we go – dogs everywhere. This year Emma was less terrified, making it much more fun.
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