Christmas Eve, Christmas & New Year's Eve

Kelly Dickson (her son, Liam, is friends with Weston) made me this adorable, crocheted garland for my tree! It's supposed to look like popcorn. I can't imagine how long it must have taken her to make. I am in love with it and will use it forevermore!

Christmas Eve was on a Sunday. Olive sang in a group for the church program. The musical numbers that were performed were absolutely stunning. We have a new couple who moved in who are very musically talented. The wife, Cassandra Ewer, is a Grammy award winner! She organized the numbers and sang in a couple and they were the most gorgeous numbers I've heard. So unique and different.

Got to get in the family, Christmas picture in Sunday clothes. Travis's beard is coming along nicely.

I love our matching hair bows!

Cassandra sent me this picture not long after we, as a Relief Society presidency, had visited her. She expressed how grateful she was for me and likened this picture to those who minister to Christ's sheep. She has no idea how much that text meant to me. And now I am so in love with this sweet picture. 

Christmas Eve done right with Paula's legendary caramel corn!

The nativity production is a CIRCUS. I hope these kids appreciate and remember it!

We're ready for you, Santa!

I love our tree. I love my nativity set and the peaceful scene of gifts wrapped under the twinkling lights. All the hard work is done. Time to relax and enjoy! What a beautiful gift, Christmas is!

Tanner's electric motorcycle was a last minute buy. It had been on all his lists but Travis didn't seem to think he really wanted it. Three days before Christmas I decided we needed to get it or else he would be crushed on Christmas morning. The search commenced and I found myself at multiple Targets scavenging the store until I finally found it! It was a Christmas miracle. It was definitely his favorite gift and has been used incessantly since he got it. 

Olive's top request was an Apple watch. She loves it. Her first plea was for a phone but that was a definite no. I don't think I realized how much getting an apple watch was like getting a phone though. I kind of regret getting it for her. She texts non-stop and is very obsessed with her watch. If I could reverse time I would have waited til she was 12 to get it for her. I have an apple watch and only use it basically as an alarm to alert me when I get a text, in case I'm not near my phone. It's hard to text on it so I didn't think Olive would really use it to text. Wrong. She is constantly texting on it. When the boys got their phones they weren't as tied to them as I'm realizing a girl is. Sigh. Live and learn I guess. There isn't internet or social media but I don't like how she is so addicted to it and constantly connected to her friends. 

Their least favorite part that they humor me on... new books in their stockings!

For the stake Relief Society day of service, I took home these weighted caterpillars to finish and the younger kids went nuts over them. So as a last minute gift idea I spent a day sewing and crafting caterpillars for all of them. The older boys probably didn't care much about them but I figured just in case, I'd make them for them all. I spent forever picking out fabric that I thought matched each kid. They are kind of the idea of a weighted blanket... just in caterpillar form! Something to hold that provides a calming element.

Ever since I got this printed picture from my counselor, Melanie Stimpson, Olive has fawned over it. So I printed her, her own canvas print for her room. She flipped! I knew it would be a win. She is very expressive, like her brother, Collin.

Tanner has been BEGGING and begging for a suit to wear to church. 

Tanner has been using one of the older boys' bedspreads and it's hard for him to make his bed so I bought him one of those cozy, super soft blankets for his bed.

Weston got some new shoes and snowboarding helmet but his big gift was a MacFox ebike. But instead of it just being out next to the tree when they woke up, we hid it in the garage and had him find it through a scavenger hunt, last. But, true to Weston form, even after all the gifts were open and he thought that was it, he didn't act bummed or pout. He was happy just to get some new shoes for Christmas. Then, Travis gave him the first clue and told him he had one more gift. He ran throughout the house, finding all the clues, then finally ran to the garage and his reaction was EVERYTHING. It's so fun surprising your kids! He was beyond happy. And, now writing this 10 months later, that bike truly is his most prized possession. He loves it so much and is constantly trying to add little things to make it cooler or fix things on it. Or learn new tricks like wheeling. It's his whole life. 

Olive got lots of new clothes, lots of gel nail polish colors, LED lights, fun markers I bought from FAO Schwartz in NYC, her Jesus picture and watch!

We invited my parents over for breakfast and had the traditional biscuits and gravy, fresh squeezed orange juice from the Orange Patch.

How sad.. I don't have any pictures of Collin! His big gift was a drum set. Grandpa gave it a go after breakfast. 

We had a nice day at home. I loved it!! My parent's stayed to visit for a while then we just relaxed and cleaned up and went over to my parent's house around 3pm. My mom planned some fun games with the grandkids. We made quesadillas and ate tamales and of course, Grandpa's hot chocolate! Us girls bought our parents tickets to see the Eagles in concert next month for their gift. They said it was so much fun and had a great time. My dad said it was the best concert he's ever been too! Yay! So glad that gift was a win! My parent's gave the grandkids a weekend trip to Great Wolf Lodge as their Christmas gift. Experience gifts are the best!

NEW YEAR'S EVE!

I'm skipping over the week after Christmas and going straight to New Year's Eve. We partied hard at my parent's house. Everyone brought a different food to share for dinner and we had a huge smorgasbord. Sweet potatoes nachos, Monte Cristo sandwiches, sushi, shrimp cocktail, charcuterie board and more! We ate til you could have rolled us out of the house. Instead, we danced out! Big dance party on the driveway! Oh, but first we played some games and did and a funny reel that Abbey suggested. The dancing was epic, as always. A lot of the neighborhood came out to get down with us and Grandpa had his big stereo system set up. One of my favorite nights of the whole year! Then, we topped it off with waffles and a whole pig's worth of bacon! Hooray for 2023!!