Pre-Christmas Festivities

- December 26, 2014

With Christmas come and gone, the kids out of school & Paul off work for a few days I am stealing a few minutes to catch-up on sharing a few highlights from our Christmas season:

What is more classic than having a train around the Christmas tree?

Two little boys watching the train go around the Christmas tree.

Paul has an amazing electric LEGO train that we put around the tree each year. He and the kids enjoy building the cars each year & filling the log car with festive items. The train was put up early this year only to be loved a little too much, broken apart, put away to be rebuilt & enjoyed just days before Christmas. As I type this I hear the train running and two little boys (Paul & Jacob) playing with the train, "Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes" spoken in adorable toddler speech. In case you don't know how a toddler talks: replace the "r" sound in here for a "w" followed by a short I sound, with an exaggerated long o sound & soft s sound in goes. Phonetically it would look something like this, "he-w I goooo-s".

I used to be a super fun Mom taking my kiddos each year to stand in line at the mall to have their picture taken with Santa while they sit on his lap sharing with the Jolly Old Elf the biggest desire of their little hearts for Christmas. These days I am grateful the Church Christmas party arranged for Santa to pay a visit thus accomplishing two things in one evening; even if Santa was pulled together at the last minute because the one prearranged Santa cancelled at the last minute (like after the party had already started).

"I would like Hot Wheels Cars"

Dad, who is this guy & why am I on his lap? Please come get me!!!!

"Twilight Pony Castle, please!"

They were in it for the Candy Cane.

For the first time in several years the church Christmas party was actually enjoyable because I wasn't a stress case trying to keep my kids from running around like crazy banshees like the rest of the kiddos, because this year there was something for the kiddos to do . . .

While we were in the Phoenix area last weekend we went a little out of our way to take the kiddos to see the lights at the Mesa Temple.

The spirit was in abundance, combined with celebrating the birth of our Savior and we had one wonderful evening, even with the crowds of people. Actually I found it rather wonderful that so many people/families would take the time on Friday evening to come to the temple and remember the Savior during the time of year when we celebrate His birth. There are far more good people in the world than the media would have us believe.

Tuesday's schedule was wide open: the kids home from school, Paul off of work, the house clean, laundry mostly done & nothing on the calendar. . . "Do you guys want to do an art project today?"

"Yay!!!" "Do we get to paint?"

I put Paul to work cutting wood (we still have two huge stacks) while the kiddos & I gathered paint & various other supplies from my craft cupboard. Let the fun begin!