Paradise for Thanksgiving please.

december came and went

I'll have to post separately about Thanskgiving and Christmas--they were jam-packed.  But there were other fun happenings along the way.

Clara at 9 months

These two are my peeps all day. everyday. until 4pm when the other 3 get home. 

Eating in the living room??? Its been documented.  That playmobil nativity has earned its keep.  And a fire.....finally!

There is a limited budget for drama so each grade gets 8 weeks in a year of drama.  This is the first grades "Lost Little Witch" play.  Hallie was a little more animated than this thankfully :)

We moved the girls downstairs and their room is "done".

The kids entered the chess tournament up here in Murray and the Jordans joined us.  They did pretty well and it was a great experience of being nervous before all 6 rounds and having to go in all alone to compete.  Hopefully we'll have a lot more of that.  WE don't have pics of their school tourney because Ryan and I didnt know about the awards ceremony until the kids came home with their trophies.  They all did well for their grade level and Aubrie got 4th place overall (out of about 150).  The chess club at their school is well attended and has a lot of parental involvement.  Mr. Buffett really helped us understand the benefit of chess last year and we are grateful for that. 

Sunday wrestling with dad which usually lasts until someone gets really hurt. 

Ryan came home from work and jumped in to help with homework and piano. He's a good dad!

Orchestra concert,  3 months into picking up the violin for the first time.  Not bad Aubrie!

Oh this pechocha!!!

Uncle Joe was able to get us and the Jordans tickets for the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra Christmas concert with Sesame Street Muppets and Santino Fontana. It was a magical night and the concert was fantastic and perfect for kids!

Putting together our neighbor potpourri gifts!

Going to see the temple lights one night.  The kids don't remember every going before.  It is such a great tradition for Christmas.

We also did some sledding, Ryan and I went to see The Piano Guys Family Christmas concert (that was the best concert I've been to for Christmas.  It could've gone on for hours.  They mixed it up with different people and types of songs and we both LOVED it), we caroled a few nights to our neighbors, we had the older 3 kids' chorus concert, we drove around to see Christmas lights, had our ward's Christmas breakfast (our family was the nativity, Clara being baby Jesus and she tried to crawl off the stage), our stake conference with Bishop Gary Stevenson, an adult only Gingerbread party and dinner with a bunch of our neighbors and cookie making for the little kids with our neighbors the Johnsons.