December 22nd: Lights

Christmas lights are magical.

We went to the Spanish Fork festival of lights and the girls loved it.

They jabbered away the whole time pointing out each new display and what they liked about it.

My favorite was the ski jumper.

A last minute need to mail letters to Santa prompted a stop at the Riverwoods. 

Their stocking wishes: gum for Elizabeth and a lollipop for Samara.  

I think we can handle that.

They do a great job with lights there and have free carriage rides.

Lizzie loves Christmas lights.  We went a second time to see the Riverwoods lights.  That evening, as soon as Ben got home from work she said, "Tank ooh for coming home dada so we can go see da lights.  Can we go see them as soon as we are done eating?"

December 21st: Tree, Ornaments, and the Peanuts Gang

The Tree

We got a permit and cut down our tree.  It was fun to start up the tradition again.  The trees aren't perfect like farm-grown ones but we love them.

All the men, who did the tree dragging, looked just like this when they'd come up the hill.

My belly got me out of any real work. 

The kids all had a great time playing in the snow. 

 We stayed overnight in the area with some friends.  Love these two ladies (and thanks for the pictures)!  But we are missing sweet Malia, whose son got sick on the way to cut down the tree in the morning.

 This picture cracks me up.  Whose tree is bigger and who is more proud?!

The Ornaments  

If there were a fire in my house and I could only grab two things (besides the kids of course) I'd get my photo book and Christmas ornaments.  Since I came home from Russia right before Christmas, I had ornaments like the left and middle plus some Santa ones made to bring home as souvenirs.  Thankfully, I kept a few.  The right ornament is also from Russia.

We've tried to pick up an ornament from every place we've been, which sometimes ends up being a key chain.   Here are a few that cooperated for pictures.

The Peanuts Gang

I've always had an affinity for Charlie Brown and the peanuts characters.  I've received fun peanuts gifts from siblings and friends over the years.  I loved taking them and all our decorations out this year especially since they've been in storage for a while.

December 20th: Advent Calendars

In case you were wondering....Yes, I do love everything Christmas!  Advent calendars are no exception.  Since I physically can't/don't ever sleep past 5 AM, this seemed like a good year to record thoughts about the season and blog hop for ideas.  Hopefully, I'll be sleeping peacefully in subsequent years.  

At the beginning of the month, I saw advent calendars and ideas popping up on blogs everywhere.  I wanted to make/buy almost every single one I saw.  

Left is my family advent and on the right is Ben's.  They have a similar layout and I'd love to make one a year when I learn to sew and have lots of time!  This one reminds me a little of the one my family had growing up so maybe the tutorial will help.  Both Ben and I have such fond memories of ours.  We usually had the chocolate calendars too.  I always thought popping those little doors open to see which chocolate awaited me was magical.

This mini-tree advent is the first one I determined to make but when I realized all the stuff I'd have to find/buy for it, I scratched it off the list for this year.  The blogger has another post with more neat ideas.

These bags are adorable.  It would be fun to put a little treat and/or scripture in each one.  Because let's face it, the chocolate, in the grocery store ones, I loved as a kid really isn't that tasty.

These miniatures stockings are the cutest thing ever.  When I was moving to the tropics and getting rid of sweaters galore, my cousin suggested that I keep them to use for sewing projects.  So these are on Jeanne's my list to make next year.  Since I kept sweaters in storage, per her suggestion, she is totally obligated to do help me with them.  Plus she has way more skills in that department than I do.

Just when I thought I'd seen every advent idea out there, my friend, Sarah, sent me a link to printable calendars.  So adorable!  I bought the PDF for these vintage matchboxes.  I cut them out but have yet to assemble them.  I'm already set with a host of ideas for next year and hope I can resist all the new ideas that will inevitably be out there to tempt me. 

In the end, the decision fatigue got to me.  We opted for simply moving the magnet every day and paper chains.   Plus, I'm sure we've eaten at least one "advent" treat everyday.

December 19th: Russian Christmas

 Today marks 12 years since I returned home from serving a mission in Russia.  Where does time go?! My time in Russia was a wonderful experience and I'm so grateful for it.  I spent one Christmas there and I'll never forget it.  I thought I'd be homesick but in fact felt the opposite.  I was so happy to be there and wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

This is my second companion, Irina who is from the Ukraine.  Despite my pretty basic Russian (I'd only been in the country 2 months), we instantly bonded and became the best of friends.  She and I were able to finish our missions together in the same city, where we'd first been companions.  The service project we did that year was definitely a highlight of my time in Russia.  

The service project was at home for children whose parents were alive but were alcoholics and could not care for them.  Parents could visit but they lived full-time and were cared for at the home.  I  felt for the first time the true meaning of giving.  These sweet kids were so grateful for the gifts we'd brought for them.  They were delightful and adorable.  Despite their less than ideal circumstances, they were happy.  That day was a huge realization for me that my life was one of ease and that I had much to give.

I got this darling advent frame on black friday.  I didn't end up getting it until mid-month and hadn't planned enough ahead of time to do the "25 days of service" this year.  But I plan/hope to in future years.  I love the excitement of Christmas traditions and gifts but I think the best way to honor Christ's birth and life is by doing meaningful service.

I would LOVE to know what your families do for service?  What has worked and been the most meaningful?  Please do share!

Today would be my sweet Grandmother Olive's 114th Birthday.  We got together at my mom's and my uncle shared some stories about her.  We ate her favorite treat, rice pudding.  She was a remarkable woman.  When she died she weighed only 80 lbs.  She was bedridden and her arthritis was so bad that sneezing could break another bone.  Yet she never complained.  My mom cared for her at home for as long as possible but when she needed more medical attention, grandma was moved to a rest home.  She called my cousin Jeanne and I "twins" and was always pleasant, cheerful, and so sweet when we'd visit.  Even though I was young, her happy demeanor left an impression on me.  My grandpa died when my mom was just 14 and my uncle was 10.  Despite only having an 8th grade education, grandma managed to provide a wonderful life for them.  Both my mom and uncle earned masters degrees and worked in education.  

Happy Birthday sweet grandma!

December 18th: Music

I am one of those people who listen solely to Christmas music from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  I always have been.  Even in high school, I'd tune into an AM station called 1400 K-Star because they played non-stop Christmas music.  I think I drove my friends crazy. 

Photo found here

My mom had an old yellow boat err cadillac similar to the one in the picture above.  But my mom's was even longer.  When she finally sold the car it was to a nice young gentleman, who had big plans to low ride it.  We loved driving it around and would go on triple dates in it.  One couple in the front seat, one in the back seat, and one in the trunk (it was that roomy)!

One snowy Christmas evening my mom sent me and two friends out to do some Christmas deliveries for her.  We came to a yellow light and I was afraid to brake suddenly because of the slippery roads so I went through it.  The light was red when I got through the intersection and a policeman pulled me over.  My explanation:  I didn't want to suddenly brake because of the snowy roads.  Even though I was legal going through the light (remember it was yellow at the beginning of the intersection), it had turned red by the time I reached the end of the intersection because of the length of the car.  He peered in at the three of us, who were all sitting in the front bucket seat, heard the music blaring from K-star and got a smile on his face.   Not sure if it was the music or my awesome explanation but I got off with only a warning.

I was in spanish immersion growing up and very fondly remember singing for the school and at the mall every Christmas.  My spanish is really rusty but I still remember most of the Christmas songs in spanish.

Be warned...video is so not my forte

Samara was so darn cute in her school's little music performance.  I've meant to ask her what she was trying to tell her friend. :)  May her cheeks never not be round and kissable! 

December 17th: A White Christmas

Who knew that all this...

beautiful snow came from

 ... a wish and a candle lit in our tin snowman?

I'm hoping for a white Christmas.  When I was a kid and it snowed this much a week before Christmas that meant there would still be snow on Christmas.  But nowadays it doesn't seem to stick around for nearly as long.

December 16th: It's a Wonderful Life

I talked Ben into watching It's a Wonderful Life today.  It wasn't a hard sell since he had a crush on Donna Reed when he was a boy.  Who can blame him?!  She is lovely.   We haven't watched it for a few years and so new things stuck out to me like the cops Bert and Ernie.  I wonder if that is where Sesame Street got the names for their characters. 

It's amazing to think the effect one life has on the world!

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?

Once the show started, I remembered that I needed to finish cutting out and assembling the Nutcracker puppet show.  And how convenient that Ben was right there available to help me poke those little brads in.

The girls have really enjoyed it playing with it but the assembly was beyond their motor skills.  Really it was beyond ours too but we got it all done.  If you have an older daughter you need to occupy over the break, I'd definitely recommend having her put one of these together.  :)

I bought the PDF download from Sarah Jane Studios.  She has other puppets shows and her designs are so whimsical and charming.  She has a link for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund on her site and when you donate, she'll send you a link for a downloadable card.  I really liked the thoughts she shared too.