Merry Christmas!!!

Our Nativity
We did our first Nativity play this year...the kids loved it! Max really wanted to be the donkey but settled on Joseph. London was more than thrilled to play Mary...she prepared all day by carrying around a picture of Jesus.




Making our "Gingerbread Houses" out of graham crackers...way more fun than the boxed kits, in our opinion! Lots more lickable frosting:) Buddy B. Barnaby left all the decorations...wasn't that nice of him??

Getting cookies ready for Santa


Christmas Morning
Max was up at 3 a.m. and didn't want to go back to sleep...just laid in our bed waiting for the Prep and Landing elves to come. I think he finally fell back to sleep around 6 when I got up to get ready for church. So, finally around 7:30 I woke them up and we got some presents unwrapped before church. The kids had an awesome Christmas, with lots of skyping and phone calls with family. We sure missed everyone this year but were so glad to be home, anxiously awaiting our little addition. Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!!

Introducing Mr. Buddy B. Barnaby

Max and London FINALLY got an Elf on the Shelf this year (THANK YOU, GRAMMIE MATHIE!). It took a little while, but the kids settled on the name "Buddy B. Barnaby" and that little rascal pulled a few tricks before Christmas...like making the kids special pancakes and also leaving some ingredients for the kids to make ice cream cone Christmas trees. That's all this little elf had the energy for, I guess. I am going to miss using him as a threat for good behavior, that's for sure!

Our week in review...

Christmas Party at Max's school
I loved how low key they kept their Christmas party...they just decorated their little graham cracker houses and gingerbread men and Max was just SHOVELING candy into his mouth. That's my boy!!

Lots of baking and crafts...
Bandit waiting for something to drop...

Icing their own gingerbread men. They loved trying to "catch" the gingerbread men as they hid all over the house.

Making "Reindeer Dust" with Max's good friend, Jack


Morgan's Work Christmas Party

...complete with Santa and SNOW! Max LOVED the snowball fighting and London loved sledding with her good friend, Sophia!






Caroling at Retirement Homes with the Primary and Relief Society
The grandma's couldn't take their hands off London...it was a little overwhelming for her. But Max threw a fit when it was over, he could've gone all night!




Ward Christmas Party
We got to have our friends, the Findley's, come with us and that made it even better!




And the new trampoline (thank you, Stevens!!)
The kids would play on this all day long if I let them! And usually I do...

Now all that's left on our calendar is Christmas, the baby, and the move. Bring it on!

Feeling festive!

Haile Village had a cute Lighting Festival last night that we went to. We walked around with some warm cocoa looking at all the cute newly lit shops, watching the horse-pulled carriages, and taking a ride on a little train that went up and down the street. It was fun bumping into so many people we knew, from church and the hospital, and just getting to sit back and relax and visit. It really was a great way to kick off the Christmas season!