Dec 1 - We started the 24 days of Christmas Jesse Tree ornaments. I loved the fact that we read the scriptures about the coming of Christ every day this month, and got to hang the ornaments to remind us of the story.
Dec 10 - We have a new elf! Kevin's mom gave us a new elf for Christmas. The kids named him Timmy Doodle. He leaves to go to the North Pole every night to report on how the kids did that day, deliver letters, etc. and is found in a new spot every day. Can't touch the little guy though or else he loses his magic and either leaves or doesn't move for a day. We enjoyed having Timmy Doodle this Christmas season and can't wait to see him again next year.
Dec 12/13 - Polar Express Train Ride in Williams. The kids were so excited. Also went to the Grand Canyon. Allie wants to go back to the GC for her birthday next year. She definitely inherited Kevin's love of nature.
Dec 18 - Our Preschool Christmas Party. It went well and I was glad since this event marked the beginning of me getting into the whole Christmas season's prep stuff -- family gatherings, presents, etc.
Dec 22 - The Harris Family Christmas Party. We had a live nativity. I made costumes for the kids. Collin was a wiseman, Allie was Mary and Maddie was the angel. I was pretty happy with how the costumes turned out. Pop read from Luke 2 and we all got to enjoy a yummy Mexican feast.
Dec 23 - Archie came in from Las Vegas, Andrea from Utah, and my parents from the Bahamas.
Dec 24 - Last minute shopping. We took my family to the Santan Mall to go shopping. It was a busy but fun day, Kevin even enjoyed the shopping trip. We spent all night wrapping presents. Super fun! The kids left Santa a croissant, chocolate chips and milk.
Dec 25 - 3 a.m. the kids snuck out VERY QUIETLY to see if Santa had come. Luckily Grandma Beth caught them and told them to go right back to bed because it was too early! Before 7 a.m. the kids were up and woke us up with loud excited screams of "You have to come look at what Santa brought us!" So we all hurried downstairs to check out their stockings and Santa sacks. They played with those presents for a while then we ate breakfast and got dressed so we could all open our family presents. 9/10 a.m. Everyone got to pile up their presents and opened them all at the same time. Wrapping paper and ribbon flew here and there. Lots of fun! 12/1 p.m. We ate our traditional Christmas lunch. Lorraine and Jack joined us, they came and delivered presents too! 5 p.m. The Harris clan came to the house and we had a big combined Christmas dinner. We had Jack's homemade smoked pork/beef bbq (THE BEST!). We had 11 kids and 15 adults. We took photos by the tree and Allie wowed us with her hula hoop skills, and all of us took turns trying. It was way too funny to watch.
Dec 26 - The perfect Christmas present! Kevin and I had decided last month that we were going to do our landscaping for our Christmas present this year. But I think I got the MOST perfect present the day after Christmas (Boxing Day - so yes, still Christmas). I got a piano! Not just any piano -- but the PIANO that Kevin's Dad painstakingly restored, that Kevin and his siblings grew up with and learned piano with, that Lorraine sold to a kind lady 6 years ago (she offered it to us first but we were too cheap to buy), that now came full circle. I think we were meant to have it. And what better time to get it than at Christmas time? Great things happen when you least expect it.
Dec 27/28 - Todd brought over his projector and set it up for a couple of movie nights. Jack and Lorraine even brought their popcorn machine to make it all official! It was so much more fun to watch movies this way! He has since set up our TV room (thank you!!!!) so we could watch movies on the big wall and actually get good use out of the already set-up theatre room that neither Kevin or I thought much of when we moved in. For us who have had regular tv's for the last 10 years, this is a treat! It is good to have brothers who know the electronic stuff, hey? -- All in an effort to convert Kevin into thinking that a theatre room is actually better than a garage (which it was converted from - he always says it should have been left a garage. I know! He is one funny guy). Thanks Todd for your time and effort getting this all hooked up!
Dec 29 - We took my family to Anna's in Surprise so they could also spend time at their house before they went back to the Bahamas. We had TGIF's for dinner there. Good stuff.
Before landscaping
After landscaping
Dec 31 - We planned on driving up to Utah to spend the rest of Kevin's time off there, but since our landscaping didn't get done til about noon, we decided that Kevin and Collin fly up, and I stay here with the girls since Maddie and Allie were still getting over some bug. I took them to the airport around 4:30 and then went to the Harris New Year's Eve party at Chad and Megan's. We had good steak and shrimp (yay, I tried 4 this time and didn't get sick!). Kevin and I were on the phone at midnight and Allie and I stayed up watching a cute Disney show til about 2 a.m. OK I fell asleep.
Jan 1 - New Year's Day. No big happenings here. We went to get paint for the living room and Allie's room. I painted her room while Maddie napped and Allie spent the day making and frosting cupcakes with her Girl Gourmet. They tasted good for cupcakes that took 30 seconds to make in the microwave. We were going to do our spa night but I came down with the migraine after smelling paint all day.
Jan 2 - Kevin and Collin came home from Utah. They were only in Utah for two days - but got to shovel the snow off our driveway, talked to our neighbors the Coxes and Bro "Rootbeer" (Rupper), ate McRib lunches with McRib aficionados, Bishop Bliss and Zach, (whom he served with in the Bishopric in Utah) and got their haircuts at the BYU barbershop. I felt sick all night, so Kevin took care of the kids, fed them dinner and got them ready for bed. I was glad to have him back home!
Jan 3 - The tree came down and so did all the Christmas stuff. It took all day!
Jan 5 - Back to the regular schedule. What fun we had last year. Now on to 2009!
2 comments:
Whew! What a post. :) I love the elf. You need to take pictures (when you get a spare moment!) of the landscaping. I'm curious to see how it turned out. :) It definitely sounds like you had a full house, but how great to have so much family there! I love your family picture. Maddie is totally more interested in her toy than the picture. :) And I agree that your costumes turned out way great! Sigh. Reading your blog makes me so excited to have Jill already! I mean, having her inside me is a load of fun (ha!), but I can't wait for all the things we'll get to do when she's bigger and when other kids come.
Thank you for letting me know you had added the landscaping pictures. It looks amazing! I like the walkway you added. Everything looks really good. :)
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