Miriam's Favorite Gift

Mimi won the contest, and then used some of her Christmas money to get the amethyst birthstone earrings.

So, technically this was a joint gift from Miriam and her Grandparents to Miriam. Sorry Mom, I know you want nothing to do with ear piercing.

Definitely the most exciting gift of the season. They called with the news that she had won on December 23rd and she knew exactly what she wanted to do with the money. Only she thought I would make her wait till her birthday to do it.

She was really brave, only jumping slightly when the stud was pushed through.

The Gem Smith (seriously, the owner who is the Gem Smith) gave her a huge colorful sucker for being so brave. She immediately gave it to Bub saying that the earrings were a gift enough. Those who know M's love of sweets will understand the kindness behind this little action.

The Gem Smith mentioned that she has very small earlobes. I'd never noticed before!

Christmas Fun

Don't call DCFS

I promise, we stopped once Soren's response was documented on film.

Admit it, you'd have done the same thing!

Christmas Morning

I love watching the kiddos eyes twinkle, and hearing squeals of delight.

I love eating my Dad's ebelskivers Christmas Morning.

I love seeing what my parents have picked out for my children because it's one of very few surprises I get now that I am grown up.

I love the gifts the children pick out for us.

Possibly the cutest baby ever.

Santa was spot on with the quiet book. It's already been a lifesaver.

The three amigos in Christmas Eve jammies.

Very Early Christmas Morn

Just after the last kids had gone to bed, but before we could get to work, we pasted time with Coo Coo the Rocking Clown.

Darin: What will you give me if I balance ALL of the circle blocks on him?

Me: Ummmmmm I'll blog about it

Done

and

Done.

Grandma's Christmas Eve Band

A rousing rendition of Jingle Bells,

To whatever beat you like to march to.

My Mom is so cute with the Grandkids.

Danish Dinner

Danish dishes, Danish dinner.

We love Denmark.

Our Nativity

My sister Sarah's musical talent is a huge blessing.

Her piano playing brings an amazing feeling to our Nativity.

Jedi Shepard

the force was with us.

Christmas Devotional

When we were little we always received new jammies on Christmas Eve.

As we got older that tradition faded and a new one emerged. My Mom would give us a gift that represented spiritual thought she or my Dad would present.

This year we did both!

My parents gave each Grandchild a beautiful snowflake ornament representing our individuality. My Mom talked about how snowflakes are formed and told the kids that their experiences, personality, talents, and choices make them unique and special. She read a poem about snowflakes and then handed out a different snowflake for each child.

For documentation purposes here are past devotionals:

Homemade quilts- the comfort of the Holy Ghost

Tickle-Me-Elmo's {we are Sesame Street fanatics}- Choosing Joy and Happiness

1/2 lb box of fancy chocolates "Life is like a box of chocolates" {caramels and nuts ONLY}-make the most of the trials we are dealt, we were all in high school/college/married at this point so we also watched Forrest Gump.

A tin cup filled with a shinny penny, piece of peppermint candy, and a small heart shaped chocolate cake - Gratitude, we read an excerpt from Little House on the Prairie when Mr. Edwards swims the flooding river to bring the girls the tin cups filled with the sweets mentioned before.

My parents are amazing. Such great examples to me and my family.

Winter Wonderland Dinner

Christmas is far from over on this blog.

Because I am so far behind, I will be reliving our holidays through January!

Our first event was a Magical Winter Wonderland Dinner.

Binz {cute redhead below....not her real name, daughter of my best friend Ris} has a fun Grandma Sidney who put on a beautiful dinner for the girls in her family.

Binz got to invite a friend and we were the lucky ones chosen!

Sidney is amazing at presentation.

She charmed the girls with dresses, tiara's, necklaces, ballerina dolls, and tiny nutcracker ornaments. {Binz Ris and Sidney had gone to see the Nutcracker earlier that day}

She charmed us older girls with a delicious dinner.

It was a fun way to jumpstart our Christmas vacation.

11th

The amazing anniversary celebration that wasn't.

Darin and I had such great plans for our 11th anniversary. We were going to snowshoe in the middle of the night to watch a total lunar eclipse. Together, in the dead of night, surrounded by silence and each other. So romantic, and so perfect for us since a lot of our courtship has been spent gazing at the heavens.

Meteor showers {shooting starts} are the best in late summer, and we lived in an area away from city lights so the impact is very intense. We would lay outside watching, laughing, and talking for hours. We did it before I left for college, and then again when we were engaged. Darin proposed to me while looking at a full moon. We got up very early to watch the Leonids as newlyweds.

All memories I cherish. How perfect to add another one.

Alas, 6 + inches of snow made it difficult to get anywhere we could watch, with no visibility even if we could get out of the city.

Drats. Double Drats.

I did surprise Darin with cinnamon rolls and a love note {we served cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate at our reception}. Darin gave me an amazing gift {another post at another time}. We also spent some quality time talking about us. Our future, our family, where we are headed and what we want to accomplish. We haven't figured it all out yet, and I wouldn't call it a "cherished memory" but refreshing to be reminded of why we got married in the first place...and to remember that we made a good decision.

There are plans to do some snowshoeing over New Years and we will try out some new restaurant we have been meaning to visit.

All along the way there will be memories made.

We picked up Darin after work for a trip to Temple Square for the awe-inspiring lights and entertaining people watching.

Especially this little person.

He is so much fun.

I seriously feel bad for people who don't get to spend time with my children.

Totally biased, I know...but isn't it great I love them so much, since I am their mother and all.

then....

Grand America Hotel for their window alphabet tour.

With a shortbread cookie prize at the end,

and gingerbread delights along the way.

Very GRAND indeed.

Christmas Music

First of many {I hope} holiday concerts!

I seriously considered not doing neighbor/friend gifts this year.

If there was a year to bow out gracefully it would be this one...a baby year.

I just couldn't seem to do it.

I have such great memories of running treats around to neighbors as a kid. It's one of my favorite memories of Christmas. I just didn't realize back then the work my Mom did behind the scenes.

So, I thought we would just cut the list waaay down.

Again, I just couldn't do it!

I scrambled to make another batch of nutty buddies, more brownies, and even today while driving around the neighborhood there were so many I would love to give a gift to but didn't.

It was all worth it in the end. Bub and Mimi were so excited to deliver gifts yelling "Merry Christmas!" at every home. Bub would hide the gift in his coat and say slyly "We have a gift for youuuu!" pulling the treat out with a flourish. They ran from house to house happy as clams.

To see such joy in giving is for sure worth it.

Cookie Par-tay

Miriam's first {annual?} cookie party

Tangled and Tears

Our yearly trip to the movies!

We all loved Tangled. We all laughed, Miriam and I sobbed.

We so rarely go to the movies it's a super big treat to go. Blogworthy even.

We like it that way.

It was fun to go with friends and a good thing we did since they saved seats to the sold out show! Thanks J & O.

Sweetness

I've been up to my eyeballs in candy houses.

Some for the Young Women.....

.....and one big one for us!

Miriam and Bub worked on this house little bits at a time, from Sunday night till Wednesday.

(when I threw away the candy...it could have gone on forever!)

Masterpiece!

Miriam's school choir sang at the city's Christmas lighting ceremony.

Very cute, very crowded, very rainy.

Lots of Christmas fun I am too overwhelmed to take pictures of or blog about.

This guy is just along for the merriment. He is so fun to have around (when rested and fed).

We are all looking forward to celebrating Soren's first Christmas.

December 1st

We hit the season running.

Made our annual trip to the Festival of the Trees. This year was special because Miriam's school put together a tree in honor of a former student. It was exciting to wonder the trees on a hunt to find it.

We found a few favorites,

had a treat (or two).

We so enjoy this event every year.

Thanksgiving 2010

Our Thanksgiving was mellow and easy and yummy. I was so in the mellow, being full and all, I didn't even open my camera bag.

Until....

balance practice.

My in-laws did all the cooking and insisted on the clean-up. This Thanksgiving was easy, easy like Sunday morning. Our first with Cristin's family. How fun to have cousins my kids ages on both sides of our families!

Goodness

Our monstrous forecast blizzard has been a regular ole' snowstorm so far. Perhaps the winds will pick up tonight, but so far just fluffy snow twirling to the ground. Darin and I were both hoping he would be snowed in from work tomorrow. Having admitted that, I have to add that I am so incredibly thankful for Darin's job, for his willingness to provide for us, and that I am able to stay home with the kiddos.

Speaking of being thankful here are a few gratitude flags that made me smile.

Mimi's school did a great job with Veteran's Day. She walks around singing "I'll gladly STAND UP...next to you and defend her still today. There ain't no doubt I love this laaaaand! God Bless the USA!!" I am sure that is what prompted this particular flag.

Bub is so much like his Dad. Tools are admired, desired, thought about, and dreamed about.

I made the thankful rolls I've seen around the blogosphere. Thankful promptings wrapped in tin foil baked in a fluffy Lion House roll. Fun for all, but Miriam especially LOVED this. She was tickled when she got the note that said "I am thankful for Miriam because______".

Like fortune cookies but better because they are fluffy!

I am thankful for my sweet Mim, my delightful Bub, and this hunka chunka burnin' love. In my opinion, he is one of the top three cutest babies ever.

Gettin our Gratitude on

Proof that we have moved on from Halloween.

The Beehives put on a Thanksgiving Soup dinner for the elderly in our ward {church}. Since we have zero $ the girls made soup with their moms and I got on the internet to find cheap decorations 12 year old girls could make.

Paper bags and old magazines can go a long way!

I carefully took down the decorations to take home and use as this years thankful list. I have to admit I had this in mind when I had the girls make them. I have enough flags to wrap thankful flags all around the house since no one else wanted to take them home.

Joy School was at our house this week so we got to host the Thanksgiving Party.

These kids are soooo easy, and so much fun. The easiest Joy School I have done yet.

What a kiddo feast!

I love love love Bub's alien turkey.

see a better version of the popcorn turkey on One Charming Party

Little b and big m had a grat time trik or treating.

It was so fun going I hope we go next hallowen.

-written by Miriam 6 years old

Its gray today, we need some promise of holiday fun!

Off to run errands in the cold...blagh blek ugh argh