Christmas!!!

Ok, so Christmas is long over and we did lots of fun things, but obviously I didn't post them on here, so once again it will all be condensed into one thing.  Let's just say, we were too busy having a good time with the kids to post what we did on the computer (not to mention our computer has been having problems lately)

So here is the condensed version...

At the ward party, the kids did a nativity, Jared played Joseph and Shawn played a sheep and David played a shepherd, they were very cute (pictures are on Dad's camera).  Stephanie sang The First Noel with Annie even though she was starting to get sick with her fever, she did a good job.  I sang Silent Night and then played the flute for another lady in the ward.  And of course, they saw Santa again.  Aren't they cute?

Gingerbread Houses!!!

Jared made a graham cracker gingerbread house at Webelos and so we had a good time making gingerbread houses several times over the month.  I found a kit at Wal-Mart and it was fun, but the graham cracker ones were just as fun and easier to eat!

More Good Things to Eat (molasses cookies)

I think its becoming a tradition to make molasses cookies every Christmas at our house.  I need to be on the lookout for a gingerbread MAN cookie cutter.  In the meantime, there were lots of little hand helping with cutting out and licking fingers and digging into dough - its no wonder we can never give any to other people.

That's Ok, everyone eats them!

Kaytie even got into the act by helping her dad to frost a cookie - "But dad, I was going to lick my fingers!"

Christmas Programs!!!

Shawn's kindergarten program was really fun, he talked for weeks about how he was going to be a toy soldier and he sang all the songs.He was a cute little toy soldier with his painted on cheeks, the hardest part for me was telling which one was my little guy.  His buzz cut and then the hat made it difficult for me to differentiate.  Eric spotted him before me.  Oh well, I did finally find him among the crowd.  I've decided if you want Shawn to remember and learn something, you need to set it to music.  (Feet and hands, feet and hands, feet and hands to yourself)

To get this picture I had to ask him to put his hat back on.  He was so cute and talked about his red cheeks.

Michael had a combined band concert/orchestra concert.  Most of the time, it feels like torture to have to sit through the part that your child is not in, but I must say the WHOLE concert was quite enjoyable.  Maybe someday, I will have a violin player?  Michael was quite pleased that he got to participate with the concert band, but also was asked to be a second alto sax player for the Jazz band (the only Freshman or Freshie as his friends call him).  They did a really good job.  They played a medley from Les Miserable which brought goosebumps to me, since I finally got to see it down at Tuacahn last year- so awesome, can't wait to see it again sometime.

Stephanie also had a Christmas Choir concert, but all the pictures from that are on the video camera, but she also had the opportunity to perform with the choir at temple square.

Temple Square.

Since we have to take 2 vehicles every where we go now, we decided since Stephanie would be getting a ride on the bus with the choir, we'd take the rest of the family and see her up there.  So amidst protests from a certain teenager we went to temple square.  It was a really neat opportunity for Stephanie, she got to perform in the assembly hall and also in the south visitors center.  (we had to leave before the visitors center so we could stop at wal-mart and still get home before Stephanie did)

They did really good at the assembly hall.  You aren't allowed to take video of the performance and pictures are allowed after the performance ends.  The host for the evening kept talking and saying he would move to the side to allow for pictures - when he finally moved the choir did too, so only one picture was taken from really far back and they were moving off stage, so we didn't get the best picture.

Stephanie is the 3rd one from the left on the front row.

The lights were beautiful as always on temple square and it was fun for the little ones, they didn't remember the last time we went, so it was really fun to listen to Shawn as he looked at all the big city sights.  David also enjoyed walking around (monkey backpack is a lifesaver) and looking up at the tall buildings and horse-drawn carriages.  Kaytie didn't care, she was a warm little pink marshmallow.

Kaytie's first Christmas!

So last year after we found out we were having a girl, one of the first things I bought for her was a pretty dress on clearance from Dillard's.  I figured it would fit for Christmas, she looked beautiful in it.  I wanted to get a picture of her by the snowman trees and after lots of attempts and her playing with the lights and snowmen, we got some cute pictures of her fascination with Christmas. (her brothers too)

You can tell these two love their baby sister, they all look so cute together.  The boys were also having a fancy drink (of sprite) while I was taking pictures.