December Wrap Up

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!! We are so blessed and had such a nice Christmas this year. I'm sad that it's over, the music that fills our home and the cars with the Spirit has to go away, the nativity sets that remind me of how much Heavenly Father loves us have to go away, and I'm faced again with the Challenge of keeping Christ in my everyday life without all the Merry, Joyful reminders of this wonderful season.

Still, my heart is grateful and I'll have fun choosing something from our decorations to keep up all year. It's ususally something small that only I notice - but it helps me remember and Honor Christmas all year!!! My favorite - our Willow Tree nativity - I love how Mary is cradling Jesus and I love the shepherds. The original set comes with one shepherd and sheep - I love that they came with haste to see the things the angels told them to find.

Some other nativities we like to display.

Our matching stockings! Yea!! Finally all 6 are done!

Clay things that the kids made with Grandma and Grandpa McDaniel's gift . . . Thought you'd like to see these Mom!

The rest are very out of order photos - but here are the Merry Christmas happenings we enjoyed this year:

Christmas Eve dinner with Grammy and Grandpa and neighbor, Debbie - Cornish game hens :)

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters :)

Alaina and Rebecca on the last day of school before the break - Christmas Eve Eve

Playing in our snow two days after Christmas. It was a blizzard, but we only got about six inches. The blizzard part was the wind which was wicked and made lots of deep drifts and dry patches of ground too . . . The kids loved it after the wind stopped and they got to go play in it.

Snow fortress and the grass at the back of the garage.

The wind blew up our back yard most of the two days before, so lots of snow ended up in our front yard and driveway - fun for Gregg.

Emory and Alaina at their piano recital - about two weeks before Christmas - she had fun and Chiara, her teacher, made it beautiful! Flowers and fancy programs and fun food and even a Family Home Evening lesson . . .

Waiting to come downstairs on Christmas morning - they are so good!

They played the piano and sang Christmas songs to wake us up :)

Alaina checks everything out -

Kathryn didn't ask for much - but this was one of the things she wanted. She also got a phone this year - I can't believe she's so 12!

This is Alaina's big gift - a sewing machine. She's been sewing up a storm with it.

Garrett's iPod :)

Rebecca's new doll -

she named her Lucy and still holds her and puts her jammies on every night and clothes on every morning.

Lucy's bed - Alaina's Samantha and Nellie got bunkbeds too and the girls (Kat and Kit included)got two chests to put all the dolls clothes and accessories in.

Rebecca finally has a stocking that matches the rest of the family's stockings. I finished it about a week before Christmas - she loves it!

Merry Christmas!!!