Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve was so much fun! 

I started out the morning with a 6 mile run with friends. 

When everyone else woke up we started  out the morning with a big breakfast at home. I made french toast, buttermilk syrup, strawberries and bacon. Super yummy! 

The we got ready and went to hang out with Carson and my family! Tim and Kelly were both out of town, we really missed them. We had a good day hanging out and getting ready for that night! We went home in the afternoon and put Jane down. I finished making my pies and Kyle helped the girls make ginger bread houses. We got all dressed up and ready to go back to Mema's house. I made the Ham in our oven... and I filled it up a little bit too much water. It boiled over a little bit and the oven caught on fire a little bit. It really freaked us out! So that was eventful. Then we headed over for a delicious dinner at my parents! 

We had so many yummy things to eat! My grammy and grandpy came over too. That was a lot of fun to have them there. Then we had our Nativity play, sang songs, played the piano and played our favorite night before christmas game. Then it was time to head home. Jane went to be immediately. She was done. But Abby and Jules stayed up with me and we read "A Christmas Dress for Ellen" one of my favorite Christmas stories. I bawled while I was reading it, and Abby told me it would be ok. I hope to start that tradition so that we go to sleep being grateful for everything we have and so focused now what we will get the next morning. We tucked our sweet girls into bed and then Kyle and I finished up a few things and watched "While you were Sleeping". We got to bed pretty early which was nice! 

The next morning we woke up at 7 to Juliet running in our room crying because she had a bad dream! Ha ha! Funny way to start out Christmas Morning. Then we woke up Abby and Jane and went down stairs. The girls were pretty overwhelmed. Next year I think I will wrap more gifts instead of having them all out "from Santa". But we had fun unwrapping the stocking gifts. They we took turns opening all our gifts from under the tree. 

Then we hurried and got ready and went to Sacrament meeting with my parents. Then we headed to my families house and unwrapped more gifts and had a delicious breakfast. Then we hung out for awhile, went home and napped and picked up the house. Everyone came over later to see what Abby, Jules and Jane got for Christmas. Then Tim got back from flying and came over for dinner. It was nice to get to spend a little time with him! We missed Tim and  Kelly this Christmas. 

Christmas was awesome and over way too fast! 

Every year it just gets better and better with these sweet girls. I love making memories with my family! 

Here is all the pictures from the fantastic night and morning! 

All dressed up for the nativity 

Abby was Mary and it was so sweet to see how tender she was with the little baby doll. 

Reading Christmas stories

The gorgeous layout. My mom knows how to dress a table. 

Santa Came! 

Jane got the baby highchair, Juliet got the microphone and Abby got the golf clubs. She has loved going golfing with daddy. 

On the stairs on Christmas morning 

Juliet got her pink bubbles! 

Abby got her girl legos! She put them all together without any help. I was so proud of her. 

Juliet is 4!

Oh Jules! You are the best. You are sweet, protective, excited, loving and a happy light in our lives. Watching movies with you is the best. You feel everything so strongly. You get really excited, really sad, really scared and over joyed when everything works out in the end. You are always up for a hug or snuggling. Holding your little hands is the sweetest thing. You have the sweetest little voice. You make up the best songs. You are so good to your sisters. You take very good care of both of them. Other kids better watch out because you will be right there to defend them if anything happens. You know how to make everyone feel special and loved. It doesn't take anyone very long for people to fall head over heels in love with you. You love to be goofy and make us all laugh. You LOVE preschool. More than anything. You tell me when you are going to school "I won't miss you, or Jane, or daddy or Abby, or Mema, because I'm at school!" You would live at Mema and Poppi's house. You love all of your family, and cousins and grandparents. And you are adored by all of them. You are so friendly. Sometimes it makes your shy mom feel very uncomfortable. You push me out of my comfort zone, which although its hard I know is making me a better person. You try my patience more than your sisters combined. I hope and pray your teenage years are nothing like what we are going through right now! You refuse to wear anything to bed other than your night gowns which are 2T nightgowns. They hardly fit you but you squeeze in to them. You are a great helper, when you want to be. Ha ha! You love playing at the park, riding your scooter and just being with friends. You love to watch movies and TV. I often find you sneaking the iPad so that you can watch shows in the closet when you aren't supposed to. You are a picky eater and I usually hear you at dinner telling me that the food is "disgusting". Sometimes the only way we can get you to eat your dinner is to spoon feed it to you. Your eyes and your little lips are so perfectly formed. It doesn't get much cuter than my sweet Juliet. You tell me a lot "I can't do this" but then I tell you to keep at it and you do it! Then you dance and say "I did it, I did it!" I know that you can always do it Juliet. When it seems hard you keep trying, because you can do it. 

For Juliet's birthday this year we had cake and ice cream the Sunday before because that was the only night everyone could come. Then on Juliet's actual birthday we put Jane down for a nap at my mom's house and took Abby and Jules to the mall for lunch and a fun trip to Build a Bear. Juliet loved it. They gave her ice cream and sang to her at lunch. Build a bear was so cute. She was of course excited about every little thing the whole day. It was a great day to celebrate our sweet Juliet! She is the best! 

Always making me laugh! 

Opening her gifts! 

ringing the birthday bell

Cake and ice cream with family

Lunch at Johnny Rockets

Build a bear

Making a wish to put in their bears

Happy Birthday my big 4 year old! I think this one will be the best year yet! 

Christmas Activities 2016

We started out our Christmas festivities with our Ward party. It was so much fun! The dinner was super yummy, the decorations were so fun, Santa was awesome and it all ended with a "snow ball fight". That was a huge highlight. Towards the end of the night they put a bunch of tissue paper on all the tables. Everyone crumpled it up and then the started playing music and everyone went crazy. The girls loved it. They even mixed in some yellow tissue paper (yellow snow..get it?) Our ward is awesome. Its hard moving somewhere new, but I feel more at home after 6 months here than I thought I would. Its awesome! 

Then we had Abby's first school Christmas concert. It was so fun! She had her family, her grandparents on both sides, and even her Great Grandma there to support her. I am so grateful for family! Abby did great. I thought she would be nervous but she did so well. She kept look over at us and smiling. She was standing right behind a girls that was two feet taller than her, why they put little Abby and her tiny friend Olivia anywhere but the front row I will never know. So that stunk that we could hardly see her. But she was so cute with all the actions. I am just so proud of her I could explode. After we went and got ice cream with grandma and grandpa. 

The next night we went to Kyle's work party. It was at the phoenix zoo which was a lot of fun. We had a dinner and talked with a bunch of people. Then we walked around the zoo and looked at all the lights. It was pretty cool. It was weird, I've been going to those parties for years. I've always been the employee, but this time I was the doctors wife! It was fun to see all my old co workers and friends. 

On night we went and walked around Old Town Gilbert. That was a lot of fun. The water tower was little up all festive. There were lights and cool window displays. It was a fun night and we saw a lot of new restaurants down there we need to go check out. 

We also went and walked around the riparian preserve christmas lights. That was really fun too. The whole park has light displays all around the lake and through the trails. The girls loved it! We'll be going again next year for sure. 

We went to the temple lights twice!! It was so fun. We went just our little family and then we went with all of my family. Both times we stopped and got hot chocolate at QT and then walked all over the temple grounds. Those lights never disappoint. 

Juliet had her little Christmas concert at preschool. She was so excited but ended up getting the stomach flu that day. She was totally fine when I dropped her off, but when I got back for her concert she was yawning and looked so pale. She hardly sang. It was a bummer. She looked so cute up there. We love that happy, excited girl! 

The Sunday before Christmas Wendy and I combined forces for sharing time/singing time and did a nativity play. I provided all the costumes and led the music. It was super fun! 

We had Abby's school Christmas party on the half day before school got out. That was a lot of fun. They made Christmas trees. Abby's looked so cool and then she threw it away before I got a picture. And jules and jane ate theirs. Typical. Its always fun to see Abby in her element. 

We made Ginger bread houses on Christmas Eve. Next year we won't put it off until the last second. It was rushed and we were tired from all the activities that day. But Abby and Jules still really enjoyed it. 

Between all of these fun things we watched a lot of Christmas movies. Our big nice comfy couch was heavenly to snuggle up on and watch all our favorite movies. 

It was a beautiful Christmas Season. Its so fun to make these memories as a family! 

Ward Christmas Party 

Craft area

Visiting Santa

Abby wanted: girl legos

Jane just wanted that candy cane and she was done with Santa. 

Jules asked for pink bubbles

Snowball fight!

Abby's school concert

the lights in Old Town Gilbert

Walking back to our car from the temple lights

Abby put this picture in the tree. It was one of my absolute favorite things. A perfect reminder.

Gingerbread houses! 

A family selfie after the ward Christmas party. I love this crew!

Juliet photobomb!

After Abby's Christmas concert

In the zoo at Kyle's work party

Preschool Christmas Concert

My only picture from the riparian preserve 

Abby's Polar Express

Primary nativity

My three girls in Old Town Gilbert. It was not nearly as cold as Juliet's outwear would lead you to believe. 

Abby's school Christmas party

Hot chocolate at the temple lights! 

Holding hand at the temple lights. I love these two best friends.

We started putting together Christmas gifts the week before Christmas. We are so happy we didn't leave it until Christmas eve! 

My favorite trees at the temple lights 

Our Christmas Advent. This was the first year we've been able to go the whole month through because we weren't traveling. The pictures have scriptures on the back. We go through the Savior's whole life. I would read them every morning before School. I honestly didn't think they were listening. Then my dad started asking them about the pictures and the repeated everything back to him. It was a cool lesson that they are listening to me, even when it fees like they aren't. It was really nice to start out every morning thinking about the Savior. I feel like it really helped focus me this Christmas season. 

I love Christmas!