Christmas Time

Christmas Time was the best this year. We did so many fun things. 

We had three advent calendars that we did. My dad got the girls a star wars lego one. Every day they opened one to find either a person or a little rocket of some sort. They loved it. My Grammee got them a hershey chocolate one. That was fun. And then we had our Savior advent. The girls were a lot better at listening this year. The loved looking at the pictures and talking about the stories. Its so fun to get to focus on the Savior and his life each morning. 

We also  started a new really awesome tradition this year. I made a little manger out of popsicle sticks and made a little wooden baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. I got some "hay" and every time we did an act of service in the month of December we got to put some hay in the manger. The girls loved it! We started out by explaining to them that we needed to put the hay in the manger to make it soft for the baby Jesus. They really loved it and the cute things they did for each other and for us was awesome. Those girls have big hearts full of service. I'm so grateful! 

At the beginning of the month we had our Ward Christmas party. It was so much fun. It got off to a really rough start. We struggled getting ready and getting out the door. It was a breakfast party. On the way I was telling Kyle I was not feeling the Christmas spirit. Then once we got in Juliet was the biggest stinker ever. Luckily it all came together and we had a great time. They did a whoville/ grinch theme and it was so fun! I love our ward! 

I was able to go to Kyle's work party with him. That was a blast. My friend was asking me if it was awkward going to those parties and I told her it really isn't. I usually end up sitting with my mom and my aunts. After being there for about 15 minutes I was at a table with my mom and my aunts. And I laughed. Its also fun for me to see all the people I used to work with. The party was at a really fun out door restaurant. It has kind of western vibe. They had bon fires and smores stuff. The food was pretty good! It was just a nice relaxing night with Kyle. I love watching him be Dr. Cordner. He has really been settling into his role at Shalimar and its been so fun to watch his confidence grow. He is so great at handling all the things that come his way. It was very neat to see how different he was this year compared to last. I can't wait to see what this year brings! 

We went to the Riparian Preserve after dark again. My family came with us and it was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect. The lights were so much fun. It was just a fun relaxing night together. 

I was able to go read a Christmas story to Abby's class. That was a lot of fun. I love getting to be in her classroom. She is such a special girl! 

We were able to go see the temple lights as a family. That was a blast. It was a beautiful night. We got to the temple early and were able to park in the temple parking lot. That has never happened before. The girls loved it. We had so much fun with them. It was so nice to be able to have everyone walk around and listen and enjoy being together. I love making these Christmas memories with our little family! 

I was able to participate in the coolest Christmas Concert. I've watched my mom and Lacee sing in the choir and this year I wanted to do it with them. We had so much fun together! We practiced every Sunday night from November until the week before the concert. The music was so much fun. They had a mix of Choir numbers and then local groups/soloists. It was incredible. Two people from cinematic pop sang. They were incredible. It was such a fun Christamsy thing for me to be in. It really brought the spirit of Christmas for me this year. I was so grateful to Kyle for being so supportive of me doing it! 

Then we had our Young Women's Christmas lesson. It was so neat! Our president is the neatest person. She came up with the best lesson. It really made me think about the story of the nativity in a whole new light. We talked about each person/thing in the story of the nativity as we put together this beautiful nativity. I had to read about Mary. And I cried. Being pregnant and being a mother brings a whole new perspective to her part of the story. My favorite part of the lesson was when Kami talked about the stable. She talked about what a miracle the stable was. I guess in Jerusalem the normal population was around 600ish. Around the time of Christ's birth during the Passover there were millions. So Bethlehem being only 6 miles south of Jerusalem would have been over flowing with people. There wasn't any room anywhere. She also described how the Inns were set up. They were open rooms around a court yard where all the animals were kept. So there was no privacy. At all! And she was about to have a baby. So really the stable was a miracle. It was private and warm. The Lord prepared that humble place just for Mary. Thinking of the Stable as a miracle and not a horrible inconvenience was amazing to me. I don't know why but it really struck a chord with me. 

The we had Juliet's birthday. That gets its own post. Because Juliet is the best! 

We were able to go see "A Christmas Carol" with the Cordners. It was so much fun! That show is incredible. The Hale Theater always puts on such a great show. Corey McClosky played Scrooge. He is the weather man for Fox10 and I loved him in high school. I watched Fox10 every morning before school. He is so entertaining! He isn't very old so I wondered how he was going to play scrooge. He rocked it! The makeup to make him look older was awesome. It was so much to watch him. I love that story too, its just the best. After we went to buffalo wild wings for dinner with everyone and that was awesome. I haven't been there in forever. 

Then we were able to do the Temple lights with my family. Carson and Andi were in town which made it so much more fun. We got there super early again, and let me tell you thats the way we will aways do it. Its so much less stressful! After we went to dinner and then watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas at my parents house. It was a great night. 

Then we were able to spend some time with the Cordner side of the family on Christmas Adam. The Mortensens were in town and it was so fun watching all the cousins play together. For the first time in our 9 years of marriage all of Kyle's siblings and families were together. We had a lot of fun. I did a lot of baking and cooking that day to get ready for Christmas Eve the next day. I love that kind of stuff. 

The whole month we read lots of Christmas stories and watched lots of Christmas movies. We went Christmas shopping and wrapped lots of presents. I was so on top of things this year and had everything wrapped and under the tree really early in the month. It was awesome! 

My sweet girls pretending to be Mary and Joseph. I loved the costumes Abby came up with. 

The riparian preserve lights. 

Juliet wanted her picture with this Rudolph. I told her to take the picture right her and she was not happy. 

Then we went to where she wanted to take the picture and she was much happier. 

My beautiful mom and sister after our concert. We had such a blast together! 

Christmas movies! 

Every December we walk around Toys R Us to get ideas for Christmas presents. Juliet saw this and had her heart set on it. She had been asking for a pink microphone and pink guitar for months. And then changed her mind. Which was unfortunate because Amazon had already helped Santa deliver the guitar and microphone. So luckily her birthday was only a few days before so we did that for her birthday and Santa delivered on the Minnie Mouse toy. 

The star wars lego advent! 

Painting snowflakes. We loved doing lots of Christmas crafts together. 

Santa at the ward party. It was a pajama party and the girls loved wearing their new pajamas. Although I spent 40 minutes looking for Jane's pajamas that morning! 

Hugging the tree

Our traditional gingerbread night! The girls had so much fun. They were so into it. Things like this just get easier and more fun each year. 

Abby's elf on the wall at school. 

After Abby's Christmas concert. She was sooooooooooooo nervous about the concert. But she did so well! 

At the temple with our little family. Abby was not into pictures. 

But these two were! 

Putting the pictures up on our Advent. 

Christmas dresses! 

After Juliet's Christmas party. It was also her birthday so she got a crown and an extra birthday present. She looked like she had the best day ever at preschool. 

Abby told me "look Rudolph has a swollen nose". 

My whole family! Minus dad taking the picture. I love these people! 

We saw a rocket take off from California while we were walking back to our car. It looked so cool! 

Pie baking! I seriously love having the girls in the kitchen with me! 

The girls all ready for the Ward Christmas Party. 

Juliet and Santa. Little stinker. She whispered what she wanted in Santa's ear and would tell us. She kept saying "its a surprise". Luckily we finally got it out of her.

All of us after the party! 

Making neighbor treats together. I seriously trash the kitchen when I am creating. But everything always turns out yummy. We did pretzels with melted rolls in the middle. Then we dipped them in red and green chocolate and sprinkled christmas sprinkles on them. Kyle was awesome and took the girls around to deliver them to everyone. 

Christmas time is seriously the best! I love starting new traditions and keeping up old traditions with these sweet girls. We are so truly blessed and I really felt that this month.