Christmas Day 2012, and a few end-of-the-year-thoughts

(Even though they are a necessity of life, "forced" pictures like the one above are not my favorite. Oh well.)

Santa was sooo good to us this year! We awoke to this note:

He filled our stockings (video games and candy, what more could you ask for?) and left B two movies, C a white board, G a video camera, and S a digital camera. Who knew the King children were on the nice list? 

We have always done Christmas Day at our house, but this year we changed things up and went to Rich's parents house. We love their house with all its space and more space. Here, some highlights:

We had fun this year making some presents for each other, hence the pool-noodle lightsabers (BIG hit, pun intended) and Rich's notebook from Cassidy entitled "Smokers Never Quit: Rich's Tips for Smoking and Grilling." There were many more favorite gifts, too many to list. The kids might not agree, but we adults enjoyed watching our loved ones open our specially thought-out gifts just as much or more than opening our own gifts from others. (That being said, I still do love me some presents.)

"Before"

"After" (un-posed, of course)

I love having an 8 year old. It makes me smile!

It was a wonderful Christmas. I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for so many things!

A few odds and ends.....

This Christmas Eve I went with my family to dinner and the movies. After that we went home, got ready for bed, read Christmas stories and tucked kids in bed and awaited the magic of Christmas morning. Last year I went to dinner and the movies with my family and then spent the rest of Christmas Eve in the ER with my mom.Some of Christmas Day we spent at the hospital with her.  The next 9 months were spent in a whirlwind of doctor appointments and cancer treatments and cleaning out and selling a home and every emotion it is possible to feel and then some. We really missed Grandma Casey this Christmas! She loved Christmas, loved especially giving gifts to us, her family.  I hope somehow she still got to be with us.

Christmas Party

Each year we excitedly anticipate a warm and fuzzy Christmas party with this cute family, the Knoxes. We are so grateful for their friendship, so grateful they put up with us! We sorely missed my mom at the party this year. She wouldn't have missed it for anything. I was reminded of a year ago at this time, when my mom first had symptoms but had yet to be diagnosed. Lots of things change in a year's time.

 There are some festive guarantees at the Knox/King Christmas Party:

1. Lots and lots of sillies...

2. Lots and lots of presents...

3. Lots and lots of musical numbers...

4. And lots and lots of kids, including and introducing baby Troy..

Special special thanks to my wonderful in-laws for hosting a beautiful dinner and psycho night full of noise, kids, and craziness. Merry Christmas!

2nd Grade Nursing Home Field Trip

In the midst of all the school parties, singing programs, teacher gifts and secret santas in December, I had the wonderful opportunity to go with Garrett and his 2nd grade class to the Charleston Assisted Living Center in Cedar Hills. It was such a wonderful activity to be a part of. The children sang Christmas songs to the residents there, recited Christmas poems, read Christmas stories, and presented each resident with a fringed fleece blanket made by 2nd graders.

Here Garrett and his friend Hunter are trying to read to John. I'm pretty sure John's hearing gave way long ago, but he didn't seem to mind, and the boys didn't mind, either. 

The whole experience was very Christmas-spirity. So glad I got to be there. So glad to have a second grader. Especially glad that said second grader is Garrett.

December

This December has been so much fun. I love love love all the parties and outings and advent calendars and treats and stories and neighbor gifts and videos and music and movies and traditions and especially the story of little baby Jesus who came to this world so humbly and perfectly and makes the whole season and really, our whole lives, feel meaningful and special and wonderful. I love Christmas.

We've had so much fun this month doing little things together as a family. There was a trip to temple square and window shopping at City Creek followed by an amazing dinner at Cheesecake Factroy. The picture below is of the Oreo cheesecake we ordered. Yum!

(Photo courtesy of Garrett P. King Enterprises)

There was also a FHE at Thanksgiving Point, visiting Santa's reindeer and waiting in line for a really long time for really bad hot chocolate but hey, still fun and (mostly) no fighting:

Then last night we had fun working on a small service project together that involved making bookmarks and pom poms (big hit, check out Ben's white and purple one) and talking about service and how when we give of ourselves we really give to the Savior. It was simple, but everyone participated, there were good attitudes around, and we capped off the evening with Krispy Kreme donuts that some kind friends dropped by serendipitously. 

May I just say....I love my family. We are laden with challenges big and small and we are so far from the ideal BUT, I love them all and mostly I love US together, bad attitudes, laziness, orneriness, selfishness and all. We've got a long way to go, but hey, we've also come a long way. Love you!