THE santa cookie

I spent the morning learning how to make Santa cookies with friends. We had a lot of fun.
These fulfilled the 2 requirements i have for spending a lot of time on a baked good - which are - 1, it has to look good and 2, it has to taste awesome. We gave these to our old neighbors wrapped in cellophane bags with big bows. So cute!

elf on our shelf

Joan ordered us an "Elf on the Shelf" several years back. This is our fourth Christmas with our elf, and he is off to a naughty start, evidenced by the pictures below! Teeny Tiny Snowball (as the kids named him) is usually uncreative and only hides in different spots every day, but this year he has some new ideas and we area all having fun with him. The boys have been waking up earlier than normal to find him, then they run into our room every morning to excitedly report. Oh what fun!

He toilet papered our tree!

And drew on our pictures!

christmas card

christmas advent calendar

Instead of treats, we have a fun activity countdown to Christmas this year. I made activity cards with some home-brewed scratch-off paint over the words. The boys are having a good time scratching off the paint with coins and love doing something Christmasy every day. 

1. "Tinsel through Time" at the Governor's Mansion
2. Watch "the Grinch"
3. Stay up 1 hour past bed time
4. Watch Luke 2 on DVD and sing Silent Night
5. Let's have pizza tonight!
6. Let's make gingersnaps!
7. Start a puzzle
8. Tell our favorite Christmas memories before bed
9. Ward Christmas party
10. Sleep under the Christmas tree
11. Caroling with the Brenchley's
12. Indoor snowball fight
13. Gingerbread house
14. Read "A Christmas Carol" before bed
15. Cut snowflakes
16. Hot Chocolate party with friends
17. Drive around town to see lights in PJ's
18. Learn new card game
19. Ice skating
20. Christmas shopping for brother and wrap presents
21. Drive to Utah!
22. Pioneer Village
23. Jones Family Christmas Party
24. Leave out cookies for Santa & sprinkle Magic Dust
25. Merry Christmas!

christmas pageant

The last time I attended a church Christmas Pageant was at age 14, when I was in the Young Women program. I was suckered into playing the role of Mary. I remember being quite uncomfortable stuffing a pillow in the bath robe I was made to wear (which was one of my youth leader's, eeew) to make myself look pregnant. I felt extremely silly when I had to turn away from the audience to throw out the pillow and replace it with a baby doll in my arms. To make it worse, I had to sit next to one of the grody Young Men, who played Joseph. I was quite immature at that age, and still thought boys had cooties. I felt I had sinned playing that role. ;)

The primary put on a cute little play of the Nativity at our Ward Christmas party this year. Ty was such a ham and was more interested in flapping his arms in his over-sized robe than singing Christmas songs. We loved having Matthias with us. It was such a sweet time for us.

Ty is still holding on to the belief that Santa is real, even though some of his friends insist it is all a hoax. Just to be sure Santa was the real deal, Ty asked Santa if he could pull his beard. Santa was kind enough to acquiesce. Real he was.

Christmas 2008

We were able to go to Utah for Christmas, and we loved being with family over the holidays!

Mom and I. It's so comforting being in my parents home around the holidays. I love seeing the decorations she still displays from when I was little: the miniature village homes, the windmill that reminds me of Grandma Jones, the smokers, the water globe, the nutcrackers, the red and white tree. Love it all. 

Me and Grandpa Jones on Christmas Day.  Such a sweet and wonderful man!

The boys during the holidays - so happy to be with family!

Matthias - a kid at heart

I love this picture - Bex and Ty at the Gateway water fountain.