Christmas Festivities

 Matthew being Santa Claus and bringing gifts to Daniel.  photo below: riding on his sleigh (aka couch).

10 Year Anniversary celebrated in Sedona (that is Daniel under Matthew's jacket) thanks to my parents for watching the kids.

Gingerbread House Decorating

Santa Lucia

Chrissie brought Rick a nice hot cup of cider and sang him some songs.  We then had a special breakfast.

Advent Baking: every Sunday morning we'd make Christmas cookies.

 Daniel's Baby Blessing

Playing with Zinn cousins

Candy Making

Tree Decorating

Chrissie's school Nativity Program

Chrissie's grade sang a song.  I wished I had a better shot of her.  She sang with such emotion.  It was so cute. My heart melted.

Making gifts: favorite Christmas tradition

Dinner with the adults (and Daniel of course)

Christmas Package: sending a Christmas package to my nephew Elder Kyle Bergeson who is on a mission in Costa Rica. The kids drew him lots of pictures.  My favorite was a picture Chrissie drew of Kyle walking in the rainforest eating a banana. And we filled it with lots of American goodies. 

Special Person's Day

Back at the beginning of November Chrissie's school had what was called, "Special Person's Day." She invited a special person, her dad, to spend a morning at school with her.  She had a special name tag for him and took him around to her classes.  She showed him her journal that she is working.  And then the kids and I showed up for the Art and Music Extravaganza called, "Rhythm and Hues." Each grade had art work on display and performed their own musical number, which was beautifully done.  

Her art work: through lines she expressed how she was feeling in the photo taken of her.

 It was a wonderful event despite Jane's slippery skirt that kept falling off, despite that she decided to be a puppy following me around licking the gym floor and barking...in the middle of the performance...and Matthew seemed to have "ants in his pants."