Christmas in Idaho 2008

Christmas at Grammy's and Papa's this year!
Uncle Brian was there too! Grammy had the house all decked out, yes, boughs of holly! We really enjoyed the feeling of home. At our house the floors were still being finished! We managed to stick a wreath on the front door before we left for the big road trip to Idaho!

Christmas Morning! Our tradition is to read the Bible's story of the Christ child to be born and then in the morning to read the ancient Americans view in the Book of Mormon. Then we go into the living room together to open presents.
Alivia is still hiding under the blanket!
Caroline got a pink flower girl tree house from Santa.


Another cool thing we do is let the children take turns being the "elf". This year Alivia was it so, Taylor will be it next year. This lucky person gets to be in charge of getting out the presents and handing them out and making sure that there is a good equal distribution of gifts.


The children give each other gifts and that is Greg's and my favorite part to see each of the children be proud and trying to please each other.

It was so awesome to get to hang out with Greg's brother Brian. We haven't had a chance to spend time with him like we did this visit. We especially enjoyed going to church with him and just talking alot. His is a sweetheart!


The question that often comes up,"what to get a person that has everything?!" Nuts of course! Jonathan was excited to give them to Papa.

Alivia received her much desired new camera. She promised to not let her friends hold it... live and learn.
Taylor got his supped up nerf gun.



Jonathan got what he actually begged for, a "Webkin" and stuffed toy that has a life on the Internet that his can tend to.

I'm working on growing up. Maybe some day I'll be like Greg content and enjoying the journey no matter what. I figured out that if I really try to give more and celebrate Christ being the ultimate gift then it lessens the desire to want to have a ton of cool toys! When we went bell ringing for the Salvation Army for 2 freezing hours singing our hearts out in front of Sam's Club, that kicked off our thrill for the season. It was so touching to see perfect strangers react to our service and joyful hearts as a family by stuffing the bucket full with tons of money for those in need.
Also before we left Minnesota, we enjoyed our tradition to go caroling. We love to think of who may need a little "pick me up" and we get to express ourselves in an old fashion way of celebration to sing and give treats to our friends. We get on a roll and want to visit everyone that we know!

Wait! Here's what happened before the holidays!

October brought Caroline's first snow! She'd heard about it, read books and seen it on TV. But there's nothing like the real thing baby! You can see our sub floors in the background. Since, Caroline has actually laid in the snow with her brothers and rested amongst much playing! She loves it!


We promised the children that we'd get them a Wii as we moved to the cold place of Minnesota. When the first snow happened we'd break it out. They we're thrilled especially as our family doesn't own even a Game Boy much less DS or any other gaming thing! I do think our adventures will be different now that we're in MN. It will be more on the side of beautiful snow falls with glitter in it, road trips and biking trails compared to the exotic ones of Okinawa.

Date night every weekend! Now that's what I'm talking about!
Jonathan front and center sings a song with his class at school about being a best friend, "If you were a little peach, I would be your fuzz"... best friends should be together, that's how it ought to be, so less pretend I'm a part of you and you're a part of me! I think we're doing that more and more these days, remembering the best friends and pretending we're together...I think that what we did during Thanksgiving, pretended we were together! The highlight of the Thanksgiving day was shooting off rockets with the Chipman boys from church then game night at the Dean's, other friends from church. WHile I'm menting it,I made a mighty fine yam dish if I may say so myself!

Too bad I have a shaky hand, but you'll see here it's hard to tell which one is wrapped around who's little finger? With most of the day home Greg, is getting to spend the most time ever with our last little one as she's little. Caroline actually fell asleep while sitting on Daddy's lap. What a delicious blessing!



One of our Christmas presents was a piano! Taylor has played for over a year now and has been practicing on a keyboard... but no more! Hooray! The first Sunday we had it he came home (and was fasting too) went straight to the piano and played until he had to eat and then again until he had to go to bed. What a blessing for him to finally get to soak up music as it wants! (notice the beautiful new floors! The piano was a bargain and I'm thinking I'll stain it to a darker color that I prefer, never the less we're glad!)

I looked out the window and what did I see? A little snow angel smiling back at me! the body size matches a happy Jonathan!




Caroline and I enjoy a music and movement class at the YMCA Shake-a shake-a boom boom!






Sledding in our front yard!
Snug a bug in a rug!


Taylor,(left)made us proud! Like father like son! The 5th grade band played "Peanuts" at a holiday concert.




DO YOU SEE THAT?
The tempurature is 11 degrees! I've never seen that in my life and felt it at the same time! Since then it's been below zero and Greg thrills at it and gives me a play by play of the dropping temps. I reminded him that I'm not THAT thrilled about this cold thing, just let it be known it's freezing! I don't want to embrace it that much! A new sensation is feeling my nose hairs freeze as I breath! I never knew that feeling before... women don't... um... nah!