Christmas Day 2013

Christmas in our new house was fun!  Because of the layout, we had to get a bit creative with keeping the kids from seeing the tree early, but Dave used his skills and made it work great.

Looks like Santa came after all...

He is SO perfectly snuggly! Santa did a good job with him.

Getting ready to head up the stairs...

And they're off!

All that was left of Santa's cookies and the reindeer snack.  Those messy reindeer had the nerve to come into our house! :)

Super excited and a little bit dazed.

Santa got this little girl EXACTLY what she asked for...WOW!

It's a big teddy bear...but wait, what is he holding?

Sweet!

Emma's newest friend, Saige.

Santa brought Joely a princess hair set and a princess cell phone.  She was super excited to do hair!

Joely was glad to have a willing Aunt Kacie for her hair experiments.

We had a nice breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls for breakfast, got things cleaned up, and then the McClures arrived (including Uncle Brennan!) bearing more gifts!  Everyone visited for awhile and snacked on veggies, and then we decided to head over to the park and the lake to enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather.

For Christmas, Dave gave me a new lens for my camera.  I had fun trying it out as Mom and Kacie walked my direction.  I felt a bit like the paparazzi!

Sweet girls

Beautiful Kacie

One of the most memorable parts of Christmas Day was watching the bald eagles at the lake shredding a dead goose to bits.  I guess it was their Christmas goose... They were beautiful and magnificent, but it was a bit grisly to watch!

Our Christmas dinner was YUMMY and had all the trimmings.

It was a pleasant, laid back, awesome Christmas day.  I'm so glad my family lives close and that we could share the day with them. 

Christmas Eve Festivities 2013

We had planned on spending Christmas in Glenwood with the Jex clan, but plans changed and we spent Christmas in our new house.  Luckily, we were able to still do lots of fun things together and with the McClures.

We kicked off Christmas Eve with a gingerbread house-making party.  Dad was the architect and builder for the project (a fitting assignment).

Creating a masterpiece with great skill and concentration. :)

So many choices for decorating! I get a sugar rush just looking at it.

The kids did a great job decorating their houses.  I was surprised and impressed with their skills.  Plus, they were really good about not eating too much candy.  Just a little here and there (or else they've gotten better at snitching on the sly).

Joely and I were gingerbread house-making buddies.  She was a fantastic decorator!

Carson got all crazy and added a garage and a vehicle!

Joely's finished house.  I love the gingerbread man marshmallows.  They were so cute!

Emma's gingerbread men had a car to drive around in too.

Carson's even had the word CANDY on the roof.  That about sums it up!

After our gingerbread house-making session, we headed to Fort Collins to celebrate with the McClure's.  

There's a lot of red and green in this picture.

Reindeer!

Buddies...we love Uncle Riley!

New Pajamas for Christmas Eve

It isn't Christmas Eve with the McClure's unless we have the Nativity.  Emma was our beautiful heralding angel.  Joely was happy to be Mary.  She loves babies.  Carson was an unwilling Joseph (or shepherd, I'm not sure which he really was supposed to be).  And Dave jumped in to try and encourage Carson along.

If looks could kill... :)

Sweet Mary

Awww.....

Is that Santa Claus I hear?

Emma made the reindeer food at school and was very concerned that Santa would think it was for him.  So, she decided to clarify.  Apparently everyone understood, because when we woke up on Christmas morning, the milk and cookies were gone, and the reindeer had overturned the bowl and left nothing but crumbs.  Emma was delighted!

Christmas Sunday Best

The Sunday before Christmas, I always try to have the kids dressed in "Christmassy" apparel.  And some years are better than others.  This year the kids looked cute, but the attitude of one little one could have used an adjustment...

Joely's expression cracks me up.  She and Carson were good sports.

Emma can't help but crack a smile this time...

Seeing the Lights

During all our years in Utah, we religiously went to see the lights at Temple Square each Christmas.  I was sad knowing that we wouldn't be able to do that this year.  Luckily, we had an alternative!

After our "date weekend," we picked the kids up from Sjani and Ryan's (where they had a totally awesome time) and then headed over to the Spring Creek Gardens.  Sjani and Elli went too, and Grandpa and Grandma McClure and Aunt Kacie met us there.  The lights weren't as crazy as those on Temple Square, but it also wasn't nearly as crowded, and Santa was there!  We stopped and talked to Santa first, got apple cider while we were in line, and then explored the grounds for awhile.  Carson asked Santa for a giant teddy bear, Emma asked for the American Girl doll Saige, and Joely asked for a hippopotamus!  It was a great evening.  Thanks to Aunt Sjani for suggesting it!

Waiting in line to see Santa.

The gang's all here!

I didn't get a decent shot of all 3 kids smiling and Santa looking...so Santa will just have to deal with it.  :)

A very cold tea party...

Christmas memories

Date to the Symphony

After our LONG separation, Dave's sister Sjani offered to watch our kids for a weekend so we could have a little time to ourselves.  She's AMAZING!  Dave had heard me say a few times that I would love to go to the symphony and hear beautiful live music, so he surprised me with tickets to the Colorado Symphony's performance of the Messiah.  It's something I've wanted to do for years, and I was super excited!

The night of our date, it was a bit chaotic with Dave getting home from work, dashing to Fort Collins to drop the kids off at Sjani and Ryan's, and then trying to make it to Denver during rush hour in time for the symphony.  We actually made it with time to spare, but not enough time for dinner, so we grabbed a muffin at Starbucks to tide us over...it was the least expensive place we could find in close walking distance!

The symphony was wonderful!  After years of performing in bands, orchestras and choirs throughout junior high, high school, and college, I've really missed the majesty of live symphonies.  I think it feeds a part of my soul that has been hungry for too long.  It was very therapeutic.  We both reveled in the music, but weren't all that sad to have it end because we were HUNGRY!

Crazy zombie eyes...

We walked down to 16th Street and found a nice looking restaurant that was still open for dinner.  We were famished and polished off our meals quickly, which seemed to surprise our waitress.  :)  I guess most people don't eat that much food that late.

The next day we slept in (what a beautiful thing sleeping in is, with no children asking for pancakes) and then did some shopping at Centerra and the outlet malls.  Given that it was only a couple weeks before Christmas, the shopping areas were crazy, and I was very grateful to not have to chase down children the whole time.  It was a restful and very needed weekend together.  Thanks to Sjani and Ryan for making it possible!