Christmas Eve Morning

 Christmas Eve morning we all met at my folks for a big breakfast.  After we ate, the cousins re-enacted the nativity and my parents bore their testimonies.  I always love this little tradition.  We let the cousins open the gifts they got for each other and then headed home for naps.

 A lot of these are super blurry, but oh well.  I love the way Em is looking at Great Grandma in this one!

 I love my parents.  They make the best grandparents.

oh ya.  And Emery did this.

 

Staying busy in December

 Emery's Sunbeam teacher is AMAZING.  Like, the best teacher ever.  She goes above and beyond, every Sunday.  Emery LOVES her new class and it's all thanks to her teacher.  I'm so grateful for wonderful people like her. 

Also, Emery makes the prettiest little angel I ever did see.

 My two big girls sang in their school's Winter Concert.  I was so happy to hear all of the Christmas songs and see my two up there singing their hearts out without fear.  This is huge for us! 

 First piano recital!

We dread practice every day, and we dread paying for piano lessons.  But man on man, they are fast learners and I LOVE LOVE LOVE listening to them practice their songs.  I was, again, so proud of them for getting up in front of people and playing their songs.

 Kid notes are THE best thing.  

In the history of the world.

 translation:

"I love my family.  What's your favorite thing?  What's your name?  I love you.  Ten more days until Christmas.  Love, Charlotte"

 We've all been trading colds this winter, which isn't all bad considering I get to snuggle with this chick.

 

Christmas movies and Christmas views.

 A neighbor in our new hood had a visitor!  It made our "trip" to see Santa totally do-able.  My grown-up Sage had  no problem  hopping up on Santa's lap to give him her wish list.  The others, on the other hand?  Are still petrified.  Charlotte wouldn't even come.  I forced Em and Ivy, but didn't have another arm or else I would have forced Charlotte.  Ha!

 Family in town means lots of games and activities and chaos!

 Christmas Sunday!  We are so blessed with these beauties.

 My happy helpers making cookies for Santa!

Field Trip

 I am so lucky to be able to go on field trips with my girls each year.  This year, Sage and I went to the Cerreta Chocolate Factory.  It was an hour and a half away, and there was a tiny incident with lice on another student on the way (barf), but all in all it was pretty awesome.  The kiddos got to see how things were made and taste test a few things.  They made a chocolate pizza to take home and then we hit the park for lunch on our way back.  Sage and her pals Lilly and Gabby had fun playing.  I love love LOVE getting one on one time with my girls.  It was also super fun for me to sit back and watch Sage interact with her friends.  I'm sure proud of my girls.

In other school news, Sage had to do a book report on a chapter book and make a poster of the book as if it was turned into a movie.  She did an awesome job.

Big Tree, Little Tree

 Last year, our little tree the girls would hang their homemade ornaments on was a little full.  So this year we decided the big tree would be their tree.  I LOVE it. It makes me happy to see all of their little hand and foot prints, ornaments made at school, and gifted ornaments hanging up there.  Clint and I bought this little tree our first Christmas together in our little apartment.  It has hung on ever since, and the bigger blue, red and green balls on the big tree in these pics are the ones we used.  I never thought I'd be sentimental about stuff like that, but apparently I am.