December

 Went to cut down our Christmas tree.  The kids were in heaven with the snow. They did little picking out and cutting and way more playing and throwing snowballs at each other. 

 Just like every year, Adam gets impatient about 10 minutes into our search and tells me to just pick one.  I quickly find the least ugly tree in the close vicinity and we cut it down. :)

Decorated for Christmas.  I'm sick of decorations by the end of October (can't stand the extra clutter), so I usually procrastinate until the kids beg to put it up.  Crazy how much control I've relinquished with holiday decorating.  I pretty much let the kids (Grant mainly) do it all.  Those that know me, know what a big deal this is.  Go me!!

 

 Ava had her first piano recital.  She did awesome.  Adam and I both got to play a duet with her.  She's enjoying piano so far and is progressing nicely. 

 Becki, her awesome piano teacher.  She does a service project with every recital and this year they decorated pillow cases and filled them with socks for orphans in Africa.  

 The boys finally got the hint that they needed to be the Christmas light putter-uppers. They had lots of fun hammering nails into the house and adding lights.  

 I cringed (the whites don't match and there are gaps and sagging everywhere) and smiled (happy they were so proud of their work) every time I drove up.  :) 

 Most of December was consumed with the bake sale.  I sent out an email to our ward and sold cookies.  I got way more orders than I thought (which was good), so we were busy busy busy making and delivering cookies.  I made over 600 cookies! 

 Grant helping add faces to the marshmallows.

 The dining room became our order fulfillment station.  The kids loved getting the orders and then getting the plates ready. 

 We offered chocolate crinkles, peppermint 'Swig' cookies, macarons, carmelitas and a hot chocolate package (above). 

 

Our last delivery was to the new temple presidents (they just moved from our ward).  So much work, but such a great experience for our family and a tradition we've enjoyed doing the last few years. 

The loot we got to purchase from the bake sale. 

FHE wrapping session. I'm sure this made 3 little boys (and their mom) very happy on Christmas morning. 

 During the middle of the bake sale I did our Friends service planning dinner.  Each year we all get together and have dinner and then plan who and what we are going to do for our Christmas service project.  Always a fun night with friends. 

 We invited a few more families this year, so we had to move it from my house to the church.  

 Grant did a holiday traditions project at school, so Ava and I went to watch.  He did it on the bake sale. :)  We brought macarons to share with the class. As you can see, December I was in the kitchen pretty much all day and most of the night.  

 Went to Adam's work party.  Just now realizing I didn't get a good picture.  :/

 The kids had a Christmas breakfast which was so cute (didn't really get many pictures from this either).  Our primary president is the coolest!!

 The kids think this looks like a tall person. :)  

 Noah did a little recital at a nursing home. 

 Dinner at a friends house and they had some fun games to play.  The kids thought it was the greatest. 

 Our good friends (Noah's best friend, Evan) moved to Idaho, so this was our last play date before they moved. :(  

 No In-n-Out in Idaho, so we HAD to go to lunch there. 

 Had some friends over for dinner and crepes on Christmas Eve.  They acted out the nativity (very rowdily). 

 After everyone left they opened their P.J.'s (EVERY YEAR they forget it's ALWAYS going to be P.J.'s and a book on Christmas Eve).  Grant and Noah's pants didn't fit them (oops), so they're just wearing their new shirts. Notice the colored lights on the tree??  Told you I relinquished control over decorations (I'm a white lights only on trees kind of person).

 Christmas morning (they actually slept in until about 6:45, so I think we went down at 7).

 Grant got a scooter and Lego set from Santa, new knife and baseball gloves in his stocking. 

 Noah got a new bike and helmet from Santa, camping sleeping bag and magnifying glass in his stocking. 

 Ava got a new scooter and barbies from Santa and more barbies and glue for slime in her stocking. 

We only did family gifts this year (no individual gifts from mom and dad).  My kids get so possessive over their belongings (I know, it's a fairly normal kid behavior), but I don't think they need anything else that only belongs to them.  So the family got a couple stand up paddle boards and a new long board.  A couple days before Christmas we found a cheap fishing boat on Craigslist and got that too (since my boys have been into fishing lately).  

 After breakfast on Christmas morning, we packed up and headed to the cabin. 

 Adam started the arduous task of clearing our property. 

 The Edwards joined us for a few days.  More whittling by the boys. 

 Tested out the new fishing boat and SUP. 

 Went to Mary Poppins. 

 Sledding

 Took advantage of all the big bonfires Adam made from all his chain sawing. 

 The boys started digging and discovering a large amount of broken china dishes from the cabin that burnt down here. 

 Went to Castle Lake and played in more snow. 

 This made me so nervous being on the ice. 

 Watching the deer from the dining table. 

New Years Eve we ate Macarons, watched a movie, watched the ball drop (at 9, with NY) and went to bed.  LOVED spending the entire week at the cabin.  We usually only get a couple nights up there, so it was so fun not having to rush home.  Busy, busy, busy December, but all fun and good things, so it was worth all the hustle and bustle.