The Traditions

At our ward Christmas Party this year all the primary kids got to be in the Nativity. Kohen insisted on being a donkey so that he could make his donkey noise that he has been perfecting.

The next day the cousins made gingerbread houses and Grandma and Grandpa Forsyth's house and then at midnight Kolt started throwing up. Classic.

We watched Home Alone together while eating Pizza Hut and banana splits! And in true Kolt fashion, right when the Pepsi was spilling all over the table in the movie, Kolt also knocked over a big cup of water, keeping our experience more authentic! The next week we had Grinch night and ate green waffles while we watched the live action Grinch movie.

Our new ornaments this year are to remember the boys trip to Idaho to see the Blue Angels Air Show, Kohen's monster truck to remember his favorite daddy date ever and from our trip to see Josh and Marissa we got a few ornaments from the Liberty Bell, the US Mint (the same week the penny stopped being made) and from going to the top of the Empire State Building in New York!

We went to watch Grandma's Christmas Concert in Orem and then to dinner at Chick-fil-a for the 3rd year in a row. We also delivered neighbor gifts that night. I made candied almonds again.

I went to Relief Society temple night with Amy and Heidi!

"In places of disappointment, we should remember that God visits stables. Even unwanted destinations can become holy with Him. Maybe, when something doesn't make sense, it is time to look for hope in unlikely places, Often it is in the unexpected that the character of Christ is manifest." Emily Belle Freeman, The Unexpected Deliverer

Kyle and I both donated blood this week and then Friday night we took the kids driving around to see the houses with dancing lights! There's also a street near us that 80 houses all have inflatable Santa's in their yards, we tried 4 times to see them and they were never inflated...

We got to go watch the kids Christmas sing at school and I helped with Tai's class party too.

Kohen sang, "Must be Santa", Tai sang a school version of "Up on the Housetop" called "Out on the Playground" and Kasen sang, "I'm getting Nothing for Christmas." I'm glad they invited the parents to come watch this year!

Tai sang, "He is the Gift" with me in Sacrament meeting and the primary also sang "Away in a Manger." A group of us were supposed to sing it at the Ward Christmas Party, but they skipped us so we sang it in Sacrament instead!

Kyle and I also celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary this month by going on a date to see Laughing All The Way and meeting all these guys! I had Kirby Heyborne's album, Inside in high school and went to one of his concerts in Brigham City to see him. (It was the same night Kayla's dad found out she pierced her ears) I wanted to stay and meet him then, but we couldn't. We have also loved listening to Hank Smith and John Bytheways podcast, Follow Him this year too. Anyway, the show was cheesy, but we still laughed. AND Kyle took me to dinner at Tepanyaki! My first time eating at a hibachi place, where they make our food there in front of us. It was so yummy even though I couldn't catch any shrimp in my mouth!

Tonight, for Christmas Eve Eve, we made Christmas Crack (Chex mix), watched Christmas Oranges and let the kids sleep under the Christmas tree (except Kolt). And we had the nachos for dinner that Kasen requested too.

We've packed in so much fun this month, even while we were all SO sick for a week. (Kyle was sick after me and asked why I didn't ask him to stay home from work to help me. But Moms gotta power through!)

But I love having holiday traditions to look forward to and getting to spend time together.