Wednesday we did one of our favorite holiday traditions.

We went to pick out a toy for a little boy the age that Colton would be. It was a little harder to find the time this year since I have been working in the evenings. Steve and the girls met me at work on my lunch break and we shopped for a 5 year old boy.  We decided on Lincoln Logs and Hot Wheels.

Friday the girls and I ran the donation up to Primary Children's along with the money from Colton's Jar.

The girls loved the ice sculptures out front. We had some lunch (grilled ham and cheese for me) in the cafeteria and headed home. Lindley asked a lot of questions about Primary Children's and Colton.  I'm sure just the first of many discussions.

Emily and Abby(and probably me too) experienced a little anxiety on the way there. I never know how I am going to react returning to Primary Children's.  I remembered all the wonderful Nurses and Doctors that took such good care of Colton and our whole family.  I am so thankful for the time we had with Colton.  So grateful for the gospel and that my family can be together forever.

Snowman Pancakes

I think I may be rubbing off on Steve.

Today as I was finishing cleaning the kitchen so we had somewhere to sit and eat breakfast he came in and announced he was making Snowman Pancakes.

They were a hit.



Angel Crossing Christmas Breakfast and Decorating the TREE

Our ward has a Christmas Breakfast. We love it. There is breakfast casseroles, muffins, cereal, juice and milk. This year we came in our jammies. After the kids ate they could go make and ornament in the nursery.

Then a visit from Santa. Lindley loves it, Hayley tolerates it.

Is it me or does Abby look like a giant?

No way were we persuading Emily. She informed everyone who asked that she had emailed him. Then we went home to decorate the tree before I went to work. The girls did a fabulous job.

Emily and Abby really enjoy going through the ornament they have gotten from Auntie Leen and the ones they have made in school and Activity Days.

This is my favorite part of the tree. The two top ornaments on the tree for Colton and Cory. Love them, miss them.



Christmas with the Lindleys

Christmas is a chaotic fun day but there are not enough hours in the day to make it everywhere we would like to go. We have made it a little easier by getting together with my Dad and Karlene before Christmas. I like getting to spend some time with them and not having to worry about rushing off to the next destination. As always the food was yummy and the kids had a great time. I brought some photo props so I had a reason to get a picture of everyone. The enthusiasm was so so. We played Christmas Bingo for some dollar gifts. Everybody got a gift. Hayley and Lindley got a few. Christmas is definitely gonna be fun with those two.

Lindley and Kami

Kandyce and Allison

Steve and Sara

Dad

Justin

Abby and Gage

Blair and Amy

Kristy, Lindley and Steve

Emily and Hayley

Karlene



Grow your own Christmas Tree

Before leaving to work I helped the girls get the

 Grow Your Own Christmas Tree from Harry and Davids ready.

When I came home from work this is what it looked like.

The girls thought it was pretty cool. Maybe we will try the snowman next year.

Pajama Party

This year we didn't get to go to our annual pajama party with friends that really made a difference in my life. I love visiting with them each year at the party and watching their families grow. I decided to have a mini pajama party with a couple of sisters and my mom and dad. We had soup and bread sticks. Yummy. Played Christmas pictionary with the option of drawing, sculpting with Play Doh or using Bendaroos. Lindley took a turn drawing and her team guessed it right away. It was low key but fun to spend some time with part of my family. Of course the cousins had fun being creative with the Play Doh.

Bendaroo Fun

Kami

Abby

Hayley

Emily

Lindley

Kandyce

Gage



Nutcracker

The day Abby has been looking forward to and counting down finally came.

The Nutcracker with Auntie Leen.

Emily and Uncle Craig had some fun too at the Clark Planetarium and Discovery Gateway.

When I saw this picture of Abby in a leopard print shirt I had to laugh.

It reminded me of this picture of Emily 3 years ago at the Nutcracker with Auntie Leen in a leopard print skirt.

It was fun to listen to the girls talk about the Nutcracker and the fun ornaments they have to remember it.

Thanks Auntie Leen and Uncle Craig for the fun day.

Gingerbread Houses

Grandma Shelley had all the kids over to make Gingerbread Houses.

I wasn't there to take pictures so we took some this morning.

Abby

Emily

Hayley

Lindley

The girls had a lot of fun and all the houses turned out SWEET.

Christmas Dresses

Grandma Shelley delivered the Christmas Dresses she made on Saturday.

All of the girls were very excited to wear their dresses to church.

There were many jealous moms at church today.

Grandma Shelley gave me the left over material so I could make some bows.

I love the way they turned out.



Santa Photos

Today RC Willey had free photos with Santa.

I decided to take Lindley and Hayley to see Santa.

Emily and Abby think they are too big.

Santa asked Lindley if she was from the Cutie Pie Ranch and if it was near the North Pole.

Lindley went right up and sat on Santa's lap and told him she wanted a computer for Christmas.

Hayley was nervous when it was her turn.

I had her stand next to him.

He handed her a candy cane and she took it and ran.

I took her back over and sat her on his lap.

She tried to smile but she just wasn't sure about it.

I'm so doing this again next year.

Short lines and free photos .

On the way to see Santa I ask Lindley " What color does Santa wear?"

"Red and White just like Go Utes!" she squealed.

December Fun!

I am in the process of making a new sensory bin.

Winter/Christmas theme.

I found cute present confetti at Walmart for the girls to sort.

I bought big plastic tweezers but they are a little too hard for their little fingers to manipulate.

Hayley had fun pouring them from cup to cup.

The filler this time is cotton balls.

They can scoop them with a plastic spoon into a cute snowman pail.

Still finding other elements to add.

Printed some fun Nativity Preschool worksheets found at  1+1+1=1

Lindley is getting pretty good at tracing her letters.

She used the cute TREE CRAYONS we made with all our broken crayons.

Mom had fun with her birthday money to buy some LEGOS.

So I spent some quality time with the big girls putting them together.

We had so much fun (minus the occasional yelling at Lindley to return important parts.

We are starting a new tradition of putting together a LEGO Christmas Village.

We have the Bakery and Toy Shop, hopefully they add some new ones next year.

I also went to The Forgotten Carols last night with my Sis and Mom and friends.

I purchased the book and cassette tape forever ago but have never been to a performance.

I am so glad that I went. I love the spirit that music can bring.

At the end everyone sand We Can Be Together Forever Someday.

I am so grateful for my testimony of this.

So thankful that my time with Colton isn't limited to the short time he had with us here on earth.

So looking forward to seeing Colton, Cory and Grandma Donna and all my other family members again someday. All because a baby boy was born in a manger and continued to follow God's plan.