Holiday Fun

Our Christmas holiday season actually starts in November (day after Thanksgiving)

with going to get our Christmas tree at Apple Hill.

We found our tree.

Riley cut it down with the cutter & then Chase helped Josh carry it back to get netted & paid for.

And then the boys rode the tree to the car.

  Started in on singing to Christmas music right away. 11/25   We also went to Temple Hill for the Christmas Concert & to see the Christmas lights come on. 11/26   Chase gave it a thumbs up. He was cracking us up dring the performance though. When the choir was singing next to the manger Chase said "Shhh! You're going to wake up baby Jesus!" He also said he needed popcorn during the concert. When I told him I didn't have any he said we needed to find Jackie Larson because she would have some.     Christmas tree watching while drinking hot cocoa was a must most nights.   We also got Christmas books from the library & tried to read one every night of the month.   Our Elf on the shelf, Elfie, came back to our house. He painted the boys noses red with paint like Rudolph & left them a note. 12/1   It was pretty funny watching them find out paint was on their noses.    

  We hit up the annual boat parade in Antioch. 12/1
There was a man passing out glow sticks to those that attended.
All on his own dime. Makes me happy to see good people making little things like this still special.   12/8 We started off the day by attending H1 Ward Christmas Breakfast. When it came time for the boys to say hello to Santa Daxton freaked out.   Chase wanted to have nothing to do with Santa either until Mrs. Claus gave him a candy cane. Then he shook Santa's hand and even decided to sit on his lap. (The difference a piece of candy can make.)
      We finished decorating our Christmas Tree with ornaments during the afternoon. Every year we try to get our boys a new ornament for the year that represents something they were into. This year Riley got a Storm Trooper ornament, Chase got a Tom & Jerry ornament & Daxton got a little bird (of course). Daxton loved hanging his little winter bird.

  When evening came around we were able to attend our ward Christmas Dinner Josh & I were asked to be Joseph & Mary in the Nativity and for the boys to fill in too. We borrowed a newborn from another family for Baby Jesus (Daxton would have been a gigantic Baby Jesus) & the boys with some other primary children dressed up as shepherds, angels and wise men. Wish we would have gotten a picture of us all together but we did get these shots of us.   It was a busy day but we enjoyed all the Christmas festivities that so many other people put a lot of effort into.   Chase & Daxton dancing to Christmas music at Grandma Phillips' house. 12/18

Riley's class along with their 2nd grade buddies sang Christmas songs to the whole school during an assembly. I seriously love things like this at elementary schools. 12/20   Veda showed Riley and I this video & Riley's response was "They get the REAL reason of Christmas" So glad that he understands it too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnt7euRF5Pg