Monday, March 26, 2012

It was the most wonderful time of the year…..

Christmas starts early for us.  Come mid-October (yes even before Halloween) you can catch Perry pulling up David Archuleta/Tabernacle Choir version of Joy to the World on youtube, or me sneaking Manheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas CDs into the car.  I love that we are both ok starting Christmas before Thanksgiving.   So Christmas lasts for months over here and it’s the best.   I didn’t get any pictures of our wonderful Thanksgivings, we ended up having 2 on Thursday and Friday and they were both so nice. 

 

But let me start by showing you why I couldn’t possibly have a bad holiday season….check out this kid….  after we put the tree up in the house there were pine needles here and there, and Rockwell, self inspired grabbed the broom and tried to sweep it up, after realizing he wasn’t getting much swept he just sat down and picked up all the pine needles one and a time and put the in the dust pan. 

He is such a good boy, always.

CIMG3506

CIMG3508

So we got our tree pretty late on a Saturday night and first thing Sunday morning Eyla woke us up so she could put the lights on.  Last year our church was at 1:30 and Sunday was Perry’s only day to sleep in.  I can’t imagine that he was too thrilled to be hanging and recording the hanging of the lights at 7 am but you would never know it.

CIMG3504

CIMG3501

CIMG3505

Monday night we decorated the tree.

CIMG3509

CIMG3510

CIMG3512

CIMG3513

CIMG3515

CIMG3521

CIMG3517

 

On Christmas Eve Eve (dec 23rd) we went to the lights at Tuachan.  The girls enjoyed the music and atmosphere and danced around and sang.

CIMG3551

CIMG3553

CIMG3552

CIMG3555

Rockwell had a pretty rough evening….

CIMG3549

I think because of this jolly old fellow…..

CIMG3542

Eyla asked for a computer, a cell phone, and a ipod…. really?  Raya asked for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ponies and rollerskates.

CIMG3539

It was beautiful weather, of course it is St. George after all. 

Then to Costco for hotdogs.

CIMG3556

Yummo…..

 

Then onto the next event of the night, our Christmas tree sleepover.

CIMG3560

CIMG3559

Personally one of my favorite traditions.

 

Christmas Eve was spent with some of our favorite people having a gingerbread house competition and decorating sugar cookies.

The teams:

Chayse Char

CIMG3584

This year Raya ditched me for teaming up with Shay.

CIMG3582

Team McKell and Eyla as usual.

CIMG3583

Chars parents, and little Luxamunga

CIMG3588

Rockwell went with Grandma and Grandpa and ended up eating more sweets than working.

CIMG3585

Me, Perry, and Ruby (can you tell I was tired for our tree sleepover?)

CIMG3587

Our quonset hut so should have won.  One of these years I’ll win.

CIMG3590

CIMG3599

Decorating sugar cookies for Santa.

 

 

CHRISTMAS!!!!!

DSC_0078

Well she certainly didn’t get a computer, phone, or ipod, but she got a bunch of baking supplies from Santa and according to her it was ok because she said, “How did Santa know I would want this.”

(and this apron from her Aunt Cindy completed her Christmas). 

 

 DSC_0076

The ponies she requested….perfect!  Now for the rollerskates.  Maybe her birthday.  haha or not…

 

DSC_0072

Rockwell and Ruby and their ball and octopus game. 

Just say ball and for Rockwell its Christmas.  Ruby just loves anything she can touch.

 

And Rockwells BYU helmet from Grandma and Grandpa.  Clearly he liked it just a little….. 

Nothing says Christmas was wonderful like your kids taking all their loot to bed with them.

DSC_0081

Speaking of BYU, I think there was a bowl game or something a few days after Christmas because we got these 2 all dressed up for something.

  CIMG3612

I can’t remember who we played or if we won.  I was too busy taking pictures of the cutest baby on the planet!!!

CIMG3605

CIMG3607

 

 

Another good thing about the holidays is the chance to renew yourself with the New Year  and making new goals.

Waiting for everyone so we could go burn our Christmas trees and then dig up our time capsule/new years goals box.

CIMG3629

CIMG3627

everyone was a little late and they sat on the curb playing the cheese ball drum for over an hour

CIMG3630

My most favorite thing about dirt roads is that the little ones can drive.

CIMG3633

 

Getting wood to add to our tree bonfire.

CIMG3635

CIMG3642

CIMG3648

 

Ruby loves fire.

CIMG3645

Rockwell and Raya love to shoot.

CIMG3665

CIMG3678

While Eyla is content to sit and eat smores (like her momma)

CIMG3667

and wipe the dirt off her boots (NOT like her momma)

CIMG3672

 

Later that night, ringing in the New Year.

CIMG3689

watching Shirley Temple with Aunt Kell.

CIMG3681

Playing wits and wagers.

CIMG3685

Just hanging out.  and then

Wiping out….

CIMG3691

CIMG3692

CIMG3693

CIMG3694

None of them made it past 11.

 

We went back a few days later for the box, (the first time we went on new years someone had taken our spot and was shooting towards our box so we couldn’t dig it up).

Eyla got us there, barely :)

CIMG3702

CIMG3703

Ruby hiked for a good 30 seconds then I carried her the rest of the way, I’m pretty sure she was ok with that.

CIMG3708

They all took turns digging it up.

CIMG3714

CIMG3712

CIMG3720

then we swapped out our goals and capsule stuff and then covered it back up.

CIMG3736

CIMG3741

Raya drove us home, kindof.

CIMG3745

CIMG3749

CIMG3753

CIMG3751

 

 

There it is finally, our Christmas/Holidays, 3 months late, and now that I’m posting it I’m realizing how thin I am on pictures. 

A little sad but my hands are always busy with some little one and honestly there is nothing else I would rather be doing.