Christmas

LeeRoy was the first to wake up this morning and ring the Christmas bells. He was so excited all night that he barely slept. I think the rest of us were too. The girls couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought them. Emily got an Easy Bake Oven, Wendy got a Pony Playhouse, LeeRoy got a game, and I got a new computer chair. We spent the rest of the morning opening presents and playing with everything. Wendy was so happy with each present she opened we had a hard time convincing her to open the next one!

Later in the morning we headed over to the Palmer's to open more presents and play games. Once we got back home it was nice to just relax and spend time together. LeeRoy made us some delicious steaks for dinner and when we tucked the girls into bed we all decided, like we do every year, that this year has been "THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER"!

Christmas Eve

LeeRoy's parents not only came over on Christmas Eve morning but they brought us a delicious breakfast too! It was nice being able to visit with them and exchange presents. One of the presents they gave to Wendy was a giant jumping play area. The girls call it the "Jumping Machine".





Later I talked LeeRoy into donning his Santa suit. Emily loved sitting on his lap but Wendy was so scared she ran and hid under her bed. Emily decided to try the suit on herself and Wendy warmed up to that pretty fast. She even sat on Emily's lap!




That afternoon we headed over to the Palmer house. We played games until dinner time. Every Christmas Eve we get to open one present, which is always pajamas. It was Emily's turn to pick out the fabric for this year's pajama pants. She did a great job. Later we headed home where we watched a Christmas movie and laid out snacks for Santa. Emily also colored him a picture of the nativity. She said she wanted him to know that she was happy to get presents but that she would still remember the true meaning of Christmas. We had been tracking Santa's progress through Norad so when we saw that he entered the United States we rushed to get into bed! We didn't want to miss his special visit!

White Christmas

Last night Alisha and Travis were nice enough to watch the girls so LeeRoy and I could go on a triple date with mom and Dad and Lance and Sarah. We went to the Mystique's dinner theatre to see White Christmas. It was our first time going and we had a really good time together. It definitely got me even more excited for Christmas than ever before.

Live Nativity

Last night we went with Alisha and Travis to the Live Nativity that all the churches in Blackfoot do every year. While we waited in line there were big fires to keep us warm, carolers singing, great company, and hot chocolate and cookies. They had a horse pulled wagon that took us scene by scene through the nativity. It was amazing! After we were done we played on the ice rink. This is the first year that we have gone but I think we will have to make it a tradition from now on.

Call Family Christmas Party

Saturday was our annual Call Family Christmas party. We all gathered together for a wonderful feast. Even Santa came and surprised us with a visit. The adults had fun visiting and catching up while the kids ran around and did some crafts. It was really nice to be able to see everyone again. We always love it when our family has a chance to get together!

Training

I just got home from Boise where I spent a week learning to drive, install weapon systems, and maintain the M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle. It only cost me missing out on my oldest daughter's Christmas singing program. It was not worth it. Here are pictures of the weapons mounted in the dual mount turret and our convoy outside in the rain. Below is a short clip of me Commanding an ASV for a quick gas run.

Emily's Christmas Program

Tonight was Emily's 2nd Grade Christmas Program. I was lucky enough to be able to run up and snap a quick picture before it started. They did a short play that incorporated all of their Christmas songs. She had a lot of fun performing and we loved being able to watch her.


Emily is the one in the front-middle wearing the green and white top.

Christmas Tree

We loaded our vehicle full of winter clothes, added an entourage of trucks carrying two sets of grandparents and headed up Knox Canyon once again to find our Christmas tree. I told Emily if we concentrated on the trees hard enough our Christmas spirit would let us know which tree would be perfect for our family. It didn't take long to find that perfect one! LeeRoy even let Emily help cut it down. After we all had our trees we gathered by the trucks for a warm fire, hot chocolate, sledding, and rides on the four wheeler. Once the kids had enough of the cold we headed to the Andersen's house where they had warm bathrooms, heaters, and hot beverages waiting for us! We had a lot of fun and once we got home it was nice to put up our Christmas decorations and decorate our new tree.

Reflections

Today was the Reflections awards ceremony at Emily's school. The theme for this year was beauty is........ She received 3rd place for both categories she entered. The first category was literature. She wrote a short story called Beauty is Snow on Trees. The second category was photography. We waited and waited for it to snow then took her to the park where she took a picture of a tree with snow all over it. She was so excited when her name was called as one of the winners! She got a certificate and a cash prize for each. She worked very hard this year and we are so proud of her!

The Forgotten Carols

Last night Papa was nice enough to watch Wendy for us so we could take Emily to see the Forgotten Carols. We went with my mom and Lacie and we had such a good time. LeeRoy and I have been many times but this was Emily's first and she loved it! After the show we drove down Candy Cane Lane and looked at all the beautiful lights. It was such a good way to start the Christmas season.