december 2012

In an effort to recap an entire month, I give you...a super-post.  Lots of pictures, little description.  Since this is our "family journal" I hope our memories serve us well, since I won't be doing a very good job "capturing" them.

Family movie night!  We made popcorn and let the kids stay up past bedtime to watch the classic "Rudolf, the Red Nosed Reindeer."  The babies loved it, and spent the entire month taking about, dreaming about (mostly about Abominable) and asking questions about it!

I put my Gingerbread Specialist (a calling I had in our Council Bluffs ward) skills to good use.  I made two average size, and 4 miniature houses.  Some friends of ours came and we spend the night decorating.  The average houses were made to give away the first night of our families' newest tradition.  We did the 12 days of Christmas for a "special family" (we had to call them this so the kiddos wouldn't give us away).  It was a great memory, and was a wonderful way to start teaching our babies about the true gifts of Christmas and service.

Aimee piled as much candy on her house as was humanly possible.  I ate most of it off for her.

 Porter likes to direct and watch most of the time, but did like sticking the candy on, if I would put the frosting on for him.

 Chad's hospital puts on a family Christmas party each year for the residents with kids.  We had a very kid friendly dinner, followed by meeting Santa.

 Santa had a gift for each child.  To our dismay, our kids were stinkers and immediately complained that the gift was not what they had asked for for Christmas.  After we explained that would come on Christmas all was well.  Next year, we will have that talk first, or they will not get to keep a present they complain about!

 We waited all month for snow.  Mid-December we got a skiff.  Aimee and Porter had to try to play in it.  It did not last long.

 One night we took our "Special Family" cookies that the kids made.  They loved preparing for the drop off nights!

When the real snow finally came (the day after Christmas), they couldn't wait to get out in it.  That lasted for about 20 minutes or less.  To my surprise, Pratt was the first one to beg to go in, not Porter!  After trying to get the boys in, and me still play outside with Aimee, I finally had to call her in and give up.

Once I got all of the boy jammie pants made I started on the night gowns for the girls.  However, I actually used a pattern.  Sadly, it was in Aimee's size.  I had Chad re size the pattern for me.  He did a great job!

On Aimee's birthday, Chad had most of the day off, and spent it outside helping Aimee, and even Porter enjoy it.  He was much more fun out in the snow than I was.