Time for Toys and Time for Cheer

(Sign made by Frankie with the help of some of our neighbors. He was outside playing and I'm not even 

sure who to thank for it, but I love it. It is staying in our Christmas decorations.)

So I'm picking up where I left off with the last post, and there are a lot of pictures to come in this post. Be warned. We like Christmastime. First on the list: Gingerbread houses. 

Alison ended up letting Connor finish her house. Which was her tricky way of not having to take it home.

I was in charge of the frosting, and Frankie was in charge of the candy. Until he lost interest and then I finished up.

Afterwards the kids exchanged their presents to each other. 

Christmas cookies must be baked. This year we made our sugar cookies go further by adding some peanut butter kiss cookies and gingerbread. I may have used a cookie mix or two to help me out. From scratch sugar cookies are about my limit in a few day stretch.

Ready to take cookies to family and friends.

We went and saw my 17 year old nephew Hunter sing Christmas songs with the madrigal choir at the Tabernacle.  He is currently in the throes of the Snow Canyon High School tech/drama/choir world. It brings back happy memories talking to him. And although I was never in madrigals, Karolee and Alison did convince Mr. Moore to let me go on the Christmas trip. 

Frankie adores Hunter. 

My Mom had her grandkid Christmas party on the 21st. The kids put on quite a talent show.  I have talented nieces and nephews. There was a violin trio, a few piano pieces, clarinet, guitar playing, singing, and even some silly dancing. It was fun to watch. I was rather surprised when Frankie declared he had a talent, and then marched right up and sang "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." He did really well, and even kept going when some of his cousins were laughing (I don't think it was necessarily at him, but still, I thought it was brave.)

After the talent show the kids got their presents from my parents, but before they could open them we made them take a group picture. Because we're mean like that. How cute is my Mom in this picture?

It's been a few years since my family has had a progressive dinner. This year it was Hunter that asked if we were going to do it or not. Which made us all so happy that we got in gear, kept it simple, and put it together. My brothers couldn't join us, and of course not Melisa's family in Orem, but it is a fun tradition that needs to happen ever year again.

It is so much fun to have my family in my home for an hour or so. We set up Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics on the Wii so everyone could play.

Or observe.

Part of the tradition of the progressive dinner is that every family gets a picture in front of their Christmas tree. Here we are. We look so tall somehow.

Christina and Ryan had just finished their addition and were granted occupancy the day before our dinner. (I think...) So we got to celebrate the fact that they have a real dining room now, this used to be where the living room was:

And see the new family room. It's so nice and I'm so glad they were able to do it.

Chrissy and her family:

My Parentals:

Laurie and her 2 kids that are still at home. 

Now that I look closely, everyone looks extra tall in front of their trees. It's photography magic.

The kids gave each other some little presents. Frankie really likes helping me get gifts for others, and tries to think of things they will like. He thought Tayden and Jarek needed some pretend food at their house, which still cracks me up. But they loved it. One of the presents they picked out for Frankie was "Sea Monkeys." On the back of the box it said "They swim, they play, they have many babies!" Really.

Unfortunately Frankie overfed his and they didn't live long. When they were alive they looked like microscopic tadpoles.

After the progressive dinner my little family headed out to see some Christmas lights. This was the only time we could fit it in, but it was perfect. When we drove by the temple Frankie wanted to get out and see "the manger" as he calls any outdoor Nativity. (The ones in our house he still usually gets confused and calls it an "activity.")

It was so sweet how excited he was to see it, and we spent a little time in the visitors center as well, mostly looking at paintings of Jesus. Frankie is starting to recognize Carl Bloch paintings.

Random picture of Jeremy tickle-torturing Frankie in front of the Christmas Tree. Because it makes me happy.

Our first stop on Christmas Eve afternoon was at my parents, where the kids presented us with the pageant of pain, or the Nativity pageant if you prefer. The pageant really has been pretty non-traumatic the last few years so we could probably change the name. But in it's glory days, there was almost always pain of the emotional or physical kind. Just ask my older nieces and nephews.

Frankie was the shepherd, and they roped up Laurie's ridiculous dog Taffy to be his sheep, who then decided to put herself in timeout and face the wall. This is my favorite picture from a pageant in a long time, it will forever make me giggle.  Especially since the three kids look so in character. 

Ryan said "even the dog is ashamed of our pageant."

The whole crew. Frankie looks dangerous with that broom handle. 

Afterwards it was time to open Christmas Eve pajamas.

Jeremy and I got some this year! We haven't since Frankie was born, but it comes down to the fact that we both actually needed some new pajamas.

After opening pajamas we went to Jeremy's parents for Christmas Eve dinner and presents. 

Frankie loves being the youngest and playing Santa. 

Especially when he finds this many with his name on them.

Nick and Alison got to go on a scavenger hunt, and Frankie got to help. At the end they found a new rocking chair for their nursery in the garage. Jeremy's parents got us a portable hard drive. A really big one. I will be able to back up my many pictures for some time to come.

The cookies are out for Santa, and it's time for bed. Self timer picture with all of us in our new jammies.

Santa brought Frankie some good stuff. 

Frankie was  hoping that Santa would bring him this pretend kitty that meows, purs, and walks. Nevermind that we have two real ones. It still cracks me up that he wanted it so much.

It was a very merry Christmas. We went to church with my parents later in the day, spent some more time with Jeremy's family, and just took it easy. Frankie makes Christmas so much fun and I am so grateful I get to be his Mommy.

And finally, I think it's becoming tradition for me to have a mini-party with Frankie on my birthday. Jeremy and I had lunch earlier in the day at 25 main, so I brought home cupcakes. He's singing me "Happy Birthday" in the first one.

Oh Night Divine

The first round of Christmas festivities in reverse chronological order. Because that's how they uploaded.

Tuachan live Nativity with Jeremy's family: 

We started the night with pizza at Nick and Alison's, and then we headed to the show. (Tuachan is an outdoor amphitheater near St. George.) We missed the 7:00 show, so we chilled (sort of literally, it was cold), and drank lukewarm hot chocolate in the plaza until the 8:00. The Nativity itself was very sweet. I'm glad we got to see it.

Rare picture of the couples.

I had to throw elbows at another lady who wouldn't stop taking pictures of her children in front of this tree to get some. Not really, but almost.

Another rare picture, Nick and Jeremy with their awesome Mom.

We had a white elephant Family Home Evening party with some of our friends.

The three oldest kids got to do a white elephant game first. They got to open TWO presents! It's so easy to please kids. I love it.

This is Sterling and Michelle's Emma who has learned to cheese it when she sees a camera. Even the flash doesn't phase her. And my flash is almost painful.

Will deciding on his white elephant selection. The hot gift of the night was a Toad (from Super Mario) beanie.

We also had delicious food and had planned on creating gingerbread houses, but we ended up putting off the houses for another week.

Lastly, er, firstly, before it was even December yet we visited the

Jubilee of Trees with my family:

Frankie with my Mom in front of the decorations in the Lobby.

Frankie visiting Santa. I was really wondering what he was going to ask Santa for this year, and I was scared it was going to be of the electronic variety. (I'm not ready!) Luckily he asked him for some figurines he had recently spotted at Target.

I only had enough cash on me to get Frankie one ticket for the kids area. In past years I've been able to direct him past the kids area altogether, but this year he spotted it. He saw this little snowball game which wasn't being manned by anyone, and started playing with it. Eventually a lady came over so I asked Frankie if this is what he wanted to use his ticket on, and he said yes. He loved playing it, but as we were leaving he realized he could have used his ticket to make a craft. I was feeling slightly bugged that it cost anything for him to throw pretend snowballs, and then Frankie humbled me by saying "That snowball game was really fun. I'm glad I used my ticket. Let's go look at the trees." That's my kid.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but Frankie has some arm on him.

Frankie, Tayden, and Jarek decided their favorite tree was the Angry Birds tree that was done by one of the elementary schools. Notice that they are all holding new toys they decided they needed to purchase. (Grandma loaned me some money to loan Frankie.) For a few years now Jarek has had one of these "Yoo Hoo" toys named Telly. It is much beloved, and apparently Frankie has felt a void. So now he has a mini version, which he named Telly Junior, much to Jarek's dismay. Sorry Jarek, you just picked out a name that couldn't be beat.

Frankie's Telly already looks like he's had it for years, it's so worn out. It has gone everywhere with us.