Christmas with the fam dam.

For the first time in over ten years, we spent the holidays with my family.  It was priceless - had to drag my kids home.

The nutcracker.

For our cultural experience of the season, I took the three oldest to The Nutcracker.  Delightful.

Bring on the holidays.

December was a rough month.  After hosting a million people for Thanksgiving (plus the fact that I was still getting my feet under me in a new and demanding church calling), we were all feeling a bit overwhelmed.  Every Christmas my kids get a new ornament to add to their collection - usually each daughter gets her own version of the same type of ornament.  For example, one year they each got an ornament of the first letter of their name, another year they got a girl ice-skating.  Some years it is obvious which ornament belongs to which child - like the year they each got an angel ornament bearing the month of their birth.  Other years, I buy four similar ornaments and assign them (not arbitrarily) to the daughter of my choice.  This year I made the mistake of letting them express their opinions on which ornament they would prefer.  I had purchased four handmade wooden girl ornaments, two blonds and two brunettes.  Of course, they didn't catch the hair color hint and all wanted the one with the green dress.  Or the purple one.  I can't remember.  All I remember is that what had become a tender tradition turned into an all-out brawl(BYU bowl style).  At least we squeezed a few smiles out of a couple of the girls.  Mostly Eve.

 Even our traditional family pose in front of freshly decorated tree picture ended up with just Eve.  What a sport.
Next, Anna had an orchestra/choir concert where she performed a solo.  Initially, when she came home from school to tell me about it, I couldn't help but slip in a "Wow, Anna, that's pretty great!  Especially considering you've only practiced one time this whole semester."  She got the joke and chuckled with me.  It's rough when you can be awesome without even trying.

  Lily had a music program, too.  It was pretty entertaining, but Tim and I couldn't help but notice that not a single song even mentioned Jesus.  So much for a well-rounded holiday program.

                                             What a smile this girl has - I love her spirit.

On to November...

 Anna's 6th grade music program "At the Hop".  She tried out for and got a solo in "Stand by Me", a proud mama moment.

                                                                Rachel turned eight!

 After a balmy(and lengthy) autumn, we had our first snow in early November, granting Rachel a snow day just before her birthday.  Not a bad present at all.

                              She invited a bunch of friends for a gymnastics party.

 Then, the real party began, as we hosted over 30 family members over Thanksgiving weekend.

 Playing hostess to that many is exhausting but uniquely satisfying.  I spent four days in the kitchen - prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning up.  Rinse.  Repeat.  Honestly, it felt fantastic keeping that many tummies full for four days straight.  I'd totally do it again.  Just give me a few years.

 The big day.  Anna, Lily, Rachel and Eve sang Rachel's favorite primary song "I Know my Savior Loves Me" during the baptismal service.  It was so tender it was hard to hold back the tears.  And I was behind the piano.

 Rachel got to share her big day with our next door neighbor (buddies since birth).

 We crammed in the whole Jackson side of the family for a picture to remember the occasion.

Everyone filed out on Saturday night and Sunday after church and the quiet was deafening.  I think Grandpa was glad to linger around for his birthday, though.  We celebrated with raclette and BYU brownies.  Yum.