Christmas Eve and Christmas

For our Christmas Eve dinner, we had pizza and a movie (it was Friday, after all), complete with a hail and lightning storm right as we were about to eat. That was something else! The kids wore their new Christmas Eve jammies and after they went to bed, Gregg and I watched Muppet Christmas Carol and I sewed on some little nativity ornaments that Cal and I had been working on earlier.

Jammy Christmas Tree photo shoot time.

The next morning, we were up "dark" and early. We told the kids they could come into our room no earlier than 6, and they obeyed that, thank heavens. We had fun opening stockings and presents from each other. Then we played with our new games and toys, and I took Callie to Huntsville to try out her new skates, and we just had a lovely, relaxing day. We FaceTimed with all the grandparents, and made our Christmas dinner of a roasted chicken (check that goal off my list . . . in the last month of the year!), mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and rolls.

From Cal: a hotwheels monster truck set. Yes!

From Sam: never popping bubbles.
A perfect choice!

I picked out a stack of books for each kid
(shocker, I know).

And I nailed it with this one: A Girl's Guide
to the Wild. She's been checking it out from
the library constantly, so I had a hunch it would
be a hit.

Cal painted this Christmas tree and frame for Gregg.

Cal's face is always my favorite. Doesn't matter who is opening,
she is all excitement!

She wanted a harmonica, too.

And her very own ice skates!

Haha - a hotwheels ultimate garage!

One more big'un hidden behind the couch:
an inflatable kayak (hoping we have water
in our lake next year!).

The living room aftermath (my favorite mess).

Sam gave me Mouse Trap. It brings back lots of memories!

bonus video!

mouse trap memories

(complete with whiney kid voices ;)

The ice was not great - really bumpy from
all the hail the night before - but that didn't 
diminish her smile one little bit.

bonus videos!

"skating queen"

(I was so impressed how every time she fell she popped right back up.

This is only her second time on skates (the first time was almost two years ago with

those double blade kind) and she just kept trying and trying!)

This is what Christmas is all about!

When we got home, Dad and Sam had inflated the kayak
to test it out. Looks great!

He pulled out the fishing pole all on his own, ha!

Merry Christmas dinner (on our new map placemats we each
got in our stockings!).

 Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Ogden Lights and Logan Windows

We love to visit Ogden's Christmas Village to see the lights and displays in all the houses. We brought Grandpa and Grandma Blanchard along with us this year on Monday, 20 December. We had a delightful, chilly, festive time.

This tree was the exact color of the grinch this year.
(In the past it's been blueish purple, I think.)

A cute Grinch-themed display, complete with a Grinch
lego set on the table (the kids were super into that!).

We always love the nutcracker house.

And I remember liking the dinosaur one last year, too.

The Dinosaur's Night Before Christmas is one of Sam's
all-time Christmas faves.

The kids and I were up in Cache Valley on Wednesday, 22 December to help Kylie with a little last-minute Christmas shopping since she was sick in bed with Hand Foot and Mouth (ack!). My mom had a bell choir concert that evening, and had to be at the venue early, so she was sending Megan and my dad out to fend for themselves for dinner at Center Street Grill. They invited Cal and Sam and me to join them, and then we all walked around Main Street and Center Street to see the gingerbread house displays in the store windows. The most common idea seemed to be the "downtown Logan" themed ones, but all were quite impressive. The candy windows in the Bluebird and the bank were super fun, too.

Cal was NOT impressed with the size of her burger.
(It was a kids burger, but it was the size of a slider,
and she's such a burger lover, that she was pretty disappointed.)
Good thing those fries made up for it!

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

I think this one is my fave.

I spy a lot of Logan landmarks in the wrong places.
Also, this one's theme was Back to the Future. Do you see
the tire skid marks and flames in the street?

This one was a little more accurate in building placement.

So impressive that is all edible!