Christmas Eve 2016

We started Christmas Eve by putting on a Christmas Eve program at the hospital with the McDonnell family. This was a great way to focus on service and our Savior.

 This is impossible to portray with a picture, but as we drove home through the neighborhoods close to our house, we found that someone had up THOUSANDS of luminarias up and down streets in a neighborhood which is over a mile square. It was so beautiful and peaceful!

We had prepared Christmas Eve dinner prior to our trip to the hospital, so when we returned we feasted on soups, homemade bread, salad, and Martinellis.

After dinner we opened sibling gifts (we had already read the Christmas story from the Bible at the hospital). This year we started a sibling gift rotation, so they focused on a gift for just one person.

Brandon and Angela gave Joseph two Wonder books he is so excited about!

Aubrey was so excited about her gift to Bailey - a Boyfriend Acquisition Kit. She worked hard on putting together all the components of the kit and it really showed her aptitude for witty writing and creativity.

Bailey gave a game and a book she loves to Brandon and Angela.

Next the kids opened up their Christmas pjs and modeled them

Opening and then reading the new Christmas book.

Writing letters to Santa.

And all tucked in for the big Christmas Eve sleepover in the bonus room!

And these are the Christmas letters the kids left and Santa's witty replies.

  

December and Christmas break

Snapshots of Christmas break. 

Bailey was home for over 3 weeks, which we loved (but she was definitely excited to get back to school by the end of the break!).

Reading Christmas books!

Playing in the snow. This was a strange year. We had a LOT of snow!

Eating flavored snow, which has always been one of Aubrey's favorite things about winter!

Aubrey was an official wedding singer. She was asked by her former schoolteacher to sing at her wedding. She did a fantastic job crooning "Unchained Melody" and another sappy love song. She didn't expect payment, but was excited to be well compensated for her singing!

Ward Christmas party - I made this delicious looking cake. Sadly, we didn't even get a smidgen before it was gone.

Making Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve after we got back from our Christmas break trip. Joseph was starting to feel unwell and never cut out or decorated any cookies.  

Game night at the McDonnell's house. It was so fun to be all together with our grown and younger kids and their mostly grown kids! It's seems like just yesterday that both our families had young kids at home.

Our "trek son" Hunter (right) came with us for the game night.

On our anniversary, we went into Portland. As a family we visited Powell's Books and then Dan and I ate at our favorite fancy restaurant (Departures) and the kids ate at a downtown gourmet pizza place. Then we met up again for ice cream.

While he was home, Brandon tackled a huge project. We rounded up all the videotapes and recording devices from past years and he digitized and organized all of it. What a wonderful thing it is to finally have access to all our videos from past years!

New Year's Eve - we invited the McDonnells over and played games again. 

Blurry picture of dancing at midnight!

New Year's Day the girls and I did some shopping

and then everyone but Joseph drove to Portland to get Mexican food on Alberta Street.

Dan talks about nachos ALL THE TIME.  On this day he finally got his nachos.

Aubrey tried a non-Cafe Rio burrito for the first time and liked it!

Brandon and Angela headed back to California on New Year's Day. We loved our time with them! Bailey was home for another half a week. The day before she left for Provo she used her Christmas gift tickets to Finding Neverland at Keller in Portland.

I got to go with her!  It was a magical play and so fun to enjoy with Bailey!

I  love this Christmas card Angela drew freehand. A perfect likeness of her and Brandon.

 More games . . . we played a lot of games this break. Our new games have been hits - Say Anything and Qwixx.

 Aubrey teaching Dan how to use his new Apple watch.

 Whenever Brandon comes home, he immediately organizes all our DVDs. This saves me  lots of time because I never worry about organizing them inbetween time.

 The kids played our new Rock Band game for hours.

 Modeling new Christmas clothes . . . . it's a long standing tradition!