Grinning from ear to ear

Trace and Amber are in town for the holiday and after the billion feet of snow we received yesterday they decided to take Abby out sledding. She is so deprived and has never been. In my defense snow is over rated, cold, and obnoxious- I don't even own a pair of SNOW boot (I have many other better qualified varieties) to even have tried taking her. So my wonderful brother, and let's face the facts, even MORE wonderful Amber took her and she had the most wonderful time!
She was even brave enough to do a solo run right off the jump, way to go girl!!!Thanks you guys for making my Utah born and breed daughter not be the laughing stock of her friends for never doing a very fun Utah activity!!!

Full of it

Full of Christmas Cheer that is!!! Yesterday I decided that I love Christmas, well, I have always known that I love Christmas, but yesterday reaffirmed that to me. My day started off with a very fun, motivating, exhausting spin class with my sister Shamae in which the instructor had all upbeat renditions of Christmas classics!! It was really fun, mostly because our final song was "All I want for Christmas is you" by Mariah Carey- this just so happens to be Paul's favorite one of all time, the first one we listen to each year while we decorate the tree.
Next I drove home to find that my dear brother Brandon had successfully made the drive in his truck to take our blue couches off our hands (to be used in their new house when construction is completed) so that I could start operation "Give Paul the present he wants". Then while the girls ran wild- well danced and spinned and ran races- in the new empty room (really, why do we furnish our spaces, clearly empty ones are much more fun!) I finished up on my handmade Christmas presents. Yes these would be the items that have kept me from completing anything else this week, the reason why my kitchen is the most beautiful mess of felt, ribbon, thread and glue, the reason why it can now be found around the entire house, and yes, the reason why I have been in crafting heaven!
Next I got the knock on the door, the delivery boys were here to install Paul's (and mine really!) Christmas gift just a little early (who am I to put it off when I can have it now!!)Isn't she lovely!! Now I just have to paint the accent wall and get some new accessories- this would be the MY Christmas part that will take effect AFTER the holiday. Hopefully I can find some really great prices on home decor!
After that I settled in to wrap all the presents. This is very fun for me, especially because I LOVE my paper and ribbons this year! And yes- I AM COMPLETELY DONE AND READY FOR CHRISTMAS!! This is probably the first year in my life that I can say that and it feels really good!! This could be the true reason that I am full of cheer, because now I can sit back and enjoy it!
After dinner we all settled in on our new couch- a spot for everyone mind you- and watch the Top 20 songs of Christmas countdown while again the girls danced and twirled around the room.
Yes- I love Christmas and yesterday was a good day!!
(Today, not so much because I got a ticket for speeding last week(while out hurrying much to quickly to get all the before mentioned presents) and had to attend traffic school this morning making me miss the Ward Christmas breakfast and seeing my darlings sitting on Santa's lap for the FIRST TIME EVER without being too scared- blast those policemen and their doing their jobness!)

Ushering in the season

Today the two PM Kindergarten classes at Abby's school put on their Christmas Devotional program. She and her cousin Asher did an excellent job with their speaking parts, memorized verses, and sang their little hearts out.Abby also was one of the angels that performed a song, some played the bells, others drums, but she loved that her instrument was the tambourine!I am totally mad that I became distracted right before Abby went to the mic to say her lines she had been practicing for weeks. By the time I got the camera turned back on (in the wrong mode and un-zoomed) she had blasted through it and all I captured was this:her walking away! Oh well there will be many more school performances to come!! Not to mention that none of the pictures were great because we were too far back for my little camera, it did try it's best though!!

I have to say that it was so cute to see those darling children talk about the birth of Christ and what this holiday is all about. My favorite line given was by a sweet little girl with the cutest lisp you ever heard "What gift could I give, small as I am? I can give him my heart".
The program ended with choir and audience participation of Joy to the World- I truly do love this time of year and celebrating the birth of Christ. Sometimes it is easy to get distracted from what this holiday is, I have decided today to not let myself get too crazy and make sure that I enjoy it, and take the time to teach my children and help them understand the true meaning! Thanks PM Kindergarten at American Heritage School for a wonderful afternoon!