So, I'm the picture lady. That's what they call me. I always have to take a picture. And I always have to share the pictures that I take. People who are around me the most are used to it. They make excuses to others on my behalf, "Sorry, this is just what she does." I think had I have known of this obsession in my earlier years, I would have become a photo journalist.
I love giving pictures as gifts. A picture holds a memory, and what better gift than a memory you can relive over and over again? This year I have decided to make a picture slide show for all the members in my extended family for their Birthday. Today my nephew Gabe, who lives in Dallas Texas, tuned 11.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABE! If you can't see the video, click here.
I think this was the first Christmas in 20 years that I didn't sent out Christmas cards. I just didn't get around to it this year. I personally blame it on the whole Eagle Scout project thing. In lieu of a card, here is a video of our highlights from the past year. I'm warning you, it's long. Are you in it? If you spent any time with our family in 2012 there is a darn good chance you are!
From our family to yours, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all the best in this brand spankin' new year!
We started Christmas Eve morning off Hobbit style.
That evening my mom and sister Lauren came over for dinner. My mom made a delicious sweet pork taco dinner. We ate and played games.
And took pictures.
And more pictures...
Then we had our Christmas Eve program. Zac read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Emily and Aubrey played a duet on the flute and the ipad piano.
Then Emily played a Christmas medley on her flute.
My mom shared some Christmas memories with us from when she was growing up.
Then Steve read from the scriptures as the kids acted out the birth of Christ.
Here is Mary after the angel to her she would have a baby.
The shepherd watching over her flock by night.
The entire cast.
Lauren signed Silent Night while we all sang.
Then we opened our Christmas PJs and got all cozy. My mom and Lauren gave the kids these awesome pillows that light up.
Christmas Morning
Above: The kids trying out their new stuff. Below: Lauren and my mom came over for Christmas dinner. The girls played Just Dance 4.
Eating our gingerbread houses. So much for all that hard work.
This is a big old cake. I'm just sayin'. It was good.
We still have some if you want to come over for a slice. Or two.
I think one of the favorite presents for the girls is this Lego Lord of the Rings game. I had never heard of it and didn't plan on buying it, but when I was at the store I heard a lot of people talking about it and they were all buying it and I buckled under the peer pressure and bought it too. Emily and Aubrey finished the whole game in two days.
This is one of my favorite presents I bought. Emily loves the "Keep Calm" thing and the whole mustache craze that has taken teenagers by storm. So when I saw this shirt I knew she had to have it. And the pants. I love the pants. I don't get out much. So imagine my surprise when I went to the mall for the first time in like a year and found all these floral pants that I would have worn when I was Emily's age.
Our Christmas was wonderful. It was a time to spend with those we love the most. And a time to reflect on our Savior and greatest gift that He has given us. How thankful I am for my testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that he loves me. I know that he died for me. I know that through the gospel of Jesus Christ that is restored on the earth today, that my family has the potential to be together forever. What a great blessing the gospel of Christ is in my life. I can't imagine life with out it. I can't imagine raising my children in this world today with out it.
Steve and I had some fun things planned for the week between Christmas and New Years. But 3 out of our 4 children have been sick. I was a little disappointed at first, but this has turned out to be such a nice week. It has been just our family and we have all been at home together. Steve hasn't had to work. We have stayed in our pajamas most days (I really should peel the Christmas PJs off everyone and run them through a wash cycle). It really has been lovely just spending time together with nothing pressing to do, nothing to worry about.
We had a lot of fun in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Here is a sampling of some of the things we did. Above is when we went to Temple Square after Thanksgiving to start the season off. Click here for that post.
On December 6th we had our ward Christmas party at church.
We had to leave the party early to go to Emily's band concert. She plays the flute in Beginning Band. I don't have a picture of this event but I do have this lovely video. Emily is in there somewhere, you just can't see her.
The weekend of the 15th-16th was a tad busy. It started off Saturday morning when Steve, Emily and Zac woke up and left for Temple Baptisms at 4:45 in the morning. The night before when we made the kids get in bed early and told them they would be waking up super early they starting groaning. But we put a stop to that real quick like when Steve explained to them that the closest temple to him when he was growing up was a 2 day school bus ride away.
When they got home we quickly changed gears and left for Emily and Aubrey's last volley ball games of the season. Then it was on to Zac's Eagle Scout project. Click here for that post. Later that day the girls went to my mom's house to make Christmas ornaments with her and my sister Lauren. Then I picked Emily up and brought her home so she could babysit and Steve and I went to the adult session of Stake Conference. Then we picked Emily up, took her back to my mom's house where she and Addy were spending the night and brought Aubrey home with us. Steve, Zac, Aubrey and I woke up early the next morning to go downtown to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with guests Tom Brokaw and Alfie Boe (we only had 4 tickets). It was incredibly fabulously fantastic.
Since we were at the Sunday morning performance they were broadcasting Music and the Spoken Word. Before it started they instructed us very thoroughly that we could not make any noise. No clapping. Nothing. He said that there would be a moment in the performance when Tom Brokaw would be telling the story of the WW2 Candy Bomber and there would come a point in the story when we would really really want to clap. But not to. So partway through the performance we are smack dab in the middle of the Candy Bomber story. There are kids on the stage acting out the story. And then fog starts coming from the ceiling so it is like we are in the clouds. Then snow starts to fall. Then we hear planes flying over head. And then all of the sudden hundreds of tiny parachutes like the Candy Bomber used started falling from the sky. And you think this is the point at which you would want to clap but had to refrain. But it's not. Because then Tom says "Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me welcome the 92 year old Candy Bomber Colonel Gail Halvorsen!" And then it is like ARGGGGHHHHH! How can you not clap at a moment like that??? For real! I believe if you asked any of us what our favorite part of the concert was, it would be that. Followed by the rockin' awesome organ solo. Don't think an organ solo can be rockin' awesome? Well you my friend would be mistaken.
Here is a short video with some of the highlights from the concert. You should watch. It is well worth the 3 minutes and 48 seconds. Click here if you can't see the video.
After leaving the concert we had some time to kill before my mom and the girls got out of church so we went to Temple Square.
Then it was back to my mom's house. It was my Dad's birthday and so we were having a special celebration. Also my mom wanted to make me the cake of my choice for my birthday which had just been a few days earlier. I requested her delicious banana cake with homemade chocolate cream cheese frosting. Oh yeah.
We were in the middle of eating linner (lunch/dinner) and I can't remember how it quite happened but suddenly people started sticking food up their noses. We are such a well mannered bunch.
Zac's favorite thing to do when we are at my mom's house is to sleep on her swing on her back deck. He didn't let the snow outside stop him. He is in there somewhere.
Then we paid a visit to my dad's grave and put some Christmas flowers on it.
And some of us were not properly dressed for the occasion. Like being shoe-less in the snow. And right now Zac is sitting next to me critiquing every thing that I type and he was asleep on the swing when this picture was taken and he is freaking out now because Emily is wearing his jacket. Instead of hers. Which she had at grandma's house.
Then we played a round or two of Skip-bo and then engaged one another in a friendly little gingerbread house decorating contest. Click here for that post.
The next week was a long one since the kids had to go to school all week while they were anticipating the long awaited holiday. Finally they (Zac, stop telling me what to type. Seriously.) Finally they were out of school! Friday afternoon we mailed our letters to Santa. Better late than never.
That night we had a little "End of the World as we Know It" Par-tay. You know. Because it was December 21, 2012. The end of the Mayan calendar. Check back later for that wild party post.
On Saturday, December 22nd, we woke up and the girls went ice skating.
Addy had to cut her ice skating short so she could go to a birthday party to see The Rise of the Guardians. I went to finish up my Christmas shopping and Steve was at work and Emily and Aubrey stayed to skate some more and then went to lunch together and had a little fashion show at Ross.
And this is what Zac did all day.
On Sunday the 23rd, we went to church. Then we went to visit our friend Alice.
It was good to see her again.
It was a fun month leading up to Christmas. We made a lot of great memories.
Stay tuned for our Christmas post coming soon to a blog near you!
Steve: I cant' go see that movie. Allyson: Why? Steve: Because they take actors I like and make them sing.
A Few Hours Later
Steve: Is there another movie you want to see? Allyson: Nope.
Steve: Ok then.
Just Moments Ago
Allyson: So...did you like the movie? Steve: They sang. The entire. Thing. Allyson: Yeah... Steve: There were only 7 lines that were spoken. Allyson: Did that bother you? Steve: Enough that I counted.
