Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning was a bit crazy for me as I finished up some projects that I had been working on to give for Christmas.  I ran around getting everything ready to take to Christmas Eve dinner at the Palmer side of the family, getting our house clean and ready for Christmas and just getting things organized.  We finally got everything ready and in the car.  The boys were excited because we were going down a bit early to play basketball and scatterball with some other members of the family.  I kept feeling like I had forgotten something...and then when we were half way there I remembered.  My camera!  What in the world!  Of all things to forget, how could I forget my camera!  Well, my cute sisters Michelle and Heather were great and emailed me pictures of the night and I am SO GRATEFUL!  That you cute girls!

Our family was all together this year, which is always such a blessing.  We had a big dinner where everyone brought yummy things to share.  I brought this super yummy punch (also served at Thanksgiving) and delicious gingerbread with cinnamon whipped cream and bananas for dessert.

After dinner we had a talent show.  Palmer played a song for everyone on the piano and did a great job.

I have been looking for the "Christmas Candy Advent Song" for YEARS (does anyone know that song?  "It's six pink peppermints til Christmas, and there's lots and lots of things for us to do...")!  Most of my brother and sisters and I sang it when we were in kindergarten at our special Kindergarten program program.  We wore huge paper bibs with tinsel on them.  I had forgotten most of the words to the song and finally found a group of school students singing it on you tube and finally got all of the words. 

At first when Josh saw the paper bibs he said no way...but he is a good sport and went along.  The boys thought they were the coolest thing ever.

After we sang, Lincoln decided that he wanted to do his Christmas song that he had learned this month.  I was worried because I didn't bring his music as he hadn't said he wanted to do it.  Imagine my surprise and amazement when he got up and played it perfectly.  I was so proud of him!

The rest of my family all did awesome talents and then my mom read us the cutest book and gave us all a copy of it. After that my dad did a slide show of all of the things that each family had done that year (I love that idea and am going to do it for my little family on New Year's Eve).  It was so well done and he added little captions to some of the pictures that were hilarious! 

After that we did a gift exchange.  We all draw names and exchange gifts.  I love it.  My kids get so excited to give to their cousins. 

I am so sad that I didn't get a picture of it, but we all went in and got my parents this picture of the Nauvoo temple with a huge cream frame around it. 

My parents also got all of the kids fun gifts. 

We did pajamas (and I didn't get pictures...)  Here are McKay's pajamas.  He is in love with Mickey Mouse right now.

After it all our family headed home to quickly go to bed so Santa could come. It was such a lovely night (above is Uncle Tyler whom my boys think is pretty awesome).

Decorating Christmas Cookies

I know, I know, most of you are ready to be done with Christmas.  You might need to vacate my blog for a while as I am bound and determined to make it last as long as I can.  I love the whole season and am NOT ready to let it go.  My tree still gets turned on the second the sunlight is a little dim, I still listen to a few Christmas songs here and there, I would still watch Christmas movies if I hadn't exhausted them all thoroughly before Christmas and we have continued doing Christmas Bucket List items even though Christmas day is over (and I might do some of them every year that way.  I really liked the lack of crowds).  I still plan on doing some Christmas candy and maybe still attempting gingerbread houses...we'll see.  I have been pretty lazy this week (it's been lovely) so here's to hoping.

One night Josh brought home sugar cookies and icing from work.  He had gone to the Children's Center with a group from work to decorate Christmas cookies with the kids there and had brought some of their left overs home for the boys to decorate.  I love the Children's Center and helped out there a few times when I served as Mrs. Utah.  Flashback here and here. 
I have to admit when I was making out our December Bucket List, I had visions of homemade buttercream frosting (the very best I tell you), homemade sugar cookies, and candies set out in aesthetically please dishes...It was not to be however as the month got later and later and we still hadn't decorated any Christmasy cookies!  I was more than happy for the boys to have this chance to decorate cookies, because I am not sure it would have happened otherwise. 

 There was a lot of frosting, and the boys definitely used up as much as they could.

 And ate a lot as well.  I am actually glad for the store bought stuff as it isn't my favorite and I really didn't need any more calories to add to the truckload that I consumed throughout this month (I've had to bring out the pants reserved for "special occasions" like the end of a gluttonous December)

 The sprinkles were shaken on in healthy piles.

 And then frosted over and shaken on again (I am making dentist appointments today).

 The two handed approach to sprinkle dumping.

 And in the end you have a festive little number such as this...

 ...and this...

...and this.  Lincoln buried all of his sprinkles.

Utah State Bowl Game

 So our beloved Utah State Aggies made it to a bowl game for the first time since 1997.  This is a big deal and as we were watching their final few games play out Josh vowed we would go to the bowl game if they got one (unless it was in Hawaii...our frequent flyer miles don't go to Hawaii.  Lame huh?)  Well, they got their bowl game and it was in Boise.  Josh and I got tickets along with two of my brothers.

We decided to drive out early so Josh could take some Christmas gifts to his Idaho clients.  Josh surprised me with lunch at Maddox (it is in Brigham City, and if if you have never been, go!  So yummy!)  We were reading "The Hunger Games" on the way up (I have read it, but Josh hadn't and I decided that he definitely needs to before the movie comes out in March.) and it was really fun for both of us.  It made the time pass quickly and we had a great time.

That night after arriving in Boise, we went to dinner and then to the new Mission Impossible movie.  As were were waiting in line with dozens of Aggie Fans, the entire Ohio football team (the team the Aggies would play the next day), came out of the theater.  There were a few shouts of "Go Aggies" as we watched the procession of green file from the theater (non very loud however as these were some huge guys going past us).

 Game day was awesome!  We breakfasted at a cute little crepe shop and had some seriously delectable crepes.  We finished some Christmas shopping, I finally got all of my cards addressed, stamped and mailed (I finished them up as Josh read to me...we read that book every spare second!) and then we headed for the game. 
We met my brothers, who had ridden up with some of our friends, at the stadium.

 Our tickets were on the 2nd row 50 yard line.  It was a little bit of a challenge as they had a track around the field and the football team was right in front of us.  It was fun however to see their excitement when they would come off the field and had done something well.  We were definitely close enough to see all of the behind the scenes.

 The "Famous Idaho Potato Bowl" committee put on quite the preshow.

 Following the National Anthem, they shot streamers into the crowd with potato canons. 

 The USU crowd was huge compared to the tiny Ohio crowd (which is to be expected as Utah is a lot closer than Ohio) and it was fun to be part of this VERY LOUD group.

 The student section.  Always good and loud.  I don't think we were ever that good when I went to USU.

 I was the only girl there, but the boys were nice enough to include me in a couple of the high fives following big plays.  I have to be honest, I am not a huge football fan (much to the disappointment of Josh's family where football really is life...I really do try!), but I seriously LOVE Utah State ANYTHING (hence the name of our blog) and really do love watching them play.  I just loved being there, and cheering them on.  I am also converting to Denver Broncos football as they are Josh's NFL team and now that they have Tim Tebow, whom Josh and I really admire and always tell our boys about it is even more fun to watch them (If you like Tebow, check out this link.  Our family loves this little ditty and play it over and over)

 Well, in the end the Aggies lost by 1.  It was heartbreaking because they played so well and really deserved to win...but what do ya do?  We still love them and are excited to see what they do next year.

Josh and I finished up "The Huger Games" as we headed home.  It's a good thing that book was so intense, because Josh was a bit tired from all of that driving.  It was a fun two day trip, and a great time to hang out with Josh.

2nd Grade Caroling Extravaganza

 Palmer's 2nd grade class had the wonderful experience of Christmas caroling to some of the homes around the school. 

 They asked for donations from the families of the class members for fruit, candy, baskets, and other holiday items and would each house with a basket brimming with Christmas cheer.  The students had practiced lots of great songs (and luckily I knew a few of them so I could sing along) and sang their hearts out at every door.

 The favorite thing to do was to pull the wagons laden with goodies. 

 Palmer's buddy and he were pretty wild in the snow.  They did snow angels, snowball fights etc and then were totally surprised when they were wet :)  They had fun though.

 The group with the parent volunteers and their wonderful teacher...except me :)

 Our little procession that went around the neighborhoods. 

 This was my favorite house.  After the kids had sung their song, he told them to hold on and he ran and got his french horn.  He started playing and the kids gleefully sang along to the songs they knew.  Their faces all had huge smiles on them and I think it will be a very memorable moment for most of them.

 Palmer got a turn to give the basket to the home they were caroling at.

 And a chance to wear the special light up hat (that was the thrill of the day).

 I always am so grateful when I can go on these field trips.  I am lucky to have a wonderful friend and a wonderful sister that are so good to help me out. 

 Palmer was excited to show me his name on the list of those who had read 100 books. 

He's pretty proud of it.  It was a wonderful day and a wonderful memory for both Palmer and me.