Christmas Going-ons!!

Starship Catan one of Erics gifts!

Caleb making cookies using one of his gifts! A chefs set!

Elizabeth doing VERY well at opening her presents, for her first christmas!

Sorry for the long time between posts. Especially over the CHRISTMAS season. We had a wonderful Christmas and Christmas eve.

I avoided all the stores like the plague the week before Christmas. I DID NOT want to get caught in all the last minute shopping lines and stuff. I had all of my gifts so I did not need to go anywhere. And we had all the dinner food already purchased.

I did not work on my untalent until the day before and the morning of Christmas eve! How bad I am!! What is an untalent show you ask? My husband kept asking the same thing when he heard about it. Well it is a talent show of sorts that you do not have to be talented in anything to participate in. Everybody hears talent show and they all say well I am not talented in anything! Well for this you do not have to be talented! Now we have had our talented ones for sure! But the ones that mess up are cheered for more then the ones that are flawless!

Some good ones over the years... flossing your nose (missionary), playing the french horn and the trumpet at the same time different parts to the star wars song (Missionary, AWESOME!), the circus roll with two people (John and me), Rachel took a song from her music book flipped it upside down crossed her hands and played it while laying down so she couldn't see the keys flawlessly! Dad remembered he could play the guitar after forgetting for like 30 years! Dad telling the story of Sam Mcgee is always good. We made up our own version of the 12 days of Christmas with broken light bulbs 7 bags of garbage which was sooo true back then! Mel and Eric did their version of the airport tram voice, and then the things you had to do at the airport.

Anyway I can go on and on, but one more was added this year, Becky and her husband Ariel were the Grin chs band playing guitar hero with beckys one hand playing one half of the drums and the other hand strumming the guitar, while ariel fingered the guitar and played the other half of the drums! It was soooo hard and they weren't able to finish the song it was soo hard but they got 68% and true to form they were cheered all the harder for failing to finish. It was soo funny to see them play!

Mel sang the 12 days AFTER Christmas FUNNY! Eric played his missionary badge like a kazoo! Caleb did the Chinese finger traps which Becky promptly played up to her blond roots and got her fingers stuck! Dad told his politically correct speech about the Christmas season. Hilarious! I taught how to make a poinsettia flower out of ribbon, and a present bow that will come off with one pull from one hand and fall to the floor like it always does in the movies. COOL!

The best part of the whole show was Rach and Simon participating through skype all the way from Denmark!! COOL Simon did his one push up (first year for participation) which wasn't too bad because he is 6' 5" and they have a teeny tiny apartment. The fact that he was able to lay down in there was a feat of sorts! Rach played twinkle twinkle little star on the violin (Impressive and scratchy, more cheers!)

Then we all went through this Christ story that had been planned for a choir in sacrament. It went through like 8 songs and a story or narration between each one it was sooo fun to sing parts with my family again! Even though we didn't have tunes to follow we just sang our parts as best we could, We did well on most of them. Only one or two had places that needed work, and one I did not know at all so I stuck with the melody. That was the best ending to the untalent show! We all felt the spirit.

As far as food goes we all snacked all night. Mom did a pumpkin roll instead of pumpkin pie this time. I was soooo glad it was to DIE for!! It was all gone in one night except for one little piece which I stole later. It was soo good! I HAVE to learn to make it!

Christmas morning I am not crazy and let Caleb sleep in as long as he wanted. He is not old enough to wake himself up early in the morning yet. So we got up at 9 30 and then opened presents! Caleb got sooo many presents it is not funny! He got one from Santa, one from us, and then one from Janie and one from Grandma and Grandpa, One from Mel, one from Beck and Ariel. And to top it all off he got 7-8 from Grandma and Opa! Caleb made out exceptionally well this Christmas. And then We all lounged and played with toys, well Eric and I put them together for HOURS and then Caleb played with them! We had a Christmas walk to gather samples for Caleb to see on his big screen microscope. Jeanne cooked a good dinner, and then we all lounged and snacked some More!

The day after Christmas was just as fun. Mom called out to Tyler and managed to get a room! So we drove out there and had a great time! We played Catan and had good left overs and went to the water park out there for free. Mom got some free tickets and we used our previous free tickets. Lizzie went in the water for the first time! She did not like the shallower colder water, but she did not mind the warmer lazy river. Cute in her little pink bathing suit I found on sale for a couple bucks! When we went out to Tyler we were in the middle of a heat wave! It was sooo unfair!! Well we started at the water park in the morning and then it started to rain. No big deal right? WRONG!! The rain brought on the cold front! It went from hot to cold! We had to run for home we were not dressed for the cold weather! None of us had brought cold weather clothes to Tyler! Caleb had to wear an extra shirt of mine for a coat! That night Tyler had a live band that was fun. We played some pool, mini golf in the cold, and got lots of new years stuff they were handing out. Plus some free nachos which are always good, and some root beer floats! YUMMY YUMMY!!!

We had to leave after that so we could get home at a decent time. I still had to plan my lesson. And Caleb had to get enough sleep. All in All it was sooo fun and a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Okay some pictures. Dad has the Christmas eve pictures. And we did not get Tyler pictures this time. But I do have Christmas photos and a photo from tonight.