Festivities

What a FUN and busy season we are having! Almost no time to blog about it! But of course, these are the things that I will always want to remember, and therefore, I have to make the time to write them down!

This past weekend certainly got us VERY much into the Christmas spirit (even though we were already very full of the joy of the season)!! On Friday night, we took our kids to a live Nativity at a little farm outside of town. It was one of the coolest things I think we have done this year, if not ever, for Christmas. Picture a small farm. Very old and a little run-down. Wooden barns and stables and pens. It was a really cold night, but the owners had large tin fire pits set up all over the farm to warm up your hands. Hot chocolate available if you needed it! The only price to get in were cans of food that will be donated. (How cool is that?!) A very small little venue with not too many people. Just a little something that the owners of this farm do for the love of Christmas every year. No profit for them, but those of us that were able to attend -- how much we benefited from their efforts! Anyway, back to the setting. It was so humble and sweet and small and intimate. Really and truly how I imagine the setting for the birth of our Savior. It was really the closest I have ever felt to what that special scene might have been like.

As we walked inside this small, little stable, our kids immediately ran over to pet the sheep and the donkeys and the goats. Just a very few of them, and they were very calm and let our kids get really close.

In fact, Taylor even told one of the donkeys some secrets right into his ear!

It was really quiet inside and peaceful and calm. Really, I was surprised at how peaceful the atmosphere was. Even our kids were unusually calm and quiet. A very special spirit in that humble little place. Then back in the corner, a small manger full of hay and a tiny doll wrapped up tight. Close by, sat actors portraying Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds, along with the 3 Wise Men. Nobody spoke, but there was a lot of smiling. My heart was so touched that I got choked up. I knelt down next to Kaiya, who was particularly tuned in to what was happening. She is always so close to the Spirit and so aware of things that are meaningful. We had a good, quiet talk about what the scene was about. She identified all the things that we have been reading about in the scriptures and I think it really helped it all to come to life for her. The woman playing Mary motioned for Kai to come up and get a closer look at the babe. She very timidly did and with eyes big and wide, whispered to me that it was Baby Jesus! It was one of those tender moments that I will always cherish in my heart. As we made our way back outside, we were surprised by a camel named Moses who was quite big and we were very certain was going to spit on us! But he behaved and the girls thought he was pretty incredible!

Then we walked around and saw all the other animals in the pens and stables -- cows, horses, chickens, sheep, goats, etc. Finally, we got to take a horse drawn hay ride around the farm that was authentically bumpy and the girls giggled the whole way!

As we left, we took one more peek inside the stable at baby Jesus and his family, as per Kai's request, and left with freezing hands, but hearts warmed by the Spirit of what this time of year REALLY is about.

I am sooooo thankful we got to have this experience. I know it sounds like a typical Christmas outing. But there was just something so special about it. The scene was so humble and so sweet and so simple. Nothing like the hustle and bustle of shopping and parties and gifts, though those are all wonderful parts of the season too. But for our family, to have this authentic, quiet reminder of what really brings us Joy during Christmas and always -- the Savior, Jesus Christ -- it meant so much to me. And to be there with my little family, the ones I love the most, just meant that much more! I felt grateful for the efforts of a few, to share their farm, to organize such a sweet event, to bring focus and perspective back to Christ in a world that often forgets Him. I want to send them a note to let them know how much it meant to us. And I want to put this event on our calendars FIRST thing next Christmas, to make sure we don't miss it! What a perfectly special, memorable night!

The next morning, we had our ward Christmas breakfast that -- it was fun and yummy food!

That night, we sent our kids with a sitter to our neighbors house so that we could host our second annual Christmas party here at our house! It was such a FUN, FUN night! We (or maybe I should say "I") really love doing this party. Chris is such a willing sport and helps out so much, even when my ideas and my plans become BIGGER than what he would necessarily care for! Hehe! And maybe next year, I will remember to pull my camera out DURING the party to capture our friends! Anyway, we had a great turn out of our friends and neighbors. Such fun and great people that live around here! I did the hot chocolate bar again -- with so many yummy mix-ins!

And everyone else brought such yummy food to share! We did our white elephant exchange, which is always absolutely hilarious and unpredictable! My face was hurting so bad because of all the laughing! All I can say is underwear with butt pads to give you that firm, plump behind you always wanted?! Sooo funny! So, I would say that it was another successful, fun party and we look forward to making this a tradition! Hopefully our guests would agree!

**As a side note, I did a TON of baking for this party and I gotta say, even though it was busy, I had so much fun! I tried a bunch of new things and have to share a few! I did red velvet candy cane cake pops -- yum, sugar cookies on sticks that looked like huge lollipops,

Milano cookies dipped in red candy melts and sprinkled with crushed candy canes -- thank goodness for the Pepperidge Farms factory we have here-- (see here), and my absolute favorite (in case you need a last minute treat idea) were these shortbread chocolate peppermint bark cookies (see here)! Ohhhh, they are so, so good! I have to keep making more batches of these because we keep eating all the ones we are supposed to be sharing! YUM!

For family night last night, we took the kids out to Willard Bay to their light show. It was nice to be snuggled up in our sweats and jammies, nice and warm in the car for this one! We had the Christmas music going and we drove through the light show about 6 times, round and round! Our kids really, really loved it! Cheesy? Well, yes, of course! But our kids soaked it up and the excitement from them oozed out all over Chris and I and we couldn't help but love every minute of it! Cute little Avery was enthralled! She was squealing and craning her neck the whole time to see all the lights! So fun!

Some other fun things we have been doing around here for the holidays: going on lots of drives to see the Christmas lights all over town, watching every Christmas movie under the sun, drinking lots of hot chocolate, baking a TON -- treats coming out of our ears, dancing to "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" with the girls -- their favorite, Christmas crafts with the kids, and talking a LOT about Santa Clause! We will be heading down to Temple Square this weekend, which I can't wait for!

Seriously, don't you just LOVE this time of year?! I wish it would never end!!