Some December Festivities

We started this month off right with a trip to Idaho Falls for my brother Nate's wedding. Here are the kids waiting for the cute couple to come out of the temple. It was freezing, so I will forgive Shane for not taking very good pictures!:) Here is the best one he got of Nate and Shanntel. Hopefully I can get some others to post so we can show how cute and happy they were. It was a wonderful day for them and for our whole family.

We had a special time with my immediate family. My brothers and sisters and I took a moment and stayed behind the whole group with our parents and spouses. We wanted to pause and reflect on the fact that our whole family was there in the temple together. What a wonderful testament to my parents, to my siblings and to our spouses that we are all trying to do what is right. I think it was an experience that we will all remember and be grateful for.

A yearly December event is the school choir Christmas program. Natalie and Hallie are so dedicated to go to choir before school once a week. Many of their friends quit every year because they don't want to get up early. My girls love it and they don't mind the early hours.

This is Hallie and her cute friend Kennedy.

Here is my darling 6th grader enjoying her last elementary Christmas program. I told her the other day I have a hard time looking at her because she is growing up so fast and it is making me feel so old!!

My beautiful daughters. I am always so proud of them. They are both such good girls.

Yesterday I finally got to some holiday baking. The kids helped me make some sugar cookies. I was so happy with how well they helped and how they listened when I told them to make them pretty without putting tons of stuff on top. Even Jace listened and they were careful and had a lot of fun making some cute cookies!

Natalie helped us too, she took the pictures, so she isn't in them. I love that projects are getting a little easier each year as the kids get more helpful.

Here are some of the finished cookies! I didn't decorate any. The kids did awesome work I think! I was also lazy this year and couldn't face baking a million things for the neighbors, so we made some huge batches of sugary chex mix and took them to everyone in some cute Christmas boxes. I think it was still cute and fun and so much less work.

I also want to report that I am done with my shopping and wrapping. It is a record! I finished 6 days before Christmas. I need to do it more often. It is so much more relaxing! Now on to cleaning the house after all the messes! I am looking forward to a couple last events of the season!! I am so excited to see my kids faces this Christmas morning, I think it will be a good day!