Dear Neighbors, it's okay to spit it out.

No procrastinating the sugar cookies this year! We need a treat to deliver to the neighbors(the advent calender said so), a treat for Family Home Evening and an activity....for Family Home Evening. Sugar cookies qualify for all three.

See how I'm getting smarter every year? I used to put multiple activities in each pocket. Now I make one activity satisfy multiple expectations.

The little girls and I did the cutting and baking early in the day. It's better this way. You know what they say about cooks in the kitchen. 

Later, everyone was able to decorate their allotted cookies. We've learned our lesson about an ounce of organization saving you from a pound of fights.

They turned out pretty cute! Simple and tasty. Or maybe just simple. After dropping them off to 6 or 7 of the families that we live by every day, we bit into our own cookies and I realized (with horror) that they were TERRIBLE. Possible the nastiest cookies I've ever had. And I've snarfed up my share of sub-par cookies in my life.

Maybe we should start a new tradition of ding dong ditching our neighbor gifts. Deniability is the key here.

Advent 2017 - Carol play along at the Johnsons

Marie Johnson hosted a Christmas carol play along for any musical kids that were interested. Megan brought her snare drum on the first day and really held her own! She didn't have any music or direction, but she just played along, making it up and trying to match the style of each piece. It was very cool. 

The second week, Ethan joined in. Mathew forgot to bring his trombone home from school. Like ever.

I love this! And how brave is Marie?

Stake Conference selfies, banished to the nursery and other perks of excessive lateness

Mark was feeling sick on Stake Conference morning, so I packed up the kids and we went on down to the Stake Center...sans papa.

We were late.

So we didn't snag a seat in the chapel, or the gym, or even up on the stage.

We did find a few sunbeam-sized chairs in the nursery, however and we soon realized our good fortune.

There was no one to disturb. No need to shoosh anyone.  There was a table to aid the little girls in their coloring plans. There were fewer people to judge us when we entertained ourselves with church selfies.

Christmas decorations...digging deep

I don't know what me deal was this year. But I got the decorations out and I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed by the whole decorating process. Making room on the book shelves for the nativity scenes means removing a lot of heavy books and changing the shelf height. 

ugh. 

So, I decided to just get out out a few of my favorites. The rest of the knick knackies can wait for a more energetic year. 

The Nativity:

Lights and greenery on the banister:

The stockings and pine boughs on the manltle:

Those few things and a some music playing is all I need to get into the Christmas spirit!

Ward Christmas Party....conversations with Santa

This year there were a few things I will remember about our ward party. 

There was the moment earlier in the day when I had a sudden feeling that I had forgotten something. Something big. Something I better figure out....fast. I made a phone call and was reminded that I had committed to decorate a table for the ward party that night. I was panicking. Maybe I could find something on pinterest that had to do with pinecones and epsom salt?? Maybe a thrift store vase or two?? But then my friend, Karina (also on the hook for a table) informed me that it wasn't one of the large tables that people were eating at. It was a small decorative table that would be entered into a competition that would be judged. 

ugh. 

Karina and I pinky-swore to only use stuff we already had around the house. I grabbed my brass deer, the decorative trees off the kitchen table, a simple 3-piece nativity, a string of lights and the muslin cloth we use for our Mary costume every year. A couple of dollar store stars I bought last week completed the look. 

We went in around to noon to set up the table and lend a hand with the rest of the decorations. Somehow they snagged the newest member of our ward, Jennifer Anderson, to organize the whole thing. You got to get them while they're still disoriented, I say. She took it all in stride and pulled it off with calm and practicality. 

My hat's off to you, ma'am!

Later on, when it came time to announce the winners of the table decorations, we realized that there were only 3 entries. And their were 3 prizes. And they were clearly planning on proclaiming the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. Me and Karina looked at each other with panic. I won 2nd place which was fine with me because the 1st place winner picked the prize I would have picked last. lol. 

And next time I'll know what I'm getting into if that list comes around during primary. 

But, the real star of the show was Santa. The girls were intent on communicating the desire of their hearts to the big man. 

Laney did her best to paint an accurate picture. 

Anna was suddenly shy. She managed to ask for a Pokemon stuffed animal.

Everly was freaked out a bit. Who is this guy? Is he really responsible for the presents? Just to be on the safe side she mentioned that she wouldn't be mad if she got some Paw Patrol toys.

And, no doubt, the hightight of the entire night was when the adults were busy cleaning up and the kids were able to run around on stage like crazy people, smashing into each other with fake presents.

Finally!

The advent 2017- dining at Costco

So, the advent calendar is in full swing! I am determined not to get bogged down or fall behind with our Christmas activities. 

SIMPLIFY  

This is my new mantra....deep breath in, let it all out.....ahhhhhhh.....

SIMPLIFY

No doubling up. Enjoy the things we love to do together. Let some of the more complicated things go. Combine similar activities.....ahhhhhh.....

Have dinner at Costco.

Kids love it. They get SODA!!! We are the family that always always get's water with our meals when we eat out. Mainly because we don't want to file bankruptcy after a soda-soaked trip to Chick-fil-a. 

Hot dogs and a soda are a dollar fifty! 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas band concert

We must have slipped into an alternate reality, because somehow we only have one Christmas concert to attend this year. No high school. And Laney isn't old enough for special chorus this year. 

So we relished the time we had to watch our little drummer girl...

And wonder what exactly happened to Mathew's bowtie and cummerbund....er....where did we put those?

I also realized that somebody had better buy this boy some longer pants. And a pair of black socks wouldn't hurt either. He is GROWING!