December

To start off the holiday season we of course put up the tree decorated the house and Lance put up his fancy Christmas lights on the house. But this year we decided to give the kids their gift from mom and dad early...

Meet Leo! We think he's a chihuahua-terrier mix. He is a 2 yr old, 6lb dog that my mom rescued out of a busy intersection in Sandy. He is so mellow, loves to snuggle but will play rough, too. And he can JUMP! We never hear a peep out of him unless someone comes to the door. Luckily, he takes Elizabeth's pestering in stride. We love having a dog!





Sleeping in his 'cinnamon roll' as Lance calls it.


Our December was packed full of holiday fun. I am realizing I took much more video than still pics. First we went to see the lights at Temple Square with Grammy, Pop, GG, Grandpa Ken and even aunt Carli and her friend Cheri were visiting from Vegas. It was PACKED. But, as always, the lights were amazing.





Mom and I vowed to get shopping done early so the rest of the month was available for having fun and being together. We went to see the light festival in Spanish Fork. This followed by a trip to Dairy Queen afterwards has become a family tradition. The kids try and decide what display is new that year. Elizabeth was amazed by the lights and pointed and squealed the whole time.

We strung popcorn while we watched the movie "Elf".

The kids decorated a gingerbread house.

We made endless treats and played games.





We started a new tradition this year. We took the kids up to Candy Cane Corner which services a few of the local homeless shelters and made a donation of new items for Christmas. First, we went to Walmart and told the kids they could spend $20 to buy things that a kid their age would want. One of the items had to be underwear or socks and the rest could be clothes or toys.
Once we made our purchases we drove to SLC. At the donation center they told us about the families who would be receiving the gifts and gave us a tour of the center. You could tell the message was sinking in but the clincher came on the ride home. By accident we drove past two of the shelters and many people were standing outside. The kids asked questions and we gave answers the best we could. The Spirit was strong as everyone was feeling a little more grateful for the blessings we enjoy.