A Couple of Shots From Our Ski Day

Red Fish's Messy Room

I had to laugh when walking into my six year old's room today. This little pile of stuff is so Red Fish. There is a sketch pad and books, peacock, unicorn, horses, giraffe, anatomy models, soccer trophies, jewelry, music boxes and snow globes surrounded by pictures of unicorns, rainbows and paintings.

You would think that a six year old would be freakout with a skeleton (with vital organs) hanging in her room but she loves it.

 

Christmas Day

Waiting to come downstairs

 New Fish ended up in our bed around 4:30 am because she was too excited to sleep.  It is the first year she has counted down to Christmas.  It really stressed her out this month waiting for Santa. 

Princess cowgirl

Our little veterinarian

 This anatomy model is one of Red Fish's two favorite presents.  She has been telling everyone about how she can remove all of the organs. She calls it her "gross little guy."

 After we had opened some presents we went to my parent's house for breakfast and to exchange gifts with our T family.

All of the cousins

The kids opened gifts and played together.

 Thing 2 was very taken with her giant teddy bear.

 In the afternoon we went to exchange gifts and have dinner with our O family.

The girls adoring their oblivious cousin E.

Red Fish exchanging gifts with L.

Grandma and New Fish

Christmas Eve

We started off Christmas Eve with dinner at our house.  When I was little my Mom let us pick our favorite food for dinner and then cooked them all together even if it made for a crazy menu.  We decided to give that a try this year and we had pizza, enchiladas, oranges, baked potatos with all of the fixings, pasta and alfredo sauce, stuffing, garlic bread, pumpkin cookies, peppermint ice cream and fancy drinks.

 After dinner we sang Christmas carols around the piano.

Three generations playing We Wish You A Merry Christmas together.

 I love this picture because this expression is pure Red Fish.  It is her love face.

 We bundled up and drove downtown to see the temple Christmas lights. It was a beautiful night and there is something magical about all of those lights.  The kids were getting a little fried and New Fish didn't have a lot of interest in walking but we had a good time.

 When New Fish perked up a little she became her usual boisterous self.

 I thought the girls would be asleep when we got home but there was no chance they would sleep through putting on the Christmas jammies and opening one present.

 After the girls got in bed Two Fish and I started our work.  Santa does not wrap at our house.  After we free all of the toys from their adult proof packaging (seriously must they sew the doll clothes down to the box?) I stage the gifts for the next morning.  I love it. I have fun arranging all of the toys.

Red Fish

New Fish

Blue Fish was not neglected this Christmas.  He gets a couple of stuffed toys every year.  We call them his babies because he will carry them around for months and he gets seriously attached to them.  He was the happiest dog alive when he woke up Christmas morning and found his stocking.

Frosty The Snowman

What do you say about a kid who makes your life worth living? She is so cute it is painful.

Christmas Music

We have been spending a lot of time at the piano lately.  Red Fish is trying to learn a few Christmas carols and duets on the piano before Christmas eve.  IT IS SO FUN.  I can hardly stand how fun it is to play and sing with my kids. Seeing Red Fish enjoy playing makes my heart leap into my throat. I definitely need to work more on my sad piano skills. My children will not be impressed for much longer.

Gingerbread House Party

 One of my very favorite Christmas traditions is making gingerbread houses with our O family.  They started the tradition shortly after Two Fish and I got married.  We get together on a Saturday in December with bowls of frosting and candy and each child gets to decorate their own house. Unfortunately I was sick this year and didn't get to go but Two Fish took the girls.  When he was shopping for the usual premade gingerbread assembly kits he couldn't find what he wanted so he actually baked the houses from scratch.  I think he did a pretty great job.  That is definitely something I would not have done.  He was up half the night baking them and assembling them for the party.  He is a really good Dad.

Red Fish

New Fish

Uncle M couldn't be there either so here a random picture from his visit last month. 

Kindergarten Cuteness For Christmas

Sugar Cookies and Santa Lucia's Day

 I have never felt this crazy during the Christmas season before.  Thanksgiving was too late this year and I didn't get enough done ahead of time.  I swear that next year I will be better prepared.  I'm a bit frantic trying to fit in all of our family traditions and holiday activities and still make sure we concentrate on the reason for the season. In spite of the craziness it has been an awesome month so far.  The girls are at such a fun age and they are so excited about everything we do, even if it is just a simple family home evening lesson or making an ornament or watching a Christmas movie.  They also have their own idea about what our Christmas traditions are and what they should be.  For the last few years they have insisted that we have to bake and decorate sugar cookies even if we have baked a few other kinds of cookies.  So I guess it is a tradition now.

The girls requested a "fancy" family home evening.  We had pizza on Christmas china followed by frosting freshly burned sugar cookies. We are classy like that.

 Their cookies always end up with an abundance of decoration.

 

We also celebrated Santa Lucia and delivered goodies to our neighbors in the cute outfits.  (Thanks again Perssons!)