*This post was actually written ten days ago, but it has taken me this long to get around to editing and adding the pictures.
I always struggle to keep up on the blog about the happenings this time of year. Ce la vie.
But I do want to recap some of the fun things we have been doing this past few weeks. Warning: Mo’ Rambling with very little point.
In addition to the ferris wheel, and seeing the lights at Temple Square, we also went on our annual scavenger hunt at The Grand America. The Grand is a beautiful hotel and every year they put up fun little window displays around their hotel. You can go on a scavenger hunt to find the details in the windows, and when you are done you take your hunt card to the bakery where they reward you with a giant, soft, chewy sugar cookie. And the best thing about this activity is they validate your parking (no walking for ever to get to the event) and the whole thing is inside (no battling rain, snow, or freezing temperatures). It is a great activity. This year Everett, Roo and Wyatt missed it. Everett and Wyatt were both sick, and we learned from Temple Square not to push it with sick babies and activities.
We also had our annual Christmas Eve Dinner. It was a little more challenging this year because Christmas Eve fell on a Monday (I hate going out on Christmas Eve and would ideally do all my grocery shopping on the day before Christmas Eve, but since it was Sunday this year . . . ) I think next year we definitely need to add an activity to our tradition – sitting around the house all day waiting (for the food to cook, for the day to be over, etc.) is a little hard.
We went down to the Christensen’s in the afternoon on Christmas day. Lois was nice enough to babysit a couple times over the next couple days so we could see some movies. We saw Lincoln and Hobbit – both were good, but I really hope to see Les Mis at some point.
Santa brought Olivia roller skates. Santa told me he was a bit skeptical about this gift – that Olivia was ready for skates, but still he brought some – sturdy, heavy, real rollerskates. And Olivia has taken it to like a fish to water. She wears them everywhere and even talked her daddy into taking her to his office for a couple hours so she could practice in the lobby.
Santa also brought the kids some new sleds. And then Heavenly Father accommodated even further by sending us some beautiful snow storms this week. The sledding has been grand! Olivia and Calvin are also learning how to ski (so far, just on our sledding hill). Calvin LOVES it! Who knows, maybe I’ll get brave and learn too.
We also took an afternoon and went down to the Children’s Museum. My kids LOVE that place so they had a lot of fun. Even Roo was big enough to toddle around and play.
Sickness abounds at our house. We have had sick kids every Sunday for the past four weeks (why is it that kids are always sick on weekends?!) It has been so yucky! I’m taking two babies to the Dr.’s today to see if we can’t get ourselves over this gunk once and for all. I know – you’re probably saying, if everyone is sick, why do you keep doing these activities? Well, we only go out when everyone seems healthy. And to stay inside would make us all stir crazy. I can only watch so many episodes of Jake and The Neverland Pirates before I go bonkers!
So, that was our Christmas this year. It has been fun/sick/awesome.