Christmas Eve

We had a busy, memorable Christmas Eve which started with sleigh rides at the Fords'.

All our Grovers plus Grandma and Grandpa Scott, Aunt Jessica, Uncle T, Aunt McKall, Bennet and Oakley ride a two-horse open sleigh guided by Brother Ford.

See? A two-horse open sleigh that a young mule liked to tag alongside.

Followed by a snowball fight at the Fords'.

Seth prepares a snowball with Bennet and Analee in the background.

Rebekah running from an opponent.

Analee may or may not have had snow kicked on her by her mother. (I never meant for it to go on her face!)

Followed by a snowman built at the Fords'.

Miriam rolling a ball of snow.

Uncle T used a tumbleweed for snowman hair.

Then we parted ways and the Grovers came home to make a snowman for our own yard.

Seth came up with the grand idea of giving him antlers. And naming him Arthur.

Watch Peach knock Ana down the mound.

Then we went to the Museum of Idaho for their annual Christmas exhibit.

Analee and Winnie check out the nativities.

Winnie plays in the sand in the Children's Discovery Room.

After which we decorated Christmas cookies.

Ana, Winnie, Miriam and Bekah with their creations. Thank goodness for food color markers; they made decorating cookies so much easier for Winnie.

Then we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Scott's for Christmas Eve dinner.

Winnie, Miri, Bennet, Uncle T, Aunt McKall, Oakley, Rebekah, Analee, Grandma Scott, Andrea, Seth and Aunt Jessica getting ready to eat schnitzel. Grandpa Scott took the picture.

And we opened Christmas Eve jammies.

Seth buttons up Winnie's Frozen jammies.

Miriam shows off her footie jammies while Winnie photobombs.

And ended our evening with a program which included scriptures:

and music:

After each scriptural account, we requested Christmas songs which Seth kindly played so we could sing.

It was a picture-perfect Christmas Eve.

To see more Christmas Eve fun, start here.

Lincoln Court

Last year Rebekah, Analee and I came up with a set list and played 1.5 hours of music during dinner at Lincoln Court during the holiday season. Grandpa Wirkus forwent dinner so he could give us his full and undivided attention ... even when we started the set list over.

I assumed that was a one-time gig as Christmas came around this year and we didn't have any relatives living at Lincoln Court any longer. But the girls started asking around Thanksgiving if we could do it again, so I called to schedule another playing time and the girls and I started readying ourselves.

This year we were able to add some new tricks to our bag. Rebekah had a shiny new trombone to play (and two Christmas songs she knew how to play on it), and Analee worked practiced playing some borrowed hand bells and my uke. It turned out to be a lovely evening, and the girls immediately asked if we could do it again next year.

Rebekah and Analee sing "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas" while I play the uke.

Rebekah playing "Jingle Bells" on the trombone. She also played "Good King Wenceslas."

Analee and Rebekah sing Christmas songs from the Children's Songbook while Andrea plays piano.

Rebekah sings/signs "Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains" while Analee joins in the signing in the background and Andrea plays on the piano.

Analee sings/plays on the uke "Go Tell It on the Mountain." All three performers also played piano solos/duets.

Analee plays hand bells and sings "Away in a Manger" while Rebekah accompanies on the piano and Andrea supervises. 

Rebekah and Analee sing while Andrea accompanies on the uke.

Gingerbread houses

Rather than teaming up this year, each girl got to decorate her own house. Rebekah and Analee also constructed their houses, while Miriam and Winnie decorated houses I had previously constructed for them. Seth helped Winnie operate her frosting while I generally supervised and took pictures.

Analee and Rebekah working on their creations.

Winnie, Seth and Miriam working on theirs.

Completed houses. (That's a peanut in Miriam's mouth, not a stogy.)

These girls named their houses.

Christmas party

We love our ward Christmas party. But before this year, we had never been in charge of it.

Seth volunteered the Elders' Quorum to head the party up this year, and I volunteered to be the Primary presidency member in charge of the live nativity. Those responsibilities kept us busy, but we also relied on the support of others to have a wonderful party.

Miriam the angel reading Junie B. Jones after finishing her dinner.

Winnie sitting on Grandpa's Scott's lap.

Rebekah, Analee, Grandma Susan, Andrea and the other members of our ASL group sign/sing "Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains" while Miriam and Winnie jump in and participate.

Primary children gathering with their visual aids to sing "The Christmas Story Tree."

Winnie the cute angel.

Andrea supervising the Primary children and giving stage direction during the live nativity.

Rebekah (the donkey) and Analee (Mary) participate in the nativity. I think Analee is helpfully instructing a nursery-aged shepherd to exit stage right.

A full house watching the "Light the World" video put out by the church on the chapel's screen.

Seth emceeing the party.

Santa

Who should show up on our doorstep earlier this month than the big man in red himself?

Grandpa Dennis was hired to be Santa for an annual event, and he always drops by in his garb to the delight of the girls.

Winnie with Grandpa/Santa.

Miriam getting animated with her gift requests.

Analee (and her adorable dimple) talking to Santa.

Rebekah smiling as Grandpa loses his hat.

Seth delicately perched on Santa's lap.

Andrea gesticulating. (He had just asked who the best father-in-law is.)

Journey to Bethlehem

Our girls know the church by the Idaho Falls Temple as the camel church. Why? Because once a year, they have a camel out on the lawn. Why? Because the good people of that stake host a "Journey to Bethlehem" event and invite all the public to attend.

We enjoyed seeing the camel and donkey on the lawn, then went inside to see/hear a live nativity, listen to a Christmas story, eat flat bread, grapes and nuts and make Bethlehem-themed crafts.

I've already forgotten what this is called, but it's some kind of rattling instrument made of wire, beads and buttons. Miriam and Winnie each made one.

Analee with her bolt/washer key chain.

Rebekah with her flat bread.

Seth helping make crafts.

Winnie's bracelet.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed multiple Thanksgiving dinners over the course of our break. First we spent a couple of nights at Justin and Rachel's cabin in Island Park and ate a delicious dinner there. Alas, I have no pictures to show for it, but I DO have fond memories of sending kids out to play in the snow, playing board games, watching YouTube videos and eating good food.

Our second feast was on the holiday itself. (I also didn't take pictures of this, but my dad did.) Uncle Jon and his family pulled in to Grandma and Grandpa's Scott's just in time for turkey with all the fixings.

Analee went over early to help Grandma in the kitchen. She also helped make the cute M&M turkeys and all the place names.

A fairly full house (all the Scotts minus Ethan and his family) enjoying pie and ice cream.

Winnie was such a hoot with her Uncle Jon. She insisted that he read to her, let her sit on his lap, play with her, etc.

When the rest of the house got too noisy with young cousins, Analee and Rebekah retired to the jacuzzi tub.

Andrea-ism

Sleep talking, as reported by Seth:

Andrea: No, I get paid for "Birdhouse in Your Soul." NOT Seth!