Christmas 2016...

Christmas was great! This year we actually didn't have as much family around as we usually do since Cory's parents are serving a mission and my mom was helping Taylor with her sweet, brand new baby. So last minute on Christmas Eve we got together with the siblings that were in town and did a little nativity and some sledding.

We grabbed whatever scarves and pillowcases that we could find and I must say- I think we are getting better- this was a lot less chaotic than years past. Ellie really wanted to be Mary but she was able to be that role last year and so we wanted to let someone else to have a turn- she was pretty upset for a minute but when she decided that she would be a shepherd- she really nailed her role and was the best shepherd ever! Tanner was the sheep and Jase was the dog...? Ellie kept those two in line with her staff and then took worshipping baby Jesus very seriously also (she bowed very dramatically over and over...so great!) It was pretty sweet.

  

Here is our crew! It was adorable as always.

 

Then after the cousins all went home we opened up our Christmas jammies from Grandma Madsen, set out the Christmas cookies (Ellie insisted that we make "Christmas Cookies" and not any other type!) and said good night!

  

The next morning these happy little faces came up the stairs and we all smiles!

 

It was Ty's first Christmas and he was pretty content as long as he was close to mom! We kept Christmas pretty simple this year and we all loved it! We felt like our kids were extremely grateful and not overwhelmed by too much "stuff" and it gave us more energy to focus on what really matters!

 

The sledding pictures are actually from Christmas Eve... it has been such a cold winter but we took advantage of all this snow and played outside until our fingers were numb.

Brig really was a natural on the snowboard and everyone had lots of fun...until they decided their hands were freezing (which they lasted longer than I would have expected considering none of my kids were wearing their gloves!!!)

   

   

Grandpa and Monica came over on Christmas morning and made our traditional crepes (Grandpa is the BEST crepe maker ever!) but when the power went out for a couple hours we moved the cooking in to the wood stove and it worked perfectly!

 

Christmas 2015...

This Christmas consisted of lots of playing in the snow! We had a beautifully white Christmas Eve and the snow stuck around for a few days- making for lots of fun!

 

This coat is the only one that I can zip up- it's one of Cory's work coats and it hideous...but I roll with it!

You would think that the Nativity reenactment was a super solemn activity by the look of this picture! no one is smiling! But it was cute as always...they just don't have the longest attention span so getting a picture at the end usually isn't the top of their little priority list. And Jase was insistent upon him getting to hold Baby Jesus.

 

Luckily, Santa must have known we would have snow...or he lucked out...and he gave the kids sleds. After spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa Madsen on Christmas morning Cory and Brig got to try his out and sled down their big hill. It was pretty quick!

 

 

More gym time. Jase did not have fun though. He woke up so sick that day and just wanted to cuddle. Poor boy!

 

Christmas 2014...

We spent this Christmas with the Walker side and kept things pretty simple.

I didn't snap very many pictures of everything...mostly because I was constantly trying to console and comfort sick kids. It seemed like everyone was sick...but Ellie was especially feeling rotten. She had a fever that we barely kept under control for the entire week surrounding Christmas.

 

 

One of the highlights was definitely the nativity that we did on Christmas Eve. It was short, not completely scripturely accurate and super entertaining. But most importantly, it did serve as a sweet reminder that the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth and life of our Savior to whom we are all eternally indebted to for His atoning sacrifice.

I am so grateful for Him and for the opportunity I have to teach our children of the true meaning of Christmas.

 

 

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours...

 

Magic...

 

Kids sure do have a way of making the holidays more magical...

 

Because I Can...

Because it's completely justified to do a little impromptu photo session before the Christmas party when your kids are this cute...

 

 

The Tree {2014}...

We keep it old school and chop our Christmas tree down from the mountains. It is a tradition that I hope will resonate fond memories for our family. 

It was pretty nice weather at our house so we underestimated the weather at our tree chopping location. Snowy and chilly. We were a little under prepared. The kids weren't wearing snow boots and so their feet got pretty wet and cold pretty quickly. I did think that I was covered when it came to coats. I had made sure everyone had theirs before we left. Somehow, however, Brig was coatless when we got out of the truck. 

Luckily I brought an coat and a snowsuit for Jase and Cory always has extra jackets in his car so between an 18 month coat and a men's size medium jacket. Brig did alright. 

Cory is all about simplicity and efficiency. So we found our tree pretty fast. Which is great because then we feel no pressure and can enjoy the day and the time in the mountains instead of scouring the mountainside for the perfect tree. 

Brig helped cut the tree and at this point his feet were soaked but as long as he is outside and exploring- he's pretty content. We didn't hear a word. 

The highlight of the trip was our food however. I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while and so when the time came to pack some lunch for our trip instead of running "into town" Cory found a solution. Potatoes. 

We baked 'em. Packed 'em. And then ate 'em. The kids thought it was awesome. They were warm and filling and entirely strange and quirky. I think it will become part of this tradition's tradition. 

We met up with some cousins and had fun for a few hours before heading home. It is always such a great way to kick off the Christmas season. 

PS. I think I hung four ornaments this year. Maybe. I had two helpers who were very eager to get the job done. And consequently our tree is very ornament heavy right at their height. It's perfect. 

Christmas 2013...

Christmas was great once again! I think it gets busier each year though.  We are still deciding how we feel about a busy Christmas...ok we know how we feel but we are still trying to decide how we can simplify things. 

We kicked things off at Grandma Madsen's where we had some yummy food and opened the traditional Christmas Jammies.  Jase had some too but didn't manage to make the picture:)

 

All the girls had matching pajamas...and they will kill me if they see this picture.  We all decided this was an awful photo.  Oh well, I have to document it.

We didn't make it home until around 9:00 on Christmas Eve and the kids had fallen asleep in the car.  This seemed perfect since we wanted to put their Christmas gift from us together so it would be a surprise in the morning. As soon as we walked in the door however, they both woke up.  That was not part of the plan. So they were laying in our bed and I was a little less than patient trying to force them back to sleep as Cory was in their room being a little less than patient as he tried to put together their bunk beds.  It was not the sweet surprise that I had envisioned.  In fact, I started crying and swore that I would keep Christmas as simple as possible in the future because it was not worth the stress and snappiness and lack of family love that was happening that night. Then, after getting over his desire to burn their new bunk beds- Cory saved the day and went and got the kids out of our bed.  We covered their eyes and they not only were surprised by their new, awesome beds...but they got to help put them together.  Brig was in heaven.  Christmas Eve was saved:)

 Christmas morning was fun...and it seems like we are going to have to be a little more clear about how the whole stocking thing works! Brig and Ellie ran into our rooms and told us that Santa had come and then proceeded to tell us the entire content of their stockings...they had opened them without us. At least they were still excited:)

Once again, Brig made Ellie a present that he spent hours creating.  He made her a doll house this year.  She really did love it. Even if the picture doesn't really show it.

One of the kids favorite things they got were their Legos...Brig is officially a Lego-maniac!

They got to spend some time with cousins on their new plasma cars- they are way fun (all the adults gave them a try too!)

Then we hit the "slopes" (more like the little hill in the back of Grandma and Grandpa's house) and did a little sledding.  Jase didn't last long as he does NOT like to be cold. 

Ellie did not want to sled at all but was perfectly content eating snow.

 

This year we helped the kids memorize a Christmas poem. They did really great- I am always impressed with how well kids can remember!

 

) )