It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

My favorite part of Christmas is not really Christmas day, although I like that. It's Christmas month - all of the decorations, fun preparations, Christmas music, and good cheer all around. This year we had a brand new screamy-baby, so doing the usual holiday stuff was a challenge, but we still got everyone what they needed, got the Christmas cards out, got the family calendar done, and really enjoyed ourselves. Actually I changed my mind. My favorite part of Christmas is seeing the kids enjoy Christmas month. Josh and Noah both had countdown chains, and were constantly begging me to let them rip off a link, as if Christmas would somehow come faster if their chains dwindled quickly. Love it. Here are a few of our doings leading up to the big day.

Josh takes a lot of pictures when he gets a hold of the camera. Sometimes I like them, like this one of Andrew that I think shows a little of his silly side.

My kids got to tell Santa their Christmas wish at our ward Christmas party. I told them they could each ask for one thing, and they were pumped for the occasion. (They know which things are not okay to ask for. We'll see how many years this works.) Afterwards Josh was a little deflated, though, because apparently Santa said, "I'll see what I can do." :)

Noah gets his turn to talk to Santa.

Andrew didn't quite know what to do. But at least he was interested.

The boys LOVE giving Lissy a bottle. After this time Gary said, "Well, that was fun for them." (As in, not so much for him.) What a patient dad..

Lissy liked this arrangement for longer than most any other that didn't include being held.

Noah's little neighborhood preschool had a little show and it was hugely adorable. Here they are getting ready to shine . Noah is the one in the bulldog shirt. He said he chose that one because it is the same color as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer's nose.

Noah's friend Cooper was trying to get him to take center stage.

Before the show the kids all made their parents a cookie to enjoy while watching . This was mine.

I had an extreme disadvantage when trying to photograph the event because I was in the back of the room nursing  and trying to zoom with the camera between people. Here, the kids jingled the bells on the back of their hats while singing "Jingle Bells." Too cute.

After the show the kids and spectators got to make a cookie for themselves to enjoy. Here is Andrew and his friend Cannon enjoying that portion of the day.

Noah with his cookie. This one was for him.

A couple of days before Christmas we met Gary's brother Taylor, wife Sara, and their 5 boys to eat at Crown Burger then see the lights at Temple Square. It was gorgeous, as always, and the 8 boys + one baby girl were fun. The kids enjoyed each other, and we didn't start losing them until the end. Seeing the temple at Christmas is such a wonderful thing to feel the Spirit confirm what is really important.

Andrew and Noah

Andrew did not want Noah pushing the stroller.

Andrew in blue, then Christian and Michael

My little Christmas picture with Josh and Noah, Michael got in there, too.

Ethan, Josh, and Michael. I think this reflecting pool with the nativity in the middle is breathtakingly beautiful.