We had a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of family time and fun. For Christmas Eve, we got together at Grandma and Grandpa Hillmans to decorate sugar cookies for Santa, act out the nativity, and have a fun gift swapping game.
What a priceless cast.
Everyone shared a similar reaction as Hudson when Dalanie "birthed" the baby by pulling it out of her dress. Gotta love all the character that kids bring to the production.
Never mind that Hudson won the child's grand prize, he was set on claiming the bag of jerky as his own. Against the rules, he swapped Aunt Mel in the adult's pool. Hard as Brent might try, he still ended up with the fruitcake.
I had to jump start Christmas morning by rousing the kids in order to make it to church by 9:00. Despite Hudson's best efforts to catch Santa, he woke up sleepy eyed with new pjs and a picture proving Santa's visit.
None of us were left wanting.
After the gifts were opened, we pushed them aside and got ready for church. And wouldn't you know, I didn't get a single picture of the girls with curly hair. We had a beautiful program full of music and song. It felt good to be there and we found ourselves lingering, visiting with friends, not wanting to lose the special feelings that accompany the special day.
Once back at home, we spent the entire day playing together and sharing our gifts. It was a great day to reflect and relish in those things we love most.
Hudson sponsored Top Shot with the Hillman crew, as he supplied his new Ruger pellet gun. All the kids enjoyed getting a turn to shoot.
Dalanie confessed that Uncle Tracy was her boyfriend, because "she likes him."
As sometimes happens, I found myself not really "feeling" Christmas. Things seemed forced and out of obligation, harried and busy. When I started letting things go of things that didn't matter, I started to enjoy things much more. I was determined to enjoy and truly celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. An event that should be enjoyed with reflection and gratitude, not dreaded because of the commercial pressure.
I am grateful not only for the infant Christ, but for the living Christ whom I have come to know. He offers me second chances through His gift of the atonement. He succors and strengthens me. This bring joy to my world.
Our next destination was Burley (and getting there proved to be quite an adventure with my car.) Although there were some pretty cute monkeys compliments of Grandma, we didn't find any snow, but we did find fun.
Finally we found some snow in Island Park. It was thrown, sledded down, snowshoed over, and eaten. And boy, did we enjoy it!
Judging by these pictures that I found on the camera, I think it's safe to say that Hudson is pretty satisfied with his new boots. I am glad for that. The entire family hung out in the boot store for an hour and a half while he deliberated. It was a painstaking process for me. He tried on countless pairs, walked around, and finally decided on these beauties. At the age of 6, he is much more thorough in his decision making than I am, must take after his dad. (But in my own defense- there are too many purchases to keep a household running, I just have to get things done.)
What a priceless cast.
Everyone shared a similar reaction as Hudson when Dalanie "birthed" the baby by pulling it out of her dress. Gotta love all the character that kids bring to the production.
Never mind that Hudson won the child's grand prize, he was set on claiming the bag of jerky as his own. Against the rules, he swapped Aunt Mel in the adult's pool. Hard as Brent might try, he still ended up with the fruitcake.
I had to jump start Christmas morning by rousing the kids in order to make it to church by 9:00. Despite Hudson's best efforts to catch Santa, he woke up sleepy eyed with new pjs and a picture proving Santa's visit.
None of us were left wanting.
After the gifts were opened, we pushed them aside and got ready for church. And wouldn't you know, I didn't get a single picture of the girls with curly hair. We had a beautiful program full of music and song. It felt good to be there and we found ourselves lingering, visiting with friends, not wanting to lose the special feelings that accompany the special day.
Dalanie confessed that Uncle Tracy was her boyfriend, because "she likes him."
As sometimes happens, I found myself not really "feeling" Christmas. Things seemed forced and out of obligation, harried and busy. When I started letting things go of things that didn't matter, I started to enjoy things much more. I was determined to enjoy and truly celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. An event that should be enjoyed with reflection and gratitude, not dreaded because of the commercial pressure.
Brent and I discovered this nativity while looking around in a pottery shop in Quinchimali, Chile. This area is known for their pottery. The clay is retrieved from the mountainside, sculpted, and fired in kilns. The natural color is similar to terracotta, but the darker color comes from using horse manure during the curing process. This particular artist had only made three sets throughout the entire year. One of which went to Ricardo Lagos, the president of Chile. Someone had placed an ordered, but then backed out, making this set available. I fell in love with it. We are so grateful we managed to get it home without any pieces breaking. It is a treasure we enjoy.
So when I saw this Father Christmas at a show in Vegas, I knew it was a similar treasure. This vendor, a guy that spent time in Russia, now contracts with Russian artists and brings over their work. The intricate painting and a shiny lacquered finish are exactly what I remember seeingk. I was immediately drawn to it, since it reminds me of the time I spent in Russia. I remember agonizing over what memento to bring home and sadly enough, made it home without a single matryoshka doll. The detail and craftsmanship are of superior quality. I am grateful to have stumbled upon it and have it in my home.
Dalanie could not get enough of Jingle Bells this year. Her beaming face was typical of any of her performances.
I couldn't believe the pinata lasted through 20 kids at the Spanish branch party. Hermano Uribe sure had those kids swinging, but usually at thin air.
