After Christmas 2024

After Christmas we were all still sick. Most of December we were sick. Blah.

We did celebrate Stan Lee's birthday on December 28 with shawarma. 

We had latkes and challah during Hanukkah.

I finished the adult reading program last minute on New Year's Eve. I earned a water bottle that says, "I read more in 2024."

I finished a year of "A Season of Family Meal Plans" by Jordan Page. I love those books.

We took apart our Christmas tree.

I got some morning walks in among the lights at City Center Park before the New Year.

We had New Year's Nachos.

 

Christmas 2024

On Christmas Eve, Nichole made us cheeseball. Thanks, Nichole.

We had a simplified Christmas Eve dinner because we were sick (thankfully we had funeral potatoes in the freezer to heat up).

The kids got to open up a present each- pajamas.

Jet set out cookies for Santa. I was pleased with myself because I saved some cookies in the freezer from a batch we made earlier in the month. Cookies for Santa is hit and miss in our home. 

Christmas morning, Jeremy made us scones (American scones, not English scones). 

We opened presents and were all sick.

Jet got a camera for Christmas and loved it.

One day while we were driving, I heard Jet taking pictures over and over and over so I asked him, "What are you taking pictures of." He answered, "Everything."

The kids and I decorated a bowl for Jeremy. It said, "I love you," and had hearts around it that the kids wrote their names in. Note my present in the back of the picture- a new family picture to put on the wall. The one it replaced was taken in 2011 and only had three of our five children in it.

Let's Go Back and Remember December

O.K. Besides holidays, here are some other things we did in December (before Christmas). 

Let's see what I can remember from so long ago based on pictures I find. Sigh.

 

Jr. had an orchestra concert. Here's a picture of him. 

Jet played with Legos. Here's a picture of him.

We were sick a lot. Here's a picture of soup. 

Some of us went to our ward Christmas party. Here's a picture of us.

 

I've changed my mind. I don't want to catch up on all the stuff we did in December. We were sick. We ate food. There were snuggles. We eventually made it through to Christmas.

 

Speaking of Christmas, we did manage to squeeze our Polar Express book reading and movie watching in even if we've had better Polar Express parties in the past.

We were also going to go to an Interactive Muppet Christmas Carol event at the Provo Library like we did for The Princess Bride in August but we had to cancel our registration because of sickness. We watched the movie at some point at home. 

 

And the kids did build our Christmas tree out of balloons again this year.
 

Mom: How do you like the ornaments on the tree?

Jet: It looks perfect.

 

 

December Holidays

Let's talk some December holidays that weren't Christmas and New Year's Eve.

There were a lot we didn't end up celebrating because of sickness. Nobody found treats in their shoes on St. Nicholas Day. Sigh.

We did get back to our tradition of someone being sick during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, though. Woohoo?

And since that day, December 8, was also National Brownie Day, somebody did make brownies for us to eat during the devotional. 

December 11 was International Mountain Day and I did take a sunrise picture with mountains.

I also managed to make Teriyaki chicken because that day was also National Teriyaki Chicken Day.

Jet helped me make waffle batter for National Maple Syrup Day on December 17. I love that he's my kitchen helper.

Jet loves decorations and lights as you know so he and I were able to go for a walk in City Center Park in Orem on December 18. Jeremy called us when he was going to pick us up but I totally forgot to "answer the phone like Buddy the Elf," even though that was the holiday and I knew it.

When we got home I was telling the story to the kids when my phone rang. Jr. Jr. had called me so I could answer the phone the right way that night. Thanks, Jr. Jr. We of course then had our traditional Buddy the Elf breakfast for dinner.

We used our Fablehaven Cookbook and followed one suggestion for making Tanu's Heartening Soup (shelf cooking style with substitutions) the night before the Winter Solstice.

Then I got out on the Winter Solstice, December 21, for a morning walk around City Center Park while the lights were on. I love doing that in December/early January when I'm up for it (which I wasn't much up for it before January- just those two times).

 We celebrated Lucky's birthday in December. He took balloons to his classmates and we "partied" at home. Jet helped me make Lucky's birthday cake (and put the candles in) and luckily Lucky asked for a really simple dinner. 

It's December

It's December. I'm sick. Blah. 

Of course there needs to be catchup... eventually. But before I do that, I want to encourage you to participate in #LightTheWorld again. 

We started things off in November again watching Christmas on Temple Square concert on YouTube. This year's theme was "The Promise of Christmas."

This year there is not a calendar like they've had in past years. They do have a printable "50 Ideas to Share Your Light."

We're encouraging our children to let us know what they've done for service each day. We, parents, are sharing as well.

More about Light The World can be found at churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist

Since it is December 1 we also started our Countdown to Christmas scripture study. I love this tradition. The kids are really good at answering the questions based on our scripture study (earning a mint M&M as a reward). It's tricky this year because Jet really gets into things now and it is going to be hard to keep the vase of M&Ms out of his reach. Sigh. 

 

This is what we do for family scripture study in December. I told the kids they are welcome to continue with Come Follow Me for personal scripture study. That's what I'm doing.

Other Things That Happened in December

Jeremy took the kids to our friends' Christmas village again. This time they had a large dancing Santa. The kids took the time to dance along.

Lucky's Christmas party at school was a Polar Express party. Jeremy built his class a balloon train engine like he did for Nichole's kindergarten class back in 2010.

We also had our annual family Polar Express party. Nichole and Jr. provided background music and sound effects as Jeremy read to us.

We tried some new hot chocolate flavors (cookies and cream, malt) and I fell asleep while watching the movie again.

We put Jet in a cute Christmas outfit and he also fell asleep during the party.

Star Wars episode IX The Rise of Skywalker came out in December. For obvious reasons, I didn't go to the showing with friends this time like I did for episodes VII and VIII and Rogue One. This time Jeremy took Nichole. She'd watched all the other movies at school and at home so she was ready. Good bonding time for the two of them. I'll just wait until the movie comes on DVD.
Speaking of bonding time, Jeremy and Jr. got some bonding time in when they went to get an oil change for the van. It's become their thing.
Nichole and Jr. got together with other youth and went caroling to homes in our ward. It was pleasant to hear our neighbors being caroled to then hearing a knock on our door and opening it to see a group of young men singing to us. Way to LightTheWorld, youth.

The kids and Jeremy took some time to demolish the balloon Christmas tree. They had fun with it.