Sugar Cookies and Christmas Lights

On Wednesday the girls and Grandma made sugar cookies and then that night we went to Spanish Fork Christmas lights. The lights have kind of been a yearly thing and the girls love it!! We drove through it twice and I love watching their faces!

The Christmas Carol

Tuesday, December 21 was our annual viewing of Hale Center Theater's The Christmas Carol. This year was especially neat because McKinley and Sophie were finally able to attend (Kylie was at home sick with a babysitter.) Although we make fun of the play all the time, I actually do love the story and the spirit of Christmas it brings! And of course I love being with my family!

Snow!!

McKinley has been loving all this Utah Snow!! Early Tuesday morning it began snowing and didn't stop!! We were suppose to drive up to Kaysville to meet Joe and the Winwards but I only got three exits up on the freeway and turned around. It was snowing like crazy!! Instead McKinley played in the back yard and we made a snowman in the front yard. Love that girl in the snow!!
A few days later she made her very own snowman!
While McKinley was having a blast in the snow, Kylie was upstairs sick in Grandma's bed. Poor girl! But if you have to be sick, Grandma's bed is the best place to be sick in!! (Seriously, I loved laying in my parent's bed when I was sick!)

The Nutcracker Ballet

Since September when McKinley began learning her Christmas concert dance to the Sugar Plum Fairy song, she has been anxious to see the real Nutcracker Ballet. Well we weren't going to be able to attend in Utah because of a conflicting family party. However, McKinley kept talking about the Nutcracker so we decided to let her choose to go to the ballet or to her family party and see her cousins.

She decided on the ballet although she was sad she was going to miss her cousins. So the plan was for me to take McKinley to the ballet with my family and Joe take Kylie to the Winward family party. However, Kylie became really sick with a high fever and a bad cough so she stayed at my parent's with my brother while we went to the ballet and Joe went to the family party.

Although we definitely missed the Winward/Naylor party, it was fun to take McKinley to the ballet. Jesse's sister was in it and I loved watching her dance! McKinley asked ONE MILLION questions during the ballet and got a little tired at the end but now she says she wants to be a better dancer so she can perform on stage!

Jesse + Alysha

Can you believe it? My little sister Alysha is engaged to Jesse Lanham! He proposed while my parent's were down at our house on December 18. They are adorable and we are thrilled for them! I am so excited to have 2 weddings- my brother and Tasha's wedding is Jan 28 and Jesse and Alysha will be married March 19. Congratulations!

McKinley's Christmas Dance Concert

Saturday was McKinley's big day- her Christmas dance concert! She was very excited, and a little nervous, to perform on stage to Nutcracker's Sugar Plum Fairy song. She was thrilled that Grandma and Poppa came to see her perform! She had told her entire class that they were coming to see her dance.

She did great and I am so proud of her and how much she is learning at dance and getting over her fears! Way to go McKinley!

Ward Christmas Party

Last Friday we were so excited to have my parents come into town! They spent all day driving to come to McKinley's Christmas dance concert. But first they came to our ward Christmas party Friday night. The theme was The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and it was great! We had a yummy dinner, a little Grinch skit where Joe was the narrator, and a visit from Santa.

My good friend Tia who is the YW 1st counselor sat at our table and it was fun to visit with her and my parents

Thanks for coming with us Mom and Dad! That night we hung out and watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer movie and the girls loved it!

Team 2 Christmas Party

Last Friday Joe's dental school team had a family Christmas party! It was held at the dental school where they had TONS of food, treat bags for the kids, karaoke, and a white elephant gift exchange. The girls loved going to Dad's school and we had a fun time hanging out with friends from school! The 4th years sang a song together and then had to do a tie-breaker song. Their tie-breaker song was "A Whole New World" and it was pretty funny! The professors chose them as the winners so they get a free day off of school next semester!

A New Motorcycle

Joe has been saying that he wanted to buy another motorcycle if he got the residency at Nellis. Well, he was apparently very serious about this and bought one from a friend the very next day. He is very excited about his new toy purchase! It is a 2006 Honda VTX 1300. He is excited to drive this to the base everyday since he won't be carpooling with friends. He is a very happy guy!