Ethan's Cookie Party

Ethan wanted to have a cookie party with his friends but I kept putting it off because we were just too busy. Monday morning he told me that it would "really make my Christmas special" if we could have one. How could I put that off?!? So we made invitations and invited his two best friends over. (Courtney was a bit upset that she wasn't included, but she already had her party last week.)

They got here at 9:30 to roll out cookie dough and make some Christmas shapes. They each got their own cookie sheet and while they were cooking the boys played. When the cookies were cooled, they each got to decorate their batch. Then we had hot chocolate and they got to take them home. It was tons of fun and something that Ethan wants to do every year!

Ethan's Christmas Recital

Ethan's Christmas piano recital was last Saturday. He did a great job! He was pretty nervous about playing because the song was hard for him and he doesn't like to read music so he kind of guesses at what the next note will be. But he did work hard to get the song prepared. I think he did well.

After Christmas break we are switching his piano teacher to one who is close. Ethan is pretty excited and so am I. I loved his previous teacher but now I won't have a 30 minute drive each way! But the new teacher has 3 recitals each year.

Here are some photos and video:

Caroling

Last night was Mutual. It was a combined Laurel/Priest activity to go caroling at a local nursing home. Bryan was a bit nervous that no one would turn up so he asked us to go along, thinking that there would at least be someone there to sing with him and fulfill their commitment to the nursing home. Ethan and Courtney were thrilled to be going to Mutual with the young men and women!

We met at the Church and they actually had 3 leaders, 4 girls and 7 young men show up! It was a good turnout. When we got there we found the common room but the Jazz game still had 5 minutes left and the old women wouldn't let us turn off the TV to sing. ;) So we walked the halls caroling to all the people who live there. It was nice and we had some really neat experiences. We were invited in to sing to one woman and another woman was having her birthday so we sang to her. The kids were a bit nervous at first but everyone warmed up.

By the time we got back to the common room, the Jazz game was over so they were ready to pay attention to us. I played the piano and the youth/leaders sang about 6 songs and then we ended with "We wish you a Merry Christmas." It was a great night.

Because it was a youth activity we ended it at Del Taco. Food and youth always go together ;)

Ethan and Courtney loved going and had a great time singing. We may make this a family Christmas tradition!

Storytime

For Ethan's Christmas party at school we had a man from our ward (who plays the big guy up at Tuacahn) come and read a Christmas story to the class. It was cute. The man couldn't dress up as Santa (contract reasons) so he put on a Santa hat and a red vest. When the kids walked in a lot of them thought he was a real Santa but wasn't in his red suit or had a beard because it wasn't Christmas. But the debate was on.

He read them a story about a clockmaker who worked on a clock for a long time so it would be a perfect gift for the Christ child. But he ended up selling it when it was finished to give Christmas to some neighbor children. He looked around his house and found the only thing he had to give the Christ child was an apple. So he gave that and it was accepted as the "best gift" because it was all he had.

When the story was over we gave the kids an apple and a huge candycane as their gifts from us. It was a great morning and the kids loved it! Courtney had to sit by her brother the whole time. She certainly loves him.

Carols by Courtney

In September I took Courtney in to the doctor to have her ears checked because she seemed to have problems hearing things clearly. He found that her ears didn't have the right pressure in them so the ear drum couldn't vibrate. He gave us a nose spray which we did for 2 months but that didn't help. The other day I took her to an ear, nose and throat specialist (Ethan's doctor) and was told that she needed tubes. So we have an appointment for January to have that done.

Sometimes it's annoying to have her repeat back to me what I said and have it be completely different from what I said. It's a constant game of telephone but the message is garbled between the first two players! But it has made Christmas carols kind of fun! For example:

Jolly Old St. Nicholas:
Jolly Old St. Nicholan leave your ear today....

Silent Night:
Round yon version, mother and Child...

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer:
Then one froggy Christmas Eve....

I'm sure there are more, but those are the songs she is singing this morning! I love her!

Primary Nativity

The Primary did their annual Nativity tonight and it was great! Ethan and Courtney both had singing parts and they did a great job. The Sunbeam class (all girls) sang "Silent Night" and Ethan sang with a group of boys "With Wondering Awe." The boys sang the first verse and when the second verse began it was apparent that Ethan was the only one who knew it. He was on one side so the chorister stopped the singing to move him to the middle but when the singing began the other boys figured that Ethan was in the middle so he could sing a solo. Ethan was a bit nervous but he did an excellent job!

After the Nativity, light refreshments were served...my 17 dozen cookies! They turned out well but next year I think I need to make more sugar cookies and leave out the gingerbread. But it all went well.

Here are some photos:

Christmas Lights and SNOW

Our neighborhood is CRAZY!! On December 2nd we realized that we were the LAST HOUSE in our neighborhood to put up our lights! We have been getting a bit of pressure from neighbors to get them up. Bryan tried last week but couldn't borrow a ladder. So yesterday he came home from work early and we put them up. It looks great and now we feel like part of the neighborhood again. ;)

When we woke up this morning, we were glad we had put them up yesterday because it SNOWED!!! Who says St. George doesn't have all kinds of weather?!?! Ethan was so excited and came in our bedroom to tell us. Then they bundled up and went out to play in it. Ethan asked for a sled for Christmas and I thought he was crazy but now he may have had a point in asking.