Christmas Party

Our neighbors invited us to a Christmas party.  There were 5 couples and their families invited and we had a ton of fun!  It was potluck so we took dessert (they wanted my "twinkie cake).  There were soups, salads and bread.  The kids had a great time playing around with all their friends.  It certainly was a wild time.

After we all ate dinner, there were a few white elephant gift exchanges.  There was one for kids under 12, another for teenagers and another for adults.  It got pretty wild but everyone had a blast.  I ended up with a Snow Canyon Warrior shirt (SCORE) and Bryan got a bag of all kinds of things from a St. George knit hat (pin!) to a basket.  Ethan got a slinky, which we loves, and Courtney got a bracelet and some earrings (which I got because her ears aren’t pierced).

I am so glad we live in the neighborhood we do with such good friends.  The kids don’t know how lucky they are to have so many friends within a couple of blocks.  WE are really blessed!

More Holiday Activities

The kids have now begun to ask what activity we are going to do each night.  It's fun to have started something that they actually want to stick with.  Now if I can just get Bryan to not feel "Christmased out" then it will be a total success!

More holiday activities we have done:

On the 12^th, we made overnight cinnamon rolls (really yummy) and delivered them to people in the ward.

On the 13^th we were supposed to go to Tuacahn for the live Nativity, but it was raining so the kids made ornaments for their friends and delivered them.

On the 14^th  we stayed in and just hung out as a family.

On the 15^th we went to Courtney’s dance performance as a family.

On the 16^th we had a party with some of our neighbors.. 

On the 17^th, after FHE, we watched a movie as a family.

Tonight we are going to the Temple to look at Christmas lights.

Pizazz

Courtney had her first Pizazz performance on the new year last week at the halftime of the Desert Hills High School game.  We all went to see her first performance (now we can carpool with others in the neighborhood). She did a great job and LOVED dancing.  It's fun watching her.

Here is the video of her performance (she is on the back row, second from the right with the long blonde ponytail):

Piano Playing

Courtney really enjoys playing the piano.  I have been playing a duet with her and one morning she wanted Bryan to try it with her.  He hadn't practiced AT ALL but I think they did a pretty good job!

Ward Christmas Party

Last Saturday night was our Ward Christmas Party.  Since we don't have activity committees anymore (according to the handbook) the Ward Council was in charge of everything.  We wanted a really simple and easy party this year (focus on the pearl and not on the box) so each auxiliary took care of something.  The Young Women decorated; the High Priests were in charge of meat; the Relief Society was in charge of desserts and salads; the Elder's Quorum made "funeral potatoes"; the Primary put on a talent show/Nativity; the Bishopric were in charge of plates/cups/etc and pulling it all together; and the Young Men were supposed to clean up.

It worked out really well and a lot of people loved the more relaxed atmosphere.  The Primary had asked children to sign up to share their talents and they were overwhelmed by the response.  They had so many kids that wanted to do something that they had entertainment going while we ate dinner.

Courtney and I played a duet while people ate (we didn't get picture or video because Bryan was at a carving station).  Courtney did an AWESOME job!

After everyone had eaten, everyone moved tables to the side and pulled their chairs up in front of the stage for the Nativity.  Ethan played his piano song and NAILED IT!!  He was so excited and said it felt "so good!"  A few people who had been at the piano recital made a special point to let him know how proud they were of him.  It was neat.

After a few more talents (dancing, singing and piano), the Nativity was presented and they did a great job.  It was a fun evening!

Courtney during the Nativity (with the Santa hat on):

 Ethan playing his song (his piano teacher is to the left of Ethan):

Bryan has Ethan's song on his phone so when I download it I will post it.

December Activities

I decided that I wanted a fun, relaxing December.  I finished my Christmas shopping right after Thanksgiving and there is nothing I hate more than going to stores in December.  It just gets me out of the Christmas spirit to fight crowds.  So we sat down as a family after Thanksgiving and figured out an "Activity Chart" of what we were going to do in December.  Some things are more involved (like going to a show) but most are really simple (like making cookies for neighbors).  I wasn't sure how the kids would respond but they have LOVED it and asked every night what our activity is.  I am hoping this is a new family tradition.

Here is what we have done so far:
Dec. 1 was Ethan's piano recital.
Dec. 2 was the First Presidency Devotional which we watched on TV while playing a game.
Dec. 3 was making a Gingerbread house.  The kids loved this but I was too impatient so the walls and roof didn't set up too well.  You can see from the picture below that the roof was falling off.  But the kids loved making it...and eating it!

 Dec. 4 Courtney made a countdown ring for Christmas.  She made one ring per week so it wouldn't look like Christmas was so far away!
Dec. 5 we decorated Christmas ornaments.  We had some packed away that were clear and so we swished some Pledge Floor Care around the inside and then put in some glitter.  After shaking it around, the inside of the ornament was coated with glitter.  It was really simple and very fun.  We each made two.  The kids started combing colors.  They turned out really well.

Courtney's ornament:

 Bryan's "Giants" colored ornaments (orange and black):

 Ethan and his ornament:

 My pink ornament:

Dec. 6 was Bryan's work Christmas party so the kids got to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Oman.
Dec. 7 we made hot chocolate and drove all around looking at Christmas lights on houses.  There is one house on Jacob Drive near our house that has their lights syncopated to a radio station.  It's really neat!
Dec. 8 was our Ward Christmas Party (more on that to come)
Dec. 9 we made overnight cinnamon rolls for some friends in the neighborhood and delivered them.
Dec. 10 we made a Christmas present (I can't tell you what because someone may see)

Tonight, Dec. 11, we are going to make cookies and take them around to some of the older people in the Ward.  The kids are pretty excited.

I have had a blast doing all these things and it hasn't been expensive because most things are free or we have them on hand!  I'll keep you updated on what else we do.

Ethan's Piano Recital

Ethan has a new piano teacher who is in our ward.  She is really good and is very laid back so it suits Ethan's personality really well.  He had been working for a couple of months on 2 Christmas songs to play at their recital ("Silent Night" and "I Saw Three Ships").  They were more difficult arrangements but he had worked on them and they sounded really good.

The night of the recital came and I had Grandma and Grandpa Pack on Skype so they could hear Ethan play.  He had practiced these songs right before we left home and had done really well.  He said he wasn't nervous at all.

He sat down, began his first song and then lost his place.  They were memorized so he didn't have the music with him.  Ethan plays more by ear than by note (a problem we have been working on for years) and the piano was out of tune.  He couldn't find his spot or get back on.  He struggled with the song for quite a while before I asked the husband of his teacher if he could just move on.  I felt so bad for Ethan because he had the song down before we showed up.

So they had him start "I Saw Three Ships" which is a song he really enjoys playing.  I think by that time he was just too upset.  He started off great but lost it again.  Poor kid was so embarrassed.  His teacher finally said he could sit down.  He was really upset.

After the recital, Bryan took Ethan to the car while Courtney and I finished up.  I grabbed Ethan's certificate and treat and then we were off.  I took him to ice cream later and he was doing better.  We told him we were very proud of him and the way he handled it.

His piano teacher is in our ward and she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him at Church on Sunday.  Her husband had talked to Bryan and I during Church and we told him that they just needed to treat Ethan normally and not make a big deal of it.  After Church, the piano teacher called me asking if she could go over and talk to Ethan.  I told her she absolutely could and that he would probably like that.

She came over with a bag of pretzel M&Ms to give to him and told him how proud she was of him.  He handed everything so well and she apologized for not stepping in to help him sooner.  It was really great of her and it made him feel so good to know that she cared about him.

And, he was going to have another opportunity to redeem himself....he was scheduled to play the songs at our Ward Christmas Party the next Saturday.