Christmas Festivities...

I love that the holiday's are so full of fun activities. There are always treats to be made, concerts to go to, people to visit. But I'd say my most favorite part about the holiday's is after the kids go to bed, and I can just sit for a few minutes in a quiet living room with the lights from the tree glowing. There is nothing better in the world!

Also, I found the perfect birthday present for my brother! :) I saw this and it made me laugh so hard. Funny story, I bought it for him for his birthday in November. I bought it from an ETSY shop. It said it was a US shop. No biggie, I really didn't care. But, after I ordered it, it took like A MONTH to get to me! There is a tab on etsy where you can track your orders, and I'm pretty sure this came from one of those little sweat shops that I saw in Jerusalem. The shirt really did come from Jerusalem, that is what the tracking thing said. And since I've been there, and I know how the commerce is there, I know that this was probably totally made on the side of the street somewhere using superglue or something. But, it finally got to me mid-december, and I was able to send it to my brother for his November 13th birthday. Regardless, I still love the shirt! :) ha ha!

We definitely had to drive by this guy a few times. Every Time we were in the neighborhood at night, we would do a quick drive by. It's just the coolest tree, and it's so huge! I really don't know how they do it, and the whole street is decorated to the nines for Christmas. The kids love it.

Last year I made up this cute little Christmas light scavenger hunt that we did with the kids and it was so much fun, and I was totally planning on doing it again this year, but just didn't have time. So, we just went really quick one night to this one house. It is so ugly that it's good! :) The kids love it, and I think we stopped counting at 37 blow up decorations in their front yard. Pure Christmas awesomeness.

Of course, matching Christmas PJ's are a must for December:

{Star Wars ones to boot!!! Thanks Grandma!}

My office turned into Santas workshop. My mom had me shipping Christmas gifts and boxes all over the country for her.

Not to mention the gifts I was storing for my own friends and family members. Candles, ornaments, cards, candy...

Ben does some work on the side for Kirt, and they had  'Trading Science' work Christmas party. Dinner at Black Angus. Good times with this group!!! :)

I was wanting to go to Tucker's Christmas party this year, but I couldn't find someone to take Jackson for me, which was fine. It wasn't the end of the world. But the office did tell me I could come to the sing-a-long which was the half hour before the parties, and I could bring the kids to that. The little Sunrise choir would be singing some songs and the  kids and parents could join in. I didn't tell Tucker we were coming for that, and so we surprised him and he sat back with us.

Jackson couldn't get enough of his big brother...

And they sang and danced the whole time. I'm glad that Tucker is still young and innocent enough to want to be with us and sing and dance with his baby brother. This is such  fun stage for him, but I have a feeling soon enough, he won't want us to be coming around. I'm going to be  taking advantage of it as long as I can!!!!

Of course, the Christmas clothes picture. Lots of work to get this picture. Crazy kids, it's the best we could do.

Also, my mom came into town to fly out to Kansas City for a week, and she left her car here. It was always a little bitter for Ben to see this lanyard hanging on our key hooks next to his. :(

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Also, Ben and I snuck out on a date night and had Jennifer and Andrew Judkins watch the kids. They are so good like that, and we miss that they aren't living in Spokane any more. Anyway, they took the kids to their ward Christmas party and she texted me these pictures. I think that they turned out so cute, for being cell pics. :)