This Christmas season was focused a lot on our Savior, Jesus Christ. We tried to make it more centered around helping others and not about shopping, gifts, and sitting on Santa's lap (although he caught us in Macey's grocery store and we were cooerced into taking a picture :)). We enjoyed lots of fun activities this year but wasn't ever stressed or over-booked which made for an enjoyable December.
This was a live nativity in Alpine, Utah that we went to with Sisten and Andrew and their kiddos. It was neat, but extremely crowded. You have to have tickets so it surprised me that there were so many people still.
Like I mentioned above...Santa at Macey's grocery store :). Reese and Nora had their Christmas recital and they did so good we went to Macey's for ice cream and cookies! It was Nora's first recital and both girls were so awesome. It amazes me how little kids can be so brave and being in front of a big audience doesn't phase them.
I told the two older girls that they could invite school friends over for a Christmas movie, which turned into a Christmas party! It was fun though. Everyone came in their PJs, we had pizza and fruit, played a few games and then had popcorn and treats and watched "Barbie in the Nutcracker." The girls were so excited to have their friends over. Nora also got to invite Lucy Swan from across the street since I don't know her preschool friends and families.
Fishbowl Christmas party 2018!! Unfortuantely I did not get to go and see my hot husband in the tuxedo he rented for the party. I was in the production "Savior of the World" that night and couldn't make it. But they had a casino night where a company came and set up the whole venue like a casino and taught everyone how to play gambling games. Everyone bid on fake money and enjoyed learning how to play games. I love games so I am sure it would have been fun. But what made it fun is that everyone dressed up super fancy and got really into it.
My cute Nora's preschool program. Isn't she the cutest little preschooler ever? Look at that smile. She was so happy that Daddy could get off work and drive all the way to see her sing her songs.
Reese also had a Christmas program and did so well. We had to have Daddy watch by FaceTime :). But it worked just fine.
MIss Emma's turn to put on the star!
We tried to "Light the world" this year by thinking of ways to serve those around us. Some of our favorites were visiting the Pace's (an elderly couple in the ward) and singing them songs, having Grandpa Gene over for dinner, buying and taking gifts to the Adoption Exchange (gifts for kids in the foster care system), making and taking treats to neighbors and friends, spending time with Ian (who had surgery and can't get out of the house for months). The girls also took time to make their gifts for each other for "gift from the heart." I LOVE THAT TRADITION SO MUCH! I love seeing what they come up with for their gifts. Nora made Emma a cheetah hula hoop, Reese painted an elephant painting for Nora, and Emma made clay skunks for Reese.
We got tickets to go to the Tabernacle Christmas concert at the conference center. This year tickets were especially hard to get since the guest was Kristin Chenoweth. She was spectacular and it was fun to go with Nathan and Steph!
Of course we can't miss out on the annual Nettesheim White Elephant Party! I was seriously crying from laughing so hard this year. I think I do every year, but this is a party Cade and I look so forward to every year. Cade was #8 out of 42 so he grabbed the big box right in front of him that said, "Fragile, this side up" on the top. As he was opening it, he said, "well, as long as it's not an animal..." And of course...a cute little white mouse in a ball with cage and food and everything! He placed it on the ground and it rolled around and scared all the women as it got close to their feet. We were all dying. But I think Cade really couldn't enjoy the rest of the night because he was so worried about being the owners of a real mouse. Poor guy :). I told him "I just need to put it on KSL for free and someone will come by in the morning to pick it up. And that's exactly what happened.
I got an awesome hairy belly fanny pack to match some friends (why there were three of them, I do not know!). The other awesome picture in here is a photoshopped mer-man picture with Cade and three other men's pictures on the bodies of the mer-men. It was SOOOOOO funny. The whole night was hilarious!
I tried out for Savior of the World again this year and had the wonderful opportunity to go to call-backs for the part of Mary. However, I had just found out before call-backs that I was expecting so I loved being able to go to callbacks but had to tell my friend who was directing that I probably would not be able to do that part :). I got the part of Solome again this year and had a wonderful experience. I was shocked to learn that mostly every single person was different than last year. So I got to meet lots of new friends. The two women who played the parts of JOanna and Mary, Mother of James with me were Rachel Baker and Amy A (cant' think of her last name right now).
And in the first act I got to "adopt" these cute girls, Grace and Joy. They were so fun to get to know. I am grateful for my experiences this year. It was definitely more challenging this year being pregnant and also sick for most of the run of the show. It was hard but I am grateful I did it. CAde is very excited for me to take a break next year :).
Other random pictures:
Lucy and Nora sleeping in the same bed when we got home from our date. So cute. Lucy was very upset in the morning when she realized Daddy and Mom had put her back in her own bed!
We have gotten some snow BEFORE Christmas this year which the girls totally love!
This was Cade and I's Christmas gift to each other this year. It looks smaller in this picture than it really is. It is called "Every Knee Shall Bow" by Kirk J. Richards. It is beautiful and the perfect way to walk into our home! We hope others will feel of Christ's spirit as they enter our home and know that we believe in Christ. We want reminders of Him for our girls all over the home.
