More Christmas Pics

Here's a few more Christmas pics. I know our tree looks pretty pathetic, but all you mommys out there know that this is the way it goes with Christmas trees when you have kids that are Elizabeth and Sydney's age.
All the ornaments have to be on the upper part of the tree. Funny!
I had to take a picture of Sydney on the coffee table. She was awake and I go in my room, and when I come out, she's fast asleep right there!
Then this is our Gingerbread House Elizabeth and I made. It's another one of our fun traditions.

Christmas 2008

My Favorite Christmas Things!

This one is for you, Jacque!

My Favorite Christmas Movies:

1. It's A Wonderful Life(hands down the BEST ever)
2. Home Alone
3. The Snowman
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
5. A Christmas Story
6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas...(the real one, not the Jim Carrey one)
7. A Charlie Brown Christmas(I LOVE the music in this movie...I have the soundtrack)
8. You've Got Mail( I know this isn't really a "Christmas Movie" but in the movie it's Christmas at some points and I just love the way Meg Ryan decorates her little bookshop with the tree and everything.)

My Favorite Christmas Books

Now, I havn't read a lot of Christmas books, but these are great ones that are kinda more in the "children's" category...
1. The Polar Express (now actually, this book is wonderful for all ages.)
2. Snowmen at Christmas
3. A Very Marley Christmas
4. You are My Miracle
5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
6. A Very Snowy Christmas
7. Snowmen at Night
8. The Littlest Christmas Tree


My Favorite Traditions

1. Breakfast with Santa (I think my parents started this when I was about 7 or 8 years old and we kept it up every year. Now I do it with my girls!
2. Getting our own ornament and hanging it on the tree (again, another one that my parents started with us and that I keep going with the girls. It's so fun to get them all out year after year. Gotta be careful though, you can really start adding up and the tree can get crowded. I guess that's why people have more than one tree.)
3. Going to The Lion House and then to Temple Square to look at the lights.
(It's always so amazing every year...those Temple Square lights!)
4. The Fish Pond (Only the closest of family members will know what this one is. A Christmas Eve tradition that my grandparents started. We all take turns putting a "fishing pole" over a big bed sheet and getting a present. Like we are going fishing. We usually get a bunch of Dollar Store gifts. They are very useful though! Elizabeth loves this one now.)
5. Making cookies and putting out a glass of milk for Santa.(Then I'd always get a Thank You note from him!)
6. Going to The Festival of Trees
7. Going to The Nutcracker (The music!!!! Oh my)
8. Listening to my dad read the Christmas story from the scriptures at the Christmas Eve party. (It always creates such a special, quiet feeling in the room after an evening of total chaos and loud talking and laughing...it's always one of my favorite parts of Christmas.)

That was way fun to think back on all my Christmas memories!
I know the holiday season is almost over, but I challenge anyone who wants to or who has time to do this, to do it, too.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well, this comes at such a great time, but my camera BROKE! Again!
So, no pics for me this Christmas. Unless I just go out and get one of those little disposable cameras, but I can't load them on here and show them on my blog.
I'm the biggest klutz. I broke my other camera in California Adventure while we were waiting for the Bug's Life show...dropped it on the ground. Yay! Got a new one later. I think it was this one that I just busted. Anyway, so I thought it was the perfect picture to take. Elizabeth standing in the snow outside in my parent's front yard. I get the cam and take one picture...of course I have to take one more just to be sure and it slipped out of my hands! OH MY HECK! I'm such a dork! There goes another camera. I don't even know exactly how much it was because it was a gift from Mark. I'm the photographer in the family. Therefore the one who breaks the cameras!
So, there will be no new pics for a little while. Perhaps I'll get lucky and get a new one for Christmas. Wonder how long it will last.
Well, as you all know, I wasn't on the ball to get out cards this year.
So, just wanted to say to whoever reads this...
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and Happy New Year.
I know I have so much to be thankful for. So many blessings. I wish I could do more for those who aren't as fortunate as me. I love this time of year. It reminds me of the fun times I had when I was growing up. All the great things we did as a family.
My parents really made it special for me. I have started those same traditions with my own family now and I hope I can keep them up each year. Then maybe someday Elizabeth and Sydney can do them with their own families, too!
We love you all and Merry Christmas!

Temple Square

We always go to Temple Square to see the beautiful light display at Christmas time. Elizabeth called my dad and asked when we were going. We went Thursday night and it was a perfect night for it.
First we go to the Lion House for dinner and then head over to the lights.
Since I stopped working there, I don't get to eat the YUM food anymore. So, I look forward to going every Christmas...it was so fun and Elizabeth had a BALL!

Thanksgiving Pics