Merry Christmas

We all had a great Christmas. My Dad, Leon came all the way from Oklahoma to spend this beloved holiday with our family. Elizabeth was with us. She is always a huge help. The kids all got more than they expected.

Santa came to our house on Christmas eve too. The kids were up late, so he had to bring the gifts in while we were awake. The kids were so excited, and they ran around like crazy people. Thanks to great friends, like Jack.

Traditions

Another busy Saturday. We started our day out by going to the church for some great Christmas party breakfast. This has been our ward tradition for about 2 or 3 years. It is fun, I love to see everyone participate in the social aspect of our lives. We need more of this. We had a great turn out this year. No matter were we go our little Erika will find her best bud Cole.

Then we went off to my house to take care of our family tradition of making and sending candy to all of my Uncles and my Aunt. This is something that my Grandma, Pearl Farnsworth, started doing long ago. When all of her children moved away, she would send them a little peace of home all covered in carmel or soft and creamy like her boston creme. When my Grandma past away 6 years ago, my Mom and us girls started were she left off.

I was smart enough to ask my Grandma to teach me how to make boston creme before she got to sick and had to leave her home of many decades to live with my Aunt Nancy. Most of our family doesn't know how or doesn't have the time to make this very unique candy. So it is my pleasure to do this. Divinity on the other hand is a pain in my you know where. I hate trying to make this stuff. I don't know how many bowls of goo I have thrown in my trash over the years. This year it has been 2. But then comes Melissa. She has found a recipe that worked this year!!!! It wasn't as stiff as it should have been, but it worked.

Popcorn balls were next. Some call this child labor. We call it traditions being passed on. It starts with popcorn being popped. Not in the good old microwave, but by an air popper. Carmel is a cookin' on the stove. Then hurry to the table to pour the carmel on the popcorn and make to balls.

Whew. Thought we were done, but then comes the wrapping. I couldn't keep up with the cutting of the plastic with all of these little eager hands.

I am beyond grateful for my Grandma and her traditions. That are now ours.

Christmas is up at our house

Well our Christmas went up this past weekend. The boys laid all of the ornaments out all over the front room before deciding what to place on the tree first. It was quite entertaining. Them trying to keep Emma out of everything. Then it was time to start placing everything about three feet high. Mind you that our tree is only six feet tall. It looked quite interesting. I was surprised that it didn't get top heavy and fall over. So I dispersed the unbreakables to the bottom and left the rest.

That night Sam and the boys slept next to the Christmas tree. And to our surprise the boys woke up and were disappointed that there were no presents. They thought that it was Christmas eve and they were waiting for Santa. Ha ha the joke was on them.

After dinner we went out and put our Christmas lights up outside. It was already dark but we finished.

Then on Sunday we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. We saw Becky's old van "Little Dent". While we were driving all of the sudden from the very back seat of our suburban we hear Erika say, "who stinks?". I look at my dear Husband and he busts out laughing. Leave it to my love to find great humor out of a bodily function. I wonder who the culprit was?? We all started laughing and were yelling at him to roll the windows down. Then to make it werse he starts to spray this very strong cinnamon air freshiner. I don't know which one is worse.

Elizabeth was able to be with us this weekend for Sunday. This was nice.