Advent Calendar

I just finished planning out our advent calendar for December, and just in the nick of time!

Here's what we're doing this year:

1. Eddie the Elf is here…can you find him?
2. Decorate the tree

3. Make a paper countdown chain

4. Address and Mail Christmas Cards

5. Dutch Christmas Eve Dec. 5

6. Watch The Grinch

7. Hot Chocolate and whipped cream

8. Grandma and Grandpa read a Christmas story to us

9. Make sugar cookies

10. Mail a package to someone

11. Make paper snowflakes

12. Homemade fondant

13. Watch Shrek the Halls

14. Wear something red or green

15. Ward Christmas party

16. Drive around to see lights

17. Wrap exchange gifts

18. Watch Rudolph

19. Homemade marshmallows

20. Read the Christmas story from Bible

21. Polar Express night

22. Have reindeer pancakes

23. Do something nice for a family member

24. Christmas Eve party!

25. Merry Christmas!!!

House

They've started framing and should be done around the end of the week!

Snow storm??

The weather forecast says 1-2 inches in our area. 

So every school in the area had an early dismissal and the kids came home between 12-1. 

What?!?

I don't get it.

We have maybe an inch on the ground of slushy snow, and it's all melted on the roads.

Christmas Tree

We went to the Geer Tree Farm again this year to get our Christmas tree.  This was our third and final year here.  We were sad we won't be coming here again next year.  It was a great place to go tree hunting.

Josh loved his free range roaming.

As soon as we got out of the car the kids were off and running through the acres of trees like they have every year. They pretend to be deer and run from the hunter, dodging and hiding between trees.

I made them stop for a picture and luckily Josh happened to pop through the row of trees and right into my picture.

The weather was perfect for our outing!

Goodbye Geer Tree Farm.

books

Just finished a trilogy by Ally Condie (a Utah gal).  It's a love triangle + dystopian society book.  I enjoyed reading them (even when book 3 dragged on  trying to get to the point).  Good entertainment though.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great day. 

McKinley was all over the decorations and table setting.  She also signed up to be in charge of the turkey and rolls (with mom's help), and ended up making the pies too.

Sawyer was in charge of the cranberry relish.

Hayden was in charge of the slush (family traditional drink).

They went on a turkey hunt outside (looking for 5 little paper turkeys with their initials on them).

Dressed up for my Thanksgiving picture.

Ate a yummy dinner!

Played some turkey bowling.

Ate our chocolate pudding pies.

House

Our house is well underway now.  We just need the weather to cooperate so the basement cement can be filled in and then the framing can get started.

Nov 13
backfill



Nov 15
footings



Nov 16
and perhaps one of our last views of the temple before our neighbor gets built.



Nov 17
foundation