Side note: In an effort to do something fun with the kids each day, I stole Mindy's idea and made an advent calendar of activities/fun things. Not hard since my mom just gave me the one we used when I was little. I just put a message in each one that says things like "Read the Polar Express" or "make sugar cookies" or whatever. We don't always have time for the Message-of-the-Day, but the kids don't let me forget.
Monday: FHE. Decorate the tree. Decorate cookies. Audrey: Can we stop all this picture-taking nonsense and make some cookies!?!
Kierra: Mom, shouldn't you be paying attention to how many sprinkles I'm putting on my cookie instead of worrying about having pictures for your blog?
The result:
Tuesday: Dad and kids go to Cabella's to meet up with Grandpa and have fun looking around at the free (stuffed) zoo. Mom goes shopping by herself since it's her only chance of the week.
Wednesday: Go to Thanksgiving Point to look at the lights. We got a mailer coupon for $2 off, so it was only $5, and well worth it I thought. The kids had a lot of fun looking at the lights, and got to see real reindeer at the end. After the light portion they had a section of just pictures of the Nativity and a poem that went with it. I was SO glad they did that since we've been trying so hard to spend equal amounts of time talking about Baby Jesus as we have Santa.
You can sense in this picture what our ears went through during this trip. Audrey belting out Christmas carols (well, carol really, she only knows Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer well) at the top of her lungs. We love ya, sweety, but please just sing, thanks.
Looking at the reindeer.
Up close. (Factoid: only female reindeer still have their antlers during the winter. Hmmm.)
It was FREEZING! And none of us really came prepared (ok, the girls were, the guys weren't) to go outside since we didn't know the reindeer would be there. So we just had to stop at the cafe and get some hot cocoa.
Hot cocoa can be very thought provoking, don't you think?
My cutie.
Thursday: Debate all day as to whether or not to go to the crummy Enrichment party. I'm still undecided if it was a good idea or not. The activity: drive around to several sisters' homes and look at all their cool Christmas decorations, like Parade of Homes at Christmastime. Woohoo, that'll really invite the Spirit of the Season. Sign me up! I want to go to the sister's home worth 2 million dollars (actually it could be just 1 mil but what's the difference, really) and see how she can buy all new decorations every year and has her own movie theater in her basement and yada yada yada. That'll get me in the Christmas mood. I know, I'm bitter and clearly have issues. But what happened to the good ole' Enrichment Christmas dinner where there's such a great feeling of comraderie? Oh wait, wrong ward, my bad. Sometimes I feel like an outcast in my ward. I know 2 sisters fairly well (no make that 3 of late) and none of them came that night so I just wandered around pretending to be interested in this or that cool decoration (I wasn't feeling too out-going as you can tell). After introducing myself to a member of the R.S. presidency for the THIRD time since we've moved in, and hearing for the FOURTH time that night, "Oh, you've lived here for 7 months? And I'm just now meeting you? Oh I'm so bad!" all I want to say in response is "Ya, this ward isn't really big into welcoming people, are they?" I didn't say it out loud, mind you, I can mind my manners! Overall, there were some good treats that night (like fudge and chocolate frosted cream puffs!) and I got to know one of my neighbors a little better. So I guess it wasn't a total waste. Still. Okay, rant over.
(Oh, and since I was still in kind of a bitter mood from Thursday night, I thought it was interesting that our R.S. lesson on Sunday was on unity. I almost had to stifle a laugh. "What is unity?" "Um, the 11th ward? Pam Watson? Kaylynne Lhorke? I give up. What is unity?" Ok, ok, I'm really not as bitter as I'm making it seem (or am I?;), it's just that I'm really missing my friends right now, so it's hard to walk into a small R.S. gathering and not compare what I used to have with what I have now. I'll get better with time. I hope.) Wow, sorry I've tainted this happy Christmastime post with my shallow, petty, selfish issues. I'll try not to do that again! Yikes!
Friday: Wait for friends from Canada to visit, only to be interrupted by a storm. Rotten luck! I hope you guys have fun at Disneyland! And hope you can stop by on your way back through!
Saturday: Brave the mobs at Costco (for what? milk? we're crazy!), and have a McDonald's picnic in the living room and watch a rental movie. Oh, but first, help Daddy shovel the driveway. Too cute!
Can't forget our messy little boy!
Sunday: Only Mom and Audrey made it to church just in case the rest were still contagious from our little cold. Audrey sang a couple of songs with the Primary during Sacrament meeting, but she decided too late to change where she stood and ended up behind all the big kids. I couldn't see her at all except for the couple of times she leaned out really far just to make sure I was still looking. So cute.
Monday: Drive around and look at the Christmas lights in our neighborhood. Kids went ape over this idea. We might have to do it again before Christmas.
Wow, you're an allstar friend if you made it through this whole post. Just wait for the Thanksgiving one that's bound to show up soon! :)
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