December 4th

Okay. So I have done some writing trying to stay with the month long project of daily writing prompts and picture taking, but in the mele that is the month of December, I have been slow to post on my blog.

Now that it is officially "Winter Break" ( because Heaven forbid we refer to it as Christmas Break), I will try to get caught up a little or at least hit the highlights.

So ............. December 4th ( now over 2 weeks ago)!!!

December 4th was the first FREE saturday we have had in a very long time. It was nice to be able to enjoy the morning and just get somethings done around the house.

In the afternoon the older boys enjoyed a dinner with their soccer team while the rest of us were able to go to our neighborhood Christmas social, Santa in the Park.

So Santa in the Park was scheduled from 2-4pm. We walked over there around 2pm and Santa had not yet arrived. We got into line to see Santa so that we could talk to him once he made it there. It wasn't too long before he came and the line moved pretty quickly. Bryce and Tegan were very excited while waiting in line and soon enough it was our turn.

Bryce wanted a camera, Bendaroos, and a few other things on his list. Then he was off to stand in line for the face painting.

Tegan was feeling pretty brave and all ready to talk to Santa and give him her list right up until it was her turn to sit on his lap. Then she was about to have a panic attack. At first she wasn't going to talk to him at all, and was nearly in tears. But with a little coaxing and help from big sister she decided she could at least talk to him, but no way was she sitting on his lap. Notice in the picture the lack of eye contact, the wringing of the hands,..... she was seriouly about to hyperventilate and burst into tears.

She did manange to ask Santa for an EasyBake oven, a pillow pet, Bendaroos, and various other things before she completely passed out. Then she sprinted to the safety of the face painting line.

And thus began the remainder of our afternoon. The face painting line took FOR-EV-ER!!!! But they didn't care. They were thrilled to get their face painting. Bryce went with the sleigh full of presents, and Tegan decided on Rudolf.

Once they got their faces painted they had a couple of minutes to ride the "train" a couple of times before we had to leave.

Overall they had fun and they were able to see Santa. A great success!!

The main reason we had to leave when we did, other than the scheduled time was over and done with, was because I had to leave to take family portraits for the Joo family.

I love this family. They are so sweet and so nice. Their oldest is in my preschool class and all 3 of their girls are just aborable!!! I am sure their family in Peru miss them very much, but we are so grateful to be able to get to know them.

This was one of my favorites........

You can check out a few more on my other blog here once I get around to posting them in a couple of days. There are a few more posted on my Facebook page here.

Now onto the prompt for the day...... to talk about a sentimental piece of holiday decor.

This one was a little more challenging for this year in particular. I am not sure what it is but I have not been in the mood to do all the holiday decorating.

Don't get me wrong, I love all of the Christmas stuff and everything. But this year I am really just wanting to put out the "main" things. I want to "focus" more on what Christmas really means to me.

So we have our tree up and very decorated, we have our stockings hung on the bookcase, we have our Christmas cards displayed (on my new display board :)), we have a Nativity on display.

Thinking about sentimental pieces leads me to our tree. It was sometime ago when we started purchasing a Christmas ornament from the different places we travelled. So looking at our tree brings back a lot of wonderful memories of the last 19 or 20 Christmases that Robert and I have shared together and the fun times that we have had.

Their are also ornaments that friends have given us that remind me of all the wonderful people that we call friends, but who are more often an extention of our family.

So I will finish up my writing with the explanation of my picture. It is a collage of a few of my favorite ornaments. There are so many more that I couldn't include them all ("hoops santa" that all the kids fight over who gets to put him on the tree each year). So in no particular order (other than the order they are in the picture)............

#1 - a beautiful Waterford Crystal ornament all the way from Ireland (a gift from my lovely friend "G" although I would love to go myself one day)

#2 - A wooden postcard, in the shape of a surfboard, from the Dole Pineapple Plantation on Oahu. Not that I managed to get the postage on it and find a mailbox to actually get it mailed, but it was from a wonderful trip to Hawaii in 2005.

#3 - Another one from that wonderful trip to Hawaii in 2005, only this one is from the Polynesian Culture Center.

#4 - A trip to Epcot the day after a neice's wedding in Florida in September 2007 where I was able to take pictures for her. It was a fun day at Disney with my sisters-in-law and my father-in-law. The only thing that would have made it more fun would be having my husband and kids there too.

#5 - Another wedding, this one in November 2007 for a nephew. And this one was in the Seattle temple, and with my husband (but no kids :) thanks to Josh and Trish)! I was not fond of the 42 degree temps, but I loved everything else.

#6 - from Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Another great time visiting family, this time as a family for Christmas 2001. The park was fun but again, not a fan of the 16 degree temps that the greater Philly area enjoys in December and January.

#7 - Mickey Mouse from one of our many family trips to Disneyland. :)

#8 - We purchased this one for our very 1st Christmas in California after we were married.

#9 - This was a day in San Francisco with cousins, etc, while in town for yet another neice's wedding in the Oakland Temple in August of 2007.(2007 was a busy year for weddings) It was great to have been able to go as a family!

#10 - Robert and I took a 10 day trip to Pennsylvania/Virginia/Washinton D.C. and he showed me around his old mission stomping grounds a little. June 2000

#11 - On that same great trip to Pennsylvania we were able to spend a day or two in Amish country where I found this ornament. June 2000.

#12 - And last, for this display anyway, another ornament from our fabulous trip to Hawaii in June 2005.

So ........ now that this post has gone way too long ........ I will finish for the night ;p

Hope you are all nearly ready for Christmas and remember......

what it is that we are truly celebrating at this time of year!

The love of our Savior, His birth, His Life, His atoning sacrifice. All of these things for each of us.

Good Night!!!!

mk