Christmas projects

I was excited to make a few things for Christmas this year.  I made a skirt for the girls and one to match for their dolls.  Also these cute crayon rolls, one for each of the kids.  They were a hit!  They made me feel so good.   :)

Then the kids and Burke got out of school half day on Thursday.  I had a project I wanted to do in our entry way.  Why waste any time???  We got started that afternoon. 
Here's the before picture, which was also crowded with a coat rack and lots of shoes.

Our friends Korry and Taffee had this plywood they didn't need and I saw on a blog this lady used plywood for her wainscoting...LIGHTBULB!  They brought it over and Burke cut it up and bought some painters glue and up they went!

Later I painted away...

The next day we went to Grand Junction and I bought some hooks, one for each of us.  And Voila!  It was finished...well until we make the bench with cubbies for each of us.  I am in love with it already,  It makes it all look so much more organized!

I made this sewing kit for Burke for Christmas.  He has had to go through my stuff to find needles and thread.  It's not an easy task, I need to organize it.  SO I made him his own.  He really liked it.  I'm so glad, because seriously, the other day I came home and he was sewing up one of Kaiya's stuffed animals that had a rip in it.  So, I know he'll use it too.  Win, WIN!  :)

Tissues & Snowflakes

The other morning Kaleb and Kaiya told me to come and check out Katelin in her bed.  She had a runny nose before she went to bed and boy did she use those tissues.  The kids were cracking up and made me come look.  What a little cutie.

Later that day we got out the paper and scissors and made some awesome snowflakes that Burke hung all over the ceiling.  It looked so pretty.  Tiff had sent us home with a bunch they did.  Glad she got us started.  Thanks, Tiff!

Trip to Manti

The next morning after the Christmas concert, we woke up to this beautiful snow at my moms house.  I was a bit worried to travel in it to Manti for Sky's wedding.  But we did it and it the roads were not too scary.  Glad Burke doesn't mind driving in this stuff.
The temple was beautiful, of course.  Chalei watched the kids while Burke and I attended the wedding.

What a GREAT day and a busy weekend! 

I LOVE to see the Temple!!!!!!!  :)

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

We are SO lucky!  Cal was able to get us tickets to go see the Concert in the Conference Center.  Kaleb and Kaiya too!  We met Cyndy and Chalei for dinner at the BUSY food court.  The kids got pizza.  There was no where to sit, so we sat on the steps for a few minutes until the security guys came and told all of us we had to move. 

So we went over to the fireplace out side in City Creek Mall.  What a beautiful place.  It was nice to hang out there for a minute.  Then we headed over to the Conference Center.

We got to see the lights and some of the nativity scenes as we walked over.  It was BEAUTIFUL and not as busy as normal. 

Here's cute Kaiya with the program.  Kaiya and I walked around for a little bit before it started to stretch out legs.  We loved looking at the amazing paintings and the awesome waterfall we could see from one of the windows.  It was beautiful.  One funny thing that happened when Burke and Kaleb went out to the restroom, he asked one of the volunteers where it was and he told him and then as Burke started walking away the guy said, "Aaaaaaaaand I went to High School with you...."  Hahaha!  Burke and I just laughed, it was so funny!  Some people just look so different!

Grandma Simmons, Chalei and Kaiya.

And on the other side:

Oh, this sidewalk looked so pretty all lit up.

The program was amazing, really!  The main singer - ah!, I forgot his name!  He was so funny and joked a lot and his singing is beautiful.  Tom Brokaw was also there and told the story of the Candy Bomber.  He was one of the soldiers who had the idea to fly over Germany and drop handkerchiefs with chocolate attached to them for the kids.  He told the kids they'd know which plane was the chocolate flyer and not the other food they were dropping because he would wiggle his wings in the air.  During the program they actually dropped handkerchiefs with chocolate attached to them from the ceiling of the conference center.  It looked so amazing. Then the actual candy bomber was there and we got to listen to a small interview with him, he is 94 now, I think.  He was adorable.  I'm so grateful we got to go.  It was Cal's last Christmas Concert he will perform in since he'll be 60 in February, they have to retire then.  It's been so much fun watching him have this experience.

Kids Sunday outfits

The Sunday before Christmas we took pictures of the kids in their new outfits for church.  They just looked so sweet.  I told them they couldn't open our next game from Grandma until they got pics taken together.  Ha!  It worked!! 

They were serious for me and then got out the crazy faces.

 

The girls just kept posing, cute and silly.

They were saying Ho, Ho, Ho!  What a couple of cuties!

And dad decided to join in on the fun.  Love their faces.  He's so much fun!

Kaleb didn't forget about the opening up the game.  They got kids Sequence.  We love playing it, it's so much FUN!!!

Willy Wonka & the Birthday Boy

Burke was asked to be in the school play, Willy Wonka.  They asked him to be Grandpa Joe.  He agreed and thought it would be cake because he just had to be in bed in the beginning and then he's out of it the rest of the play.  THEN he realized who Grandpa Joe was...the grandparent who goes to the factory with Charlie.  Hahahaha!  Oh man, that was funny.  He did a wonderful job though.  I loved hearing him sing.  AND the opening night landed on his birthday.  What a trooper!

He created this boat for the play, it was awesome.

Burke's parents came also, that was so nice of them!  Afterwards we went home and celebrated with banana cream pies, vanilla and chocolate - Burke made them!  It just happens that way, I don't know how it does.  Oh well, he enjoys it!

We were going to put this on  his bike, but didn't.  Burke was glad.

Here's a few more pictures, they went out of order.

The bubble room where they drink the fizzy drink and float up - or sit on stools and pretend they are floating.  Oh man, that was hilarious!!!!!!  I have it on video.  It's great!

The end.