holiday 2011

Before January comes to an end, I've just got to wrap up the end of last year.  The holidays were definitely simple and low key, which was partly nice and relaxing, but on the other hand, a little dull to be honest.  It was the first year since we moved into our home that we didn't host a party or gathering of sorts, so things were pretty quiet around here.

It seemed the holidays really crept up on us this year with the end of the year trips we had planned, so I was just lucky to finish the Christmas shopping and fortunate that all but one gift arrived before Christmas eve (poor Sophie just got a "picture" of her new i-pod since Mr. Claus was even less on the ball than Mrs. Claus ;-).  I've learned that taking off a week before Thanksgiving, and then for a long weekend the first week in December really does a number on how much time is left to prepare for the holidays, hence, no Christmas cards sent out before Christmas!

All in all it was a nice holiday season in which we continued our favorite family traditions: baking rolls and apples/yams for Thanksgiving, picking out the Christmas tree together (we even took Lucy to the lot this year), feeling more kindness and appreciation for each other as we passed the "love pillow" along, baking cookies and decorating a gingerbread house, school programs, making grandma Janice's cheese ball, listening to our favorite Christmas music, the girls' holiday piano recital, attending a musical (this year it was Annie), visiting Temple Square, going to movies (Hugo on Christmas Eve, and War Horse on New Year's Eve), our Christmas Eve treasure hunt, enjoying a lovely Christmas Day sacrament program, New Year's Krumkake and toast, and of course, skiing and sledding on what little snow was to be found during that oh, so dry December.

Cantera Christmas pics:

 Liza's rendering of the Nativity

After "Annie" (my littles and Sophie's friend Anna)

After the Christmas piano recital

 Sugar Cookie fun

 Visiting downtown after our matinee on Christmas Eve

 Having fun in the new Deseret Book store

 Temple Square before we headed to Himalayan Kitchen for dinner

 I just love my crew!

  . . . and we're back for the lights

LOVE Temple Square on Christmas Eve!

 Time for our Christmas eve treasure hunt - the kids don't just have their new pjs handed to them,

they must HUNT for them!

 Settling down in our new pjs

 Cookies for Santa . . . and a cucumber for the reindeer (we didn't have any carrots,

 figured the reindeer might enjoy something different ;-).

 Christmas morning excitement . . . yep, line up at the top of the stairs

 Liza's wish was granted - and her new doll even came with a ski outfit just like Liza!

 Chris opening his "manly man" gift from the kids

New tennis outfits for the girls

 New hiking shoes from the kids - oh ya!

The littles enjoying krumkake a they watch the New Year's celebration from Times Square