Gingerbread Houses, Advents and Santa Plates

Gingerbread Houses!! We love this tradition. I would like to say that I am getting better at making them but I'm not. Haha. Good thing they all look good once they are frosted. Kelli, Tawni and Stephanie came over to bust these babies out. So fun making these with friends. They were a little smaller than usual so we had a few extra houses. The kids had full rein over three of them. Ailee and Calum helped a little but they mostly just ate the candy. We looked over at one point to find Ailee sitting on the bar stool, eating candy off a house and dancing to the Christmas music. It was pretty dang cute. But the fun didn't stop with the gingerbread houses. We did a mannequin challenge, went on a mouse hunt, put on some face masks and Calum even finished off the night by jumping in the pool!!! Crazy kid.

This was Kevin and my masterpiece. It currently has like five pieces of candy on it. Our kids are animals!

 Went to Boise Crossfits Christmas party. I thought it was ugly sweater so I almost went in this onesie. My sister came to get us and she was dressed all fancy, I was like, "Isn't it ugly sweater??" Pretty funny. I'm glad she set me straight! 

These were our white elephant gifts. I think I'm funny. Wreath Witherspoon and Calum's weapon aka "Lucille" from the Walking Dead. 

The weapon got some Facebook recognition when somebody drove home unaware of it on their car. 

The gym moved again and it is sooooo farrrr!! Not really, but really. The fun thing is the kids room has a climbing wall so the kids love it.

We had a good sunday. Calum insisted on bearing his testimony. He went and sat quietly on the stand all by himself. When it was his turn he walked to the pulpit then started jumping up and down trying to grab the microphone. Someone helped him get situated and he said, "I'd like to bear my testimony. I know the gospel is on my side. I know Jesus is on my side." Love that cutie. We have been doing the Light the World Challenge and have been loving it.

 We finally made an advent wreath! We've talked about doing it for years. Finally made it happen.

"Advent, Advent ...ein Lichtlein brennt
erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier 

dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür."

We got some snow and the kids have been loving playing outside even though it is freezing!!

Miles domed his head on the coffee table last night. Swelled instantly. And Calum face planted on his scooter. Poor boys look awful. Awfully cute and awfully owie. 

 Just as fancy as ever. She was quite the little host at our tea party tonight. Saying "your welcome" and "thank you," pouring us cream and adding our sugar and offering us all sorts of goodies.

 My friend was giving a bunch of their Christmas stuff away. So I made this cute plate wall. Calum told me tonight, "One time I saw the santa plate wink. For reals." He was dead serious. Made me chuckle.

Thought this was pretty accurate. Ha.

Eating, Eating and More Eating

We headed to Utah for Thanksgiving. Ate lots of food and hung out with family.

 We got to go dancing down in Murray, saw Moana, ate some more. It was an awesome weekend. Sure love our family.

The kids did alright in the car, minus Ailee coloring on herself.

When we got home we had turkey noodles at my parents. So that was delicious. Miles is loved and adored.

As is Ailee

Ailee fell asleep in her favorite place minutes after we walked in the door

Preschool was at my house this week. We learned about the letter L. We made lady bugs, traced lines, lined up cheerious, played follow the leader. These kids are so cute and smart. The girls love playing with their baby dolls and dressing up. 

She named one of them Shy-e. Ailee likes to say, "Can I? Can I?" When she is asking for something. She's also been really into Christmas asking questions like, "Can I give Rudolph a hug? Can I give Santa a hug? I won't cry if he gives me presents!"

Calum brought this home, He thought the bear would take a scooter, but he rode a taxi, he drew him shaking his bum on the taxi (Calums booty shake was pretty funny)

Always a party at Kelli's :)

We decided to go chop down our very own Christmas tree. Calum was pretty entertaining on the way up. "If I find a cave can I put my leg in it and pretend an animal is eating it?"

"How are we going to cut it down? Are we gonna bite it like a beaver? We should've sharpened our teeth before we left!"

"If I'm not looking when you cut it down yell timber!"

"My new friend at school is so awesome, he has brown skin, puffy hair and kind of looks like Michael Jordan."

I had the thought lately that life is such a personal journey. Someone could tell me what exactly to do to be happy but I have to figure it out for myself. I see teenagers, college students and new moms and think I remember when I was trying to figure out those problems. I'm sure people older than me think the same thing :) But somehow people don't like to listen to other people and don't want to learn from others mistakes. For some reason they want to make their own mistakes. This is societies and individuals. You'd think by now people would have this whole life thing figured out. But we all have to learn for ourselves.  Thats why we had to come to earth to grow and experience things for ourselves. No one could tell us what it would be like because we need to know for ourselves. Christs plan is such a perfect plan! I am so glad I get to be here and have amazing examples and have the gospel in my life to guide me and teach me. Hopefully I am not so stubborn that I will listen and not make all the mistakes that people who have come before me have already made and learned from. So thats my random thought. I am grateful for the Savior and his strengthening Atonement. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose my mind, but I ask for peace, composure and charity, and I truly can feel him strengthening me! What and amazing thing! So excited for Christmas and to #lighttheworld!