'Tis the Season

Friends, I've been MIA in the blogging world.  It looks like all I've done this December is create holiday decor. However, this is not so.  We have jammed packed this season with Christmas fun.  So much, that I haven't had any time to blog about it.  To be honest I'm a little holly jollied out.  Luckily, Danny and I have planned a very low key Christmas weekend.  I see many naps in the future.  Anyway, I had planned this to be a few different posts, but I'm instead going to compile it to one big cheery, tinsel-filled post of all of our pre-Christmas activities.

On the first day of Christmas (well, December) Talena and I decided we should start the holidays by offering service.  We volunteered at the Festival of Trees as hostesses.  (Festival of Trees is a fund raiser with all the proceeds going to Primary Children's hospital.)  In the past we were assigned to more happenin' spots at the festival, like the trees or the play houses.  This year we were assigned to the quilts.  Not a lot was going on there.  We made friends with our fellow hostesses and took turns walking around and taking in the sights.  Don't worry, I fulfilled my duties by smiling and telling people what time it was, because that was the main question I was asked.

Talena and Me

Talena's quilt presenting skills (in our very lonely aisle.)

My quilt presenting skills.

Trees, lots of trees!

Very impressive gingerbread houses.

For FHE Danny and I set out and bought a real tree for our little home.  It smells so piney fresh, I love it!  We started the tradition on our honeymoon to get Christmas ornaments from each trip we take together.  It was fun to hang all of our ornaments we got this past year.  I'm looking forward to see what ornaments we collect this next year.

Our tree of loveliness.

He he he

We had a double date with my sister Noelle and her husband Jared to go see the lights at Temple Square.  It was packed, but we still took a quick stroll around the vicinity and then warmed up at Hatch's with hot chocolate and hot fudge sundaes.  

The temple, it's a good place to be.

Sister Picture

We had another double date with our friends Dave and Anna.  We went and saw the Utah Chamber Artists Christmas Concert up at the U of U.  The music was heavenly with both the orchestra and choir. My favorite number was the reading of Luke 2 with music.  It was very touching and made the story of Christ's birth come alive.  Afterwards we headed back to our home and had hot chocolate (one can never have enough hot chocolate this time of year) and ironically discussed the unhealthy affects of sugar on your body.

Visual Music i.e. showing pictures of music being played.

We had our annual sibling gift exchange and dinner with my side of the family.  We met up at Texas Roadhouse and had a great dinner with great company.  My parents and all of my siblings were there with their spouses except for Joel and Becky, who are expecting twins any day now.  (We visited them afterwards and took them rolls and honey butter, since they couldn't make it.)  We definitely added some excitement to that restaurant.  No one can get me laughing like my siblings do.

Michele, Dan, Jared and Noelle

Timmer and Katie making their menu choices while Danny gazes off
to middle distance.

Waiting for our food with smiley faces.

The Parents, JanaRae and Mark.  (Mark is known for his photogenic capabilities.)

We had a big family dinner with my extended family last weekend.  It was great to see cousins, aunts and uncles.  My favorite activity was the nativity put on by the kiddos after dinner.  I have come to realize this is really for the adults enjoyment since the kids are so dang cute.  We had a few adults play some roles, since we needed more people.  (These pictures were taken with a phone, so a little blurry.)

The shepherds arrival.

The nativity cast.

Then my dad played guitar, yay Dad!

Danny's siblings came over to our house for FHE and to celebrate J-Man's birthday.  We played a favorite game that Danny and I invented for our primary class called the compliment game.  You throw a stuff animal around and give each other compliments.  The compliment that melted my heart came from my little niece who told me I had pretty eyes and I was a good ballet dancer.  (We like to dance ballet together when I visit.)

The kiddos dancing to Danny's guitar playing.  They had some crazy moves.