December

Now THIS is how December should look! I know not everyone shares my love for a white winter, but come on, you have to admit this is gorgeous!!

 

I've decided I MUST have pines outside my windows, just see their amazingness under snow.  This is the view out my kitchen window.  love.



Of course the downsize of a winter wonderland is how unbelievably cold it can get.  For a few weeks there we never even saw the sun.  Little Knox needed some extra layers in all this coldness.  Couldn't resist this hat!



And I've mentioned before what a fabulous energy burner that snow is for my kids.  Every single day they'd bundle up and head out to build snowman, a snow fort, make a ramp for their sleds and go sledding down the hills in our back yard.



Tessa is enjoying the snow more this year than ever before, and the boys have been nice to send her flying down a few hills too.



My man Cason never thinks he needs proper snow gear on.  Here he's only missing his snow pants, but usually I'll see him outside in snow boots, a pair of basketball shorts and maybe a sweatshirt.  Funny kid.



Our backyard is fairly small in the rental we're living in, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in geographics.  The entire thing runs down a hill and backs up to a little forest.  Brans thinks it's heaven.



And this is my adrenaline junkie.  The faster it goes the better.



Pictures like this make my heart happy.



Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to ride the hill too....



So the snow started everything out right for season.  And then the traditions began.  First was our annual Christmas party at our Nonna's house.  We've got enough little ones for a great Nativity.  I just love my extended family!!  Coolest bunch of people.




Next stop was Christmas tree shopping.  Yes, we're still going fresh.  I think if we went to a fake tree I would feel like I was betraying my years of working on my family's tree lots as a kid.  (and notice Cason wearing a size 2T coat!  He really does have ones that fit, I promise!)



But then when it's time to put all the lights up on it (and when I have to rip them all off) I dream of having a pre-lit tree.  This year I couldn't find our white lights (the glories of moving) but I did find a stash of green ones, soooo instead of an extra trip to the store we went green.  hmmm.  Not my fav but it worked.  We attempted a sleep over around the glowing tree one night... but that ended with some hyped up kids and a grumpy mom telling everyone to get back to bed.  Maybe we'll try again next year.



We haven't skipped a year getting our (crappy) pic with Santa.  You'd think for how much they charge they would at least take a decent, clear picture.  But it's worth it when I see all my pics lined up from years past.  Trust me, these kids will have to endure taking this same picture for years to come!



A new addition to our December was basketball games.  3 of them every Saturday morning, starting at 8:30.  Too early.  Too cold.  But I LOVE that my boys want to play basketball.  It's my favorite sport to watch.



I can't say that my boys are naturally the most athletic, born to be basketball players, but they really enjoy playing and I'm hoping that will continue through the years.  I'd love to see all these teenage brothers out playing with each other in our future.



Ty's games have been the most fun to watch.  It's actually beginning to shape into a real game (more intense and less humorous than his brothers).



The Sunday before Christmas we all got dolled up in our festive nice clothes for church.  I find so much enjoyment in seeing my kids looking all color coordinated.



Nanna always provides Tessa's cutest ensembles.



We started another new tradition.  Well actually it's an old tradition, but new to our family.  Bry and I both grew up doing puzzles with our families.  I got one for the boys and we spent about 6 hours after Church working on it.  So fun!  Bry and I remembered how much we loved doing them.



Christmas Eve:  Spent it eating the usual ham, potatoes and rolls with our family and a few fun extras.  Then it was time for our traditional bingo game (Nanna always shows up with some amazing prizes).



Nanna's Bingo helpers.



Knox just ate the Bingo cards.



Then it was time for Christmas jammies!!




The kids weren't the only ones in their new night ware!



Not enough room on Nanna and Gunka's lap anymore.



It was fun to introduce Michelle's Jeff to our crazy Christmas Eve fun, including his first pair of Christmas Eve jammies!



We're looking older.  But happy.



We're all ready for Santa.  So back home Bry and I went with our crew in the car.  Got all the kids tucked into bed after exchanging sibling presents and getting Santa's cookies set out.  And then some wrapping and a movie for mom and dad.  Got to bed about midnight and then was woken up by little people sneaking out of bed at 1am.  Sent them back to bed.  This was repeated every hour or so until the morning.  tired.



But can you blame them for being excited?  Notice the amazon box.  Luckily the kids didn't realize that just about everything under the tree apparently came from amazon.  Yay for online shopping that just arrives at your door.



Knox's favorite present.  Nanna found it and it really is awesome.



And each kid's favorite gift (Cason- a cash register, Tessa- her $1 section unicorn, Brans- is Big Bag of Science experiments, Ty- apparently he couldn't choose, but he did tell me later that it was his book of jokes)



Always looks like the house exploded after Christmas morning.



Best part about Christmas gifts is the quiet playing that goes on for a few days.  Lego building.



Marker making.



And it was so great to spend time with our brother and sister in law and our little Lincoln who live way too far away.



The cousin pic (yay for having a cousin on the Christensen side now!!!).  You'd never guess it but Link is a month YOUNGER than Knox.  Ha!

And now goodbye 2013.  We spent New Years Eve partying hard with the fam and grandparents and aunts and uncles playing Minute to Win It games and eating good.  Looking forward to another incredibly blessed year, full of family and fun and learning to be more like our Savior.