Delightful December 2012!

Wow! How did we get from December to May so fast?!? I don't know, but I didn't want to forget about all those months, so here we go.....Before we even got anywhere near Christmas, some exciting things had happened...
Nathan gave his very first ever Power Point presentation--it was on the country of Israel and the celebration of Hanukkah (which I still have to look up the spelling for!!) He did a great job!! Here is his teacher getting ready to give him a high five for a job well done! : )

Then, I took Alan to see the midnight release showing of "The Hobbit" in 3-D--'cause I'm a cool Mom like that!! Actually, I had no idea it was coming out! Alan told me his friend was going and asked if we could do that and to his amazement I said "Sure!" It was my first 3-D movie--the people looked really weird, but otherwise it was pretty good!! Here we are in our cool 3-D glasses!

Next up, band concerts by Alan and Scott. Alan's was at the high school auditorium (he plays the trumpet) and the picture I got of Scott's was of the in-school performance because I couldn't get a picture of him during the evening concert--he hides in the back with the drums and other percussionists!

Who can resist the classic Christmas picture of the children all dressed up? Not me!! So here it is!

Getting close to Christmas we of course had our annual Christmas cookie decorating adventure--I'll leave out the details about the fussiness that was going on behind all these wonderful smiles and we'll just pretend that it was as jovial as it looks!! : )

OK, then onto Christmas festivities. 
First, we had to go find our tree (which actually happens in November--the weekend after Thanksgiving--but I'm including it with Christmas festivities).
Found just the right tree!

Now to cut it down. Alan gets it started and Nathan finishes up--I don't think Scott took a turn this year.

Then, we needed to get it back to the van.

Next, it was time to get it off the van and into the house--I helped a little ; ) but Alan hauled it to the porch--after telling me to get a picture of him hauling the tree! : )

Then, we decorated.......

Then we put cookies out for Santa--lucky guy!!

Then we put food out for the reindeer--

they work hard, ya know!!

The next day was exciting and exhausting--

as it is every year!! : )

Nathan was all excited about his Christmas Kit Kat! 

Nathan scored some Minecraft goodies--Minecraft on the PC from Mom (after convincing the VISA people that I was OK with the purchase from Sweden!!!) Enderman hat compliments of Grandma C and Creeper--with a nice, tricked out ride : ) -- and shirt  from Aunt Laura.

Nathan also got some cool building toys

from Grandma and Grandpa C...

 Scott scored a new basketball hoop (that took Mom like two weeks to assemble--outside--in the freezing cold!), a sweet snare drum and a Kindle! 

Alan got (another) new iPod  some cool Legos from Curtices, more Legos, a sweater and camera from Thompsons.

Finished Lego product....

Handsome boys.....

Lucky, lucky boys!!! While the gifts were certainly exciting, I feel mostly appreciative of the fact that our Savior was born on the Earth and set a perfect example for how we should live. He then suffered for our sins and sacrificed himself so that we can be resurrected. We are so lucky to be able to live as eternal families!! I'm a lucky Mom to get to have the opportunity to live with these handsome young men for all eternity!! : )