More of December

These were the pjs I made for Andrea's girls.

Birthday Bash

I had an awesome birthday this year.  I spent all last year thinking I was 36 when I was actually 35 (yeah, I know, airhead year).  But now I really am 36. Just in case you were wondering. And I my presents were sweet this year--a water purifier to take to South America this fall, and a backpack/luggage also for our trip to South America.   Yay for South America!

More Christmas!!!

We went to Utah Saturday morning after opening presents at our house Friday night.  It was a horrible drive--we drove 35 mph on a 75 mph interstate because the weather was terrible.  So instead of 4 and half hours it took us almost 8 hours.  Yuck.  The kids were pretty good though.  On Sunday, Christmas Eve, we went to church with my parents, and this happened:  I went to church with my mom on Christmas Eve and getting Jubal to be reverent turned into a wrestling match like always so during the closing song when he made a break for the exit I let him go, thinking he'd probably not come back in and just enjoy his freedom in the foyer (plus Leo was out there with Efraim already). Instead, he ran back in and I missed catching him by our pew so I got up to get him and he took off towards the front of the church at breakneck speed, I took three faster steps to catch him before I realized that wasn't going to happen in my heels and I'd end up landing on my face, so I sat back down. Jubal meanwhile ran around the whole front of the church laughing maniacally, and down the other side of the pews where my dad was waiting to catch him, only Jubal kept running back up. Just when Dad thought he had him out of nowhere Leo snatched him up by the back of his shirt and Jubal just continued laughing as he was carried Mission Impossible style, spread eagle from the chapel. I would have felt worse about it but three older men came up to me and said it made their day and the Bishop was laughing in the front too. Darn devil child.  😈😂😂😂  

Then after church we had Christmas Eve dinner twice!!!  Are we lucky or what?!??!?!?  Once with Ethan and Kourtney and later that night with Amy and her kids.  We spent the afternoon bathing the kids and then once Amy's family arrived we opened Christmas pjs and had a Nativity.  My kids went to bed and we had a LATE Christmas morning and opened presents with Amy's family and Grandma and Grandpa.  My kids' big gift from Santa was walkie-talkies.  Leo's favorite present was a garage door opener.  My favorite was our Crokinole board.  Yay!  And the early Christmas canoe.  It was just a great Christmas all the way around.  I love that.  The next day we had our Rasmussen Christmas Party--sang at a nursing home, did some quilt tying at the humanitarian center, played games at the church, potluck soup and best of all, Mom's chocolates.  The rest of the week we had fun sledding, Ana took Isabel and Elena ice skating one day, we spent one day just together as a family and we went bowling and out to eat at Chuck-a-Rama. And we went to the church a couple more days and played more games there.  Wyatt and Lindsay's family came on Thursday, so the kids had a good time with them for a little bit too.  And of course, Megan and Andrea's family came out several times during the week which was fun.  Then we left for home on Saturday.  It was a wonderful Christmas.  Oh, and the week before the kids had been out of school, so when Leo got home for work, I let each kid pick one activity and we did that in the evening.  One night we played with clay, one night with play dough, Elena chose bowling which we did late when Ana could be there, and something else I can't remember.  It was really good though.  The kids loved it.

A😛

Christmas!

After my birthday dinner and opening presents, we went downstairs and watched the Claymation Christmas (classic) and then came back upstairs and had our Christmas morning because the next day we left for Utah.  It was such a good Christmas this year.  We really had some great times.  The little kids just made each presents this year, so Lando made a paper fan for Isabel, and Isabel made a cardboard gun for Jubal, etc.  Most of these presents were from Leo's parents, and then a few little gifts from Leo and I (the calendars) since Santa was coming to Utah too.