NEW YEAR 2010

I had wanted to post yesterday, the last day of 2009 but did not have time. I've been meaning to post all month long because it was a really great month!! I kept putting it off, tho', so now here I am with a re-cap of the many fun things we did in December 2009:
I started out the season with my annual Black Friday shopping trip with my good friend, Kim. After I worked all night on Thanksgiving, we met up at my house at 8 am and shopped until almost 10 pm. We had a fun lunch at Chik-fil-A and dinner at Olive Garden. I got nearly every single thing purchased, with the exception of some frames for which I went to Michael's on Sat morning and then I was done!!!! wahoo. Too bad most of the presents stayed in the trunk of my car until Dec 22!

All five of us went to the Festival of Trees, the annual celebration and fund-raiser for Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. There were more than 900 trees this year, along with at least 100 gingerbread houses, many door/wreath displays, table top decorations, a huge gift shop, and my kids' favorite: the Kids Korner. Meghan and Emma made several Christmas crafts and Emma enjoyed some time inside a bubble! We of course bought scones and cinnamon rolls towards the end of the night, after they had announced the "half-price sale" overhead. It was a freeeeeeezing cold night but so much fun!

We took turns trying to do good deeds to earn "straw" to put in the manger for the Baby Jesus to lie on when he finally came on Christmas Eve.

All of the presents which I had to mail cross country were wrapped and sent (and received!) by December 16! What a relief to have that done so early this year!

Emma wrote a letter to Santa right after I went shopping. She asked for a Barbie guitar and a real horse to put in the back yard. We mailed it to "Santa Clause, North Pole Alaska 99705".
Emma, Meghan and I spent hours coloring cardboard snowflakes to make decorations for the Christmas tree. They were 3-dimensional and really fun to create. They fit perfectly on the "Let it Snow" themed tree this year.

Emma helped me to bake a few treats this year. We made banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. She is a great helper in the kitchen!

I spent hours and hours making hand-made cards to send for Christmas. I know it is time-consuming, but it really puts me into the spirit of the season and I LOVE to make cards.

Emma and Meghan and I also spent some time coloring and decorating little wooden ornaments for Emma to give to all of her neighborhood friends. She helped me to hand-deliver them on the 18th with the neighbor gifts that I gave out (sugar cookie mix with a christmas-themed cookie cutter).

We gave and gave and gave some more to charities this year. I felt so grateful this month for so many things, that I wanted to spread some cheer and have the kids hopefully share in some of that as well.

We spent a lovely afternoon with our good friends, the Farnsworths, watching "The Forgotten Christmas Carols" on DVD while sipping hot chocolate and eating cookies.

Emma, Bryan, and I took time to drive thru one of the local cemeteries that puts up an incredible display of Luminaria lights. There were thousands of lanterns set up: a most amazing sight. I was so inspired by it that I set up our own little (6 lanterns) display on Christmas Eve night to light the way of the Christ Child to our home.

I started collecting my very own Christmas Village this year. I am starting small and inexpensive, so I am beginning with a "Village Square". I have a gazebo with Santa and a child; a Christmas Trees for Sale stand; a pair of boys riding a fence-post toy horse; and a Victorian couple getting into a horse-drawn carriage.

It has been a delightful way to end out the year. We only missed out on the Lights at Temple Square, but maybe we will be able to fit it in before they take the display down. I hope your families had time to enjoy the season together in the ways most meaningful to you.