Traditions, Tradtions, Traditions

I LOVE traditions. Some of my favorite are the ones we have during the holiday season.

We got together for our annual ice-skaking outing on January 30th. I think I had more fun this year than in years past. Claire loved it especially when she got to use this ice-skating bar type thing. Okay, so it looks like a walker but for the ice. But our little Miss Independent loved that she could ice-skate without holding mom and dad hands. And it saved our backs too :)

Sorry about the million pics. If anyone would like to share with me how to make a collage of photos, we might all appreciate it. Until then I am just going to be uploading tons of pics. But seriously, I can get enough of how cute my little sweetheart is.

This year we had some friends join us as well as my aunt and uncle and their kids. The more, the merrier!!


The whole group of us. We missed those that didn't make it this year.


Tina, Claire, Taria, and Ellie


Claire informed us before we even left the house that she wanted to go really fast.


Claire and Grandma


Our little family


She was feeling pretty proud of herself. She was honestly more excited about ice-skating and going bowling the next day than she was about Christmas. I think the whole "Santa coming in my house late at night" thing kinda ruined it for her.


One of my favorite things is seeing how fast we can get going.


Claire and her friend Payton

Christmas

Top 10 Favorite things about Christmas 2010.

1. Seeing Claire get totally excited about opening her presents even though she accidently saw them several days before.

2. Seeing the kids in their Christmas jammies.

3. Christmas Eve morning Claire grabbed Lukes phone and insisted he call Santa and tell him not to come. Apparently she was getting quite nervous about him coming. Okay, actually still terrified!!! And I was more than happy to let her have her way since she had been waking up in the middle of the night crying, hiding in the other room when someone knocked at the door, etc.

4. Santa did not come to our house this year. And yes, I have been getting dirty looks from people when Claire tells them that Santa did not come. And she has been excitedly telling everyone that she got a candy cane for Christmas.

5. Spending Christmas Eve with our family in Tooele and Erda and Christmas day in Salt Lake. Plus the food was really yummy.

6. Buying something for our ward's Angle Tree.

7. We spent more time talking to Claire about the birth of Jesus instead of focusing on Santa....and she got it.

8. Traditions, traditions, and more traditions. Some old, some new.

9. Endless hours of ping pong at my Dad and Holly's.

10. Spending this special day with my two favorite people.

Once there was a snowman...

I love the snow...as long as I am inside in a nice warm house. Lucky for us, Claire's favorite babysitters showed up ready to play outside.

DoNt StOp At OuR hOuSe SaNtA

Last night Luke and Claire were playing and he used his cell phone to call Santa to ask him to come over and play too. Of course a few minutes later he snuck into the other room and knocked on the door and Claire instantly started to freak out....and not the good kind of freaking out. A few minutes later we overheard Claire talking on the phone and telling Santa not to come over and she did not want to play with him. She ended the call with "Go Away, Old Man!" The rest of the night she was paranoid that Santa was still going to come over and it took an extra hour at night to get her to calm down go to sleep. And then an hour later look what I found at our door....





A letter from Santa to Claire.


We are not sure how it got there. And it was really sweet of Santa to write Claire a letter. But I sure am glad she was already asleep when it came.

Santa, (whoever you are) thank you for leaving the letter. Luke and I loved it and I am sure Claire will too one day. Maybe next year will be better.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Tonight was my brother's annual Chestnuts Roasting on the Open Fire Bonfire. I remember he started the tradition when he was back in high school and only his friends and whatever girls they were interested in were invited. So of course, sisters were not allowed.

This year he decided to start up the tradition again. It was alot of fun... Just sitting around the bonfire listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, eating warm dutch oven apple crisp, and just hanging out with siblings, cousins, and friends. Plus with that great fire going it really wasn't cold at all.

Don't let this picture fool you. This is the only time she sat down all night and I think it lasted about 30 seconds. She had a blast making a snowman with Ben and then trying to destroy the snowman while Ben protected it. Great Entertainment!!

The Annual Santa Picture

Claire is terrified of Santa. I didn't make her sit on his lap but I wanted to get a pic for history sake. I had to hold the poor girl in place until they could snap a photo. This was at the ward party. The only other time she has seen Santa this year is at the grocery store. Now every time we go to the store she asks to go see that santa is NOT there....because you know, Santa might just be lurking around the grocery store trying to scare little kids.
Sorry old man, maybe next year.


I tried to prepare Claire by asking her all the Santa questions beforehand.
So in case you are wondering...

#1 What is your name little girl?
Pookie

#2 Have you been a good girl this year?
Yep

#3 What do you want Santa to bring you?
A present

#4 What kind of present?
An orange present

What a Weekend!!

Last weekend was great...

* We started out taking Claire and Rilynn to the swimming pool. Our little dare devil tried talking us into letting her jump off the diving board and going down the slide by herself. Good thing the rules at the pool wont let a two year old do either of those things alone.


* Claire talked her daddy into putting Christmas lights on the house. And all it took was, "Daddy, I want my house to have pretty light on it too."

Lets just pretend this is my house ;)


* We headed into Salt Lake to watch The Forgotten Carols. It was amazing as always!!




* But my favorite part of the weekend was this.... Our Annual Chinese Party. I am not sure how we started this tradition but every December we meet at my sisters house and stuff our bellies with yummy Chinese food and then play games or watch a movie. We each make a dish or two of Chinese food and the food this year was sooo good. Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, spring rolls, lettuce wraps, fried rice, lo mein noodles. Mmmmm!!!!

Steph cooking up the spring rolls



Claire, Holly, Caitlyn, Pops



Luke, Erich, Rilynn, Alexa



Me and Alexa making spring rolls

Naptime

Christmas Cookies

Claire and I spent the day making sugar cookies for our ward party tonight. Claire had an absolute blast doing it....especially after pretty much emptying my container of flour on the table. And since she is still obsessed with vaccuming, she was more than happy to clean up her mess. In fact she might have enjoyed the cleaning up more than the making cookies. Silly Girl!! Although her favorite part was the fact that I was busy frosting cookies in the middle of lunch time so she had more than her share of cookies for lunch.

Oh Brother!!!

My brother called last night and he excitedly asked us to stop by his place so he could show us something......