And the Third Week of December. . . .

is over as well. Doing weekly posts this month seemed like such a great idea, since I knew it would be a crazy month. But, alas, it has been so crazy, that neither Sam nor I can remember what we did one week ago. We just know we were busy. Lets see what we can remember:

December 15th: Honestly, all I can remember about this day was going out as a family to Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and Target to get things for Bennett's preschool Christmas party and Elle's birthday party, both upcoming events that week.

December 16th: Sam came home early from his meetings so I could go by myself to the Grandview Ward Sacrament meeting and hear the report of Sister Jill Carpenter who just returned from serving her mission in Austria. It was a wonderful meeting, and so nice to be able to sit and listen and be spiritually fed. Thanks, Sam, for making that possible. He even got the kids ready for church, loaded them in the van, and I met them at our building right before our Sacrament meeting. It gave him a little taste of what I do each week!

December 17th: I hosted Bennett's preschool Christmas party. It just happened that the last time I hosted was our Halloween party, and this time was the Christmas party. It was fun to be able to do parties rather than focus on a letter, but I also think that it came with pressure to do really fun things. We read a couple of Christmas books, decorated glass ornaments with glue and glitter, made stockings out of foamies and decorated them, had hot chocolate and Christmas cookies for a snack, and then made and decorated Christmas trees by turning a sugar cone upside down, frosting it with green frosting, and then using candies as ornaments. I think the kids had fun, and I was just relieved it was over! I took out my camera to take a picture of Bennett's stuff afterwards, but the battery was dead, and then he ate his tree, and we hung his ornament, and his stocking is up in his room. So you'll just have to believe that they were darling.
Our other big event on Monday was Elle's preschool Christmas program. It was Santa's workshop, and the children were different toys in his workshop. They sang so many songs, and had speaking parts, and it was really well done for a production put on by 4 year olds! Ellery was a train, and the cutest toy train I've ever seen.




At the end of the program, Santa came to visit the children (he is looking very skinny these days). Bennett was so excited that Santa was there. Each of the kids got a chance to sit on Santa's lap, and then he gave them a stuffed animal from his bag of toys. Pretty fun. We haven't attempted to go and visit Santa anywhere this year, so it was nice to be able to see him and get pics of the kids on his lap without any effort on my part.





Sam was out of town again, and I was so sad that he missed it. But our friends from Fox Hollow ward, the Secrists, came to support Elle, and then afterwards we went to Dairy Queen for a treat. It was a fun night.

December 18th -- I gave Reagan an early Christmas present today. When I was wrapping the night before, one of her toys fell out of its box, and I contemplated trying to wrap it without the box, and then just decided that since she is 10 months old and I will be doing her unwrapping for her on Christmas morning, that it would be fine to just not wrap this present and give it to her now. She loves it! And we loved seeing her push it around all day.




Yes, I know all these pictures are very similar, but I can't get enough of Reagan in that pink sweat suit.

December 19th -- This morning I went to Elle's preschool to take treats for her birthday. Elle and I had made and decorated sugar cookies the day before, and she was so proud of them, and excited to share them with her friends. After we got home, she called Sam to tell him about it, and proclaimed that it had been the "bestest day of preschool ever!"



Today was also Neighborhood Christmas Gift Day. I stayed up late Tuesday night making 30 chocolate carmel apples, and so Wednesday afternoon the kids and I delivered them all. It took a few hours, but was a lot of fun to see so many people that we love in one afternoon!




December 20th: We had a playdate with our friends Stacy and Emma from across the street. They just finished their basement, and their new carpet down there is so nice. It made me so envious -- I want new carpet in my family room more than I can say. I've been good this year, Santa, really I have. Thursday night I went and spent a couple of hours with my friend Becca to lend my expertise in carmel apple making. It was fun to have some one-on-one time with Becca -- we don't do that enough.

December 21st: The kids and I spent the day in Highlands Ranch with the Jensens. Oh, how we love that family. Mina and I made carmel apples together for her to distribute to her neighbors (I am thinking of turning pro), and the kids played and danced to Christmas music, and watched the animated Grinch movie. We would have stayed all day, but the snowstorm scared us back to Aurora. That evening I went out alone to gather the last groceries and various items I needed for Elle's birthday party the next day. I stayed up way too late preparing for the party (I don't think there was a single night this third week of December that I was in bed before 1:00).

It is so sad that at this point I can't wait for December to be over so we can just slow down a bit. But really, we have been doing so many wonderful things this month, and the kids are loving this time of year. So I can handle a few more days of this choas, right?