Dec 2011 in a nutshell...

Dec seemed to fly by....I feel like it was only a week ago I was trying to convince my husband it was not to early to put up the tree and lights ... and now there all down and put away for another year! Man time just flies by...so here is what we were busy with this month...

.Putting up the Christmas trees and decorations...
. Trying to enjoy the only Dec snowfall we had..

 . Ward Craft club had our Christmas craft theme night

.Young women's service project we worked on for a couple weeks...
.My doctors appointments ....
.My sisters school Christmas concert
.Hayden sang in the stake Christmas carol concert
 Bradshaw got the flu 2x, Hayden 1, Grayson 1, Me/ Hayden , Grayson and me are still fighting a nasty chest and head infection....
.My family service project...
. A girls trip to great falls to buy some Christmas things and of course fabric!!
.Decorating for the ward Christmas project ( the same weekend I also worked in Lethbridge and a 12 hour day in Medicine Hat ) .... my re cap on that weekend..


 Friday Dec 16... drop the boys off at the babysitters house,run to work to train the Med Hat girl in Lethbridge office , run to pick up the rest of the supplies for the party, pick up the boys , head to the church with the boys and a van full of stuff , set up the church till 5.40pm ( 30 mins before its started) , run home get dressed , Party begins, help tidy up( another ward were using our decorations so we got to leave them up) head home , do the laundry for work tomorrow , go to bed 11pm, wake up at 5.30 am Sat leave for work , work all day come home at 9pm , head over to the church to help take down and sort through my decorations , head home and get into bed at 11.30 pm !!! honestly this week leading up to the party and the weekend after almost killed me.... I have to say I will never again to a Christmas party that fancy... ( SOMEONE note this so you can hold it against me)
 

. The week before Christmas I was busy Wrapping presents , finishing up the last minute Christmas shopping , sewing pj pants that I did not finish at our Ward Craft club

. Baking that I had not even started yet , so I recruited my sister to help out...

 .drop off goodies to our neighbors and friends

. Sang in church with 3 other couples
. Went caroling as a family to a few friends houses ( thanks to Hayden who was very very adamant that we went again this year, so we sang the only song he new all the words to " jingle bells" and really it ended up being Bradshaw and I singing most the of the time)
. Went on a family date night to a restaurant then to the nativity..... Hayden asked a million Questions and grayson loved it ... and we were lucky it was not busy and the wind was not to bad that night !

 We went and took Helen , Shala and Hayden to the play Scrooge at GS lakie ... it was super cute !

. Went out of Hot chocolate and Christmas light looking
. Cleaned the house . baked someone more/ preped the food for Christmas Eve/ while dealing with two very sick , cranky little boys.

Christmas eve

It has always been the tradition to going to my parents house for Christmas eve , we do the same thing every year. Everyone brings snacks and appetizers to eat, we visit and then watch old slides and home videos with all my aunts, uncles and cousins... Both the boys were sick with fevers and ear aches, which made it hard cause they did not want to play or visit or eat ... It kinda put a damper on the night ... Hayden and Grayson opened up there matching pjs ,wrote there note to Santa with uncle Matt and picked out a couple cookies that they felt Santa would enjoy the most....then off to bed they went!

Bradshaw and I stayed up and visited with my family till WAY To late ...then headed to bed also ... I should have gone to sleep earlier cause I got no sleep that night , Grayson was up all night with a high fever and whining .... We were sleeping in my sisters double bed with Grayson in the middle of us....I think finally around 6am I kicked Bradshaw to the floor with Hayden and finally we got a few food hours of sleep ... We ended up having to wake the boys up Sunday morning , cause we were singing in Church at 1 in Magrath and we had to get going on the present opening ....


Christmas morning
we called great grandma to come over to open presents while the boys headed up stairs to check out what Santa left on the plate... the morning went smoother that I thought minus a few crying fits over toys... Both boys were tired , cranky and so sick that all they did was cry.. Grayson did not want to open anything up , he found his stocking and was more then content with the few cars and books that were in there. Grayon got lots of books, some little cars and toy story toys, and a cars ride on toy, but the main present was the one from Santa he got his horse that he wanted... and he was so excited about that .. he sat on it saying ye ha...giddy up giddy up giddy up!
Hayden also got books and cars, some clothes and a ticket to see a real Calgary flames game , Santa brought him his dress up clothes he wanted and Grandma and Grandpa brought him his scooter...

As for me I got spoiled rotten and was really surprised , My brother and sister got Bradshaw and I a new I pod touch ( to share , though Bradshaw already has one) we got money and gift cards from my parents and grandma.. The boys bought me some earrings they picked out .... and a snuggie ( which I have been asking for for 2 Christmas's now) and Bradshaw completely surprised me and got me the other diamond band for my ring .... it is beautiful and 100% a surprise.... We also got a big flat screen TV from Bradshaw parents ... we really got way to much from everyone, and made me really thankful for everything....

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After presents were opened we headed out to Magrath , church was a disaster, Grayosn went in his Santas pjs cause I could not get him dressed , he just cried... so I sat in the hall with him while he cried until it was our turn to sing ... I guess I was not paying any attention cause before I new it they were up there singing and I was still in the hall with Grayson .. opps I rushed in there but I missed it... the only soprano and I was not there .. o well next time I guess... We spent the next night at Bradshaw parents house, eating good food and visiting. The kids had fun playing together for the most part, I was excited though when it was all said and done and we got to go back to our house and just spend time together as a family...

I must say it was a wonderful Christmas , I felt super blessed and enjoyed making  some wonderful memories with my family . We felt the Spirit of Christ in our home many times, as we read stories and gave service to others. Hayden was truly excited to help fill a shoe box to send over seas to the "poor kids" in Africa , he was alittle disappointed when he learned that he would not be going on a plane to give it to them... I enjoy every year seeing my kids grow and learn more about Christmas and what its really about .. and that is one of the Best things about Christmas!