Christmas Eve

First of all, Merry Christmas! I thought I would post about Christmas Eve before we get into the Christmas celebrations and presents today. It is 8:00am an Kyle is still asleep! It is great having a kid who is a night owl!

Last night we had our nice dinner and Christmas program. Kyle loves ham, and tore it up. Then while we did our white elephant gift exchange, Kyle started playing with the Christmas presents under the tree. He was playing tetris or jenga with them. He had a bunch stacked up and he was calling it his tower.

Note the saying on Kyle's shirt. So true!

Then we had sandacakes for dessert (it is our families dessert on around Christmas, it is Swedish). This was Kyles first year really eating them on his own. He did a good job. It is hard to eat with the hard pastry shell then custard and whipped cream on top. We gave him his own and let him have at it. He wasn't too messy.

Kyle eating his sandacake. Mmmmm!

I will post pics. of today later. Hope you and your families have a great Christmas!

FHE at Chuck E Cheese

Monday, our family was invited to go caroling to a retirement center with some other families in the ward. It was a really neat experience. It is so sad to see all these people in a center like that. Henry says they are getting the help they need. It smells so bad in centers like that! Kyle had fun singing. His favorite Christmas song is Jingle Bells.

After we went to Chuck E Cheese with Dad, Mom, and Brian (Uncle Rat to Kyle). Kyle and Brian had fun. Kyle kept wanting to ride the train ride. Brian and Henry played the football game and skee ball. Henry threw the football a little too much and had a sore shoulder afterwards.

Brian playing Skee Ball.

Henry and Dad waiting for the pizza.

Cookie Houses

Last thursday we decorated cookie houses. It is a tradition with Henry's Mom and he wanted to carry it on. We everyone over for Mom's birthday then after we decorated the cookie houses. They were actually graham cracker houses. The kids all have a blast with it. Of course Brian got into it too. This was his first year decorating a house. He is usually up at school but he got out earlier this year. Yeah! We all have a good time, and go home on a sugar buzz.

Kyle and Henry

Kristen, who never looks at the camera! ;)

Ashlee with her house.

Brian with his University of Utah house. For those who don't know 48-24 is the score from the Utah BYU game. The other side says "New Orleans or Bust". It was all red and white.

Recital, Santa Claus, Train Ride, and Santa Lucia

This weekend has been a busy one!

Friday night I had my piano recital for my students. It went really well I think. The students did a good job and the parents seemed to like it. I do a sing-a-long recital. The students have to pick a holiday song with words, and they also learn to conduct. Then the parents have to sing while the students accompany and conduct the songs.

Then Saturday we had our ward Christmas party. I had to make 2 dozen rolls. I ended up making a batch of cinnamon rolls and a batch of orange rolls. The kicker, we were the last table to get food so we didn't even get any rolls! We got some Sunday morning but I will tell you about that later. I also had to play some background music. I got a call Wednesday afternoon from the activity chair, she asked if I could pick 2 songs to play as background music while people ate. She said she wanted simple songs, hymns or primary songs. So I chose Picture a Christmas and a medley of all 3 Away in a Mangers. I get there and play my songs first, then the other two women go. They had elaberate songs, that were hard! Didn't I look dumb! I could of done that if I had known, or had the time. Oh well.

Kyle got to see Santa though. This was the first year he did not freak out at the site of him. Henry and I have been trying to hype up Santa. We also have been "training" him to tell Santa what he wants, after all if Santa doesn't know what you want, he won't bring you a present! Kyle was the second in line. We walked up to Santa and Kyle started saying "firetruck!" We put him on Santa's lap and Kyle said "firetruck". After talking with Santa and getting pictures taken, he got "Snowman Soup". He didn't understand why he didn't get his firetruck. He wasn't happy about it for a while. We explained Santa will bring him presents in two weeks. He was happy after that.

After the ward party we took Dad home. On the way home we stopped at a muddy parking lot. You see, earlier in the week we had our truck lifted (more of a leveling lift) and had bigger tires put on. Kyle loves to "go 'round", and he wanted to show Papa "go 'round". So we did. Kyle just laughs and laughs and keeps saying "more go 'round!" He is his Dad's boy!

After we dropped Dad off we went to the Train Museum for the Santa Claus Express. We rode the train and we were going to see Santa, again. The line was long for Santa though and the wind was blowing and a strom was moving in so we left.

Kyle on the Santa Claus Express

Then Sunday we celebrated Santa Lucia Day. It is a holiday in Sweden, and being of Swedish decent we try to celebrate it. It is really celebrated Dec. 13th but we had a busy Saturday. We had Mom, Dad, and Brian over for a brunch. We had gingerbread men (a Swedish Tradition), Orange Rolls (Saffron Buns are nasty!), and Hot Cocoa (we don't drink coffee). It was good!

Just a side note, it was 58 degrees yesterday and today we set a new record for a low, -15 degrees! Our high today was 11 degrees. Talk about cold.

Another Foot of Snow

We woke up tuesday morning to another foot of snow. I guess Mother Nature is making up for a warm October and November. Henry and I went out to shovel the snow and took Kyle outside to play, he just wanted to help shovel the snow. Later on that day while out running errands I found a kid size shovel. Now Kyle can really help shovel, although he will probably just track snow over the already shoveled parts. He looks like Randy from A Christmas Story all bundled up in his snow gear. Good thing he isn't potty trained yet!

Kyle fell over in the snow.

Kyle decided he wanted an icecicle, this was the end result.

Our house decorated in the daytime.

Parade of Lights

We went to the Parade of Lights this weekend. Kyle was so excited to see Santa and all the Christmas lights. It was so crowded, there were people everywhere. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot 3 blocks from the parade and we found a good spot to watch the parade from. We have a plan for next year already. The weather was great too! When we got in the car after the parade we were reading 52 degrees still! That is not December weather, but good parade weather. Everytime we get in the car now, Kyle wants to go to the parade.

The three of us at the parade.

We have also been busy getting the house ready for Christmas. Here are some pictures of our tree and the house with the lights on. I will post pictures of the house later when I get them taken. Kyle loves all things Christmas. He loves to look at Christmas lights and watch Christmas movies, and read Christmas stories. He already has what he is going to ask Santa for ready. Trucks! He is all boy.

Our Christmas Tree

The house at night.