Deember Fun

Oh December had come and this year was a really fun but busy season. Fun with all the Christmas activities, but busy and a little stressful trying to get the basement family room finished. Ryan work really hard from November to the week of Christmas. Even though we were busy working on the basement we still had a lot of fun this month. As a family we got in a lot of Christmas movies, Sledding, and of course our Christopher Popikins the family elf. The girls had so much fun with Christopher and all the trouble he liked to stir around the house. The girls almost beat up their cousin Dylan for touching Christopher since you can't touch him or he was to return to the North Pole and can't stay with your family to watch over until Christmas.

With the boys  being older this year we had a special day with the girls to go and see Santa Claus and then out on a date to see Frozen. Frozen has been the movie and music for the last month. I have caught the girls singing in their rooms acting out the movie with blanets tied around their waists. It has been the cutest thing and of course the movie was great and the music is catchy! The girls had a grand time seeing Santa Claus, riding the caroseal, having lunch and then going to the movie with just them and mom and dad. It was a great way to spend a Saturday.

After telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas we had to go home and write a letter to Santa so he wouldn't forget. Then it was off the North Pole mailbox down on Main street. The girls even got a letter back from Santa which was really cute!

Treven had is Christmas piano recital this month also. He did a great job and has been doing really well with piano lessons. He loves his new teacher Trisha but he keeps wanting to know when Grandma Carolee will be back from her mission since he misses her as his teacher too.

Emery and I went Christmas shopping together and of course she had to have her picture taken again by the big mall tree

 Our nephew Jay who is a senior signed up for the National Guard so with his dad being in the Army we got to go down to his house and do a special grog ceremony that you do in the army. You put in whatever edible thing you want and the new recuit has to drink it. Well of course Tyler and Ryan had to put in horseradish and hot sauce, I put in dr. pepper, Lezlee put in eggnog, Will put in mushrooms, Julie put in root beer, and there was other ingredients as well. Well Treven and Tyler were brave enough to try it along with Jay and I think they won't drink that ever again. But is was neat to have another member of our family serving in the military.

Halle and Treven got to go to a choir program at their school and listens to the Jr high kids sing Christmas songs. The best part was their cousin Lauren was in the choir and she even had Halle come up and help her during a song. Halle was grinning from ear to ear, she was so excited!

Halle has bee taking ballet with her friend Ellie and she is quite the dancer! Grandma Roses and I along with Emery had a great time going to her Ballet recital were she did a dance to the Sugar Plum Faries.

Christopher had a thing for Dr. Pepper, Cheese Balls, and oh yes Cookies. we were always finding him in our food or having a snowball fight with the cheese balls. Halle thought Christoper might be lonely so she found him a friend off of your tree. Buddy the Elf

Since Ryan was working so hard on our house, the got a little pampered by the girls during December. While Tyler was busy Snowboarding up at Sundance, Treven out building forts in the snow with Friends, the girls were taking care of their dad. Halle the massage therapist and Emery the entertainment.

Christmas Break finally came and it was time for the Averett cousins to come into town! The kids had a blast going ice fishing with Uncle Ryan, going snowboarding on Christmas Eve, until Tyler decided to hurt is wrist and we had the ski patrol giving him a ride down off the mountain. But even with a hurt wrist, which we all thought was sprained but the story ends a little differently, more on that later, Christmas Eve brings Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas party. We have yummy food, the talent show were Treven played the pain and Tyler placed a song on the piano one handed, then it was time for the kids to do the Nativity, with Andrew telling the story from the bible Mary was an exposed wife instead of espoused wife (we all had a good laugh). Halle got to be Mary this year and Emery was a crazy lamb that didn't want to stay with her shepherd.

After the nativity it was time for the fish pond. The kids love fishing for a present and of course the kids got spoiled again by the Grandparents! Along with the fish pond gift is their gift under the tree. After all the chaos died down from present opening it was time for the annual Averett Games! We all had a blast playing agains the Averett family, this year the Colton's were out of town and every much missed, and we thought the odds were in our favor, but the Strong family didn't come out on top! Grandpa did it again with all the amazing games, this year was archery and motorcycle races, and the kids and adults spent the night laughing and having a ball!

My dad found an stocking my mom had made for him in high school and filled this big ole stocking to the brim! It was funny to see my moms reaction when he fished this treasure!

Here is some great irony, Tyler breaks his wrist and that night he got snowboarding gloves with wrist protectors in them! What are the odds!

We finally got home around 10pm and was greeter by some presents under the tree from Santa, our Christmas PJ's had come! The kids really missed getting their PJ's from Grandma and Grandpa Strong this year, but loved that we got to talk with them even though they are in England serving their mission. They were missed this holiday season!

Well the kids went to sleep and it was time for Santa to come. Ryan and I woke up around 7am with Tyler textings us asking if he could come upstairs to pee! Then the next thing we knew it was time to wake up the rest of the kids and to have Christmas morning. The kids were spoiled again by ole Santa. Tyler got a shot gun, BYU hoodie, a gun case; Treven a ipod clock radio, a Bronco's football jersey, a lego; Halle got a bed and closet with clothes for her American girl doll, and flipzee hat, Emery got a cradle and high chair for her baby and also a flipzee hat. Then game the big gift from mom and dad, and Xbox One. The kids were screaming since Tyler and Treven thought I would never let them have this. It was a really fun Christmas morning, Then Janette came over to see the haul this year. After my parents came and then Kim and Ryan and the kids. It was a really fun morning seeing everyone. That afternoon we went over to Aunt Holly's house for the Strong family Christmas Brunch.  It was great to see all of Ryan's family. After we came back and the Averett cousins came up to play while the adults and rachel went to the movie. After the movie we played around some more with the Averett family until if was finally time to go to bed. It was a long and fun day! I love Christmas!

The next couple of days were spend being with the Averett family until they had to leave to go back to idaho. With Tyler out of commision on Snowboarding we spend a lot of time playing games and just being home! Well back to us thinking Tyler sprained his wrist. Well here come the parent award of the year. Nine days later we finally took Tyler into get his wrist xrayed and yes he had broken the radius bone. This kid had been riding motorcycle went shooting guns with his dad and cousins, tried to play basketball, and never complained of pain. So in my defense he didn't act hurt, but again I dropped the ball!

O