Christmas 2024
Christmas Sunday was lovely. It was a joy to see the chapel so full with kids being home with their families for the holidays and everyone attending church together. The Christmas messages were sweet and the songs were beautiful.
After church, there was a fun Rondo school friends party at the park. The kids had a gift exchange which was really cute and we had lots of yummy food. I was able to bring left overs to a family in our ward who’s son is in the hospital. We ended the day watching a Christmas movie together.
Monday was our traditional Christmas Eve Eve cousin nativity. We gathered at a different clubhouse in Ladera than we were used to but it all worked out. I made lots of food and we had a good time together. Laura was feeling a wave of grief and ended up skipping the family time for some alone time. Cort had to work. And Josi wasn’t there so it was different! But the kids did a wonderful job with acting out the nativity and we played a couple of games. The gift exchange was super nice and everyone left feeling better than when they arrived. Yay family!
Tuesday was Christmas Eve and Tanner and I spent the morning cooking up a delicious feast. Tanner knocked the turkey out of the park. It was moist and delicious even days later for left overs! He made this homemade gravy with mushrooms and whipped the potatoes to perfection. My parents came over for dinner and it was amazing. Soooo good. Probably the best meal of the whole year. They came bearing gifts and totally spoiled us all! I always love when my parents come to our house and we can spend time with them!
We watched a movie and kept an eye on the Santa tracker. The kids set out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. They said goodbye to our elves and we read Luke 2. I was sooooo tired by the end of the day and we all slept so soundly with vision of sugar plums- I’m sure!
Christmas 2024! Santa came! He brought the kids a VR for the PS5! And a little white kitty for Ella. The kids got new backpacks and a few other things. I got Tanner some new quicksilver clothes and he got us cooking classes to use as date nights this year. We were couch potatoes all day opening presents, eating left overs, and playing the VR. It was a very relaxing day! Of course, we ended in the hot tub.
This was a pretty unique year. We had a LOT of time with Tanner since he was not working. He joined us on every single activity which was awesome! What a gift! It was Parker’s last Christmas with us- next year he’ll be on a mission! It was magical for the littles and even though it was impossible to keep it super simple, our days were (for the most part) relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.
From the Philippines, Kim challenged us to give something up for Christ this Christmas and I think what I need to do is give up sleep in the mornings. That is a REALLY hard one for me, but I know if I give an hour of my morning to mediate and invite the spirit into my day, by next Christmas, I will have witnessed many miracles. So that’s my goal!
It was a merry Christmas!
After church, there was a fun Rondo school friends party at the park. The kids had a gift exchange which was really cute and we had lots of yummy food. I was able to bring left overs to a family in our ward who’s son is in the hospital. We ended the day watching a Christmas movie together.
Monday was our traditional Christmas Eve Eve cousin nativity. We gathered at a different clubhouse in Ladera than we were used to but it all worked out. I made lots of food and we had a good time together. Laura was feeling a wave of grief and ended up skipping the family time for some alone time. Cort had to work. And Josi wasn’t there so it was different! But the kids did a wonderful job with acting out the nativity and we played a couple of games. The gift exchange was super nice and everyone left feeling better than when they arrived. Yay family!
Tuesday was Christmas Eve and Tanner and I spent the morning cooking up a delicious feast. Tanner knocked the turkey out of the park. It was moist and delicious even days later for left overs! He made this homemade gravy with mushrooms and whipped the potatoes to perfection. My parents came over for dinner and it was amazing. Soooo good. Probably the best meal of the whole year. They came bearing gifts and totally spoiled us all! I always love when my parents come to our house and we can spend time with them!
We watched a movie and kept an eye on the Santa tracker. The kids set out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. They said goodbye to our elves and we read Luke 2. I was sooooo tired by the end of the day and we all slept so soundly with vision of sugar plums- I’m sure!
Christmas 2024! Santa came! He brought the kids a VR for the PS5! And a little white kitty for Ella. The kids got new backpacks and a few other things. I got Tanner some new quicksilver clothes and he got us cooking classes to use as date nights this year. We were couch potatoes all day opening presents, eating left overs, and playing the VR. It was a very relaxing day! Of course, we ended in the hot tub.
This was a pretty unique year. We had a LOT of time with Tanner since he was not working. He joined us on every single activity which was awesome! What a gift! It was Parker’s last Christmas with us- next year he’ll be on a mission! It was magical for the littles and even though it was impossible to keep it super simple, our days were (for the most part) relaxing and enjoyable for everyone.
From the Philippines, Kim challenged us to give something up for Christ this Christmas and I think what I need to do is give up sleep in the mornings. That is a REALLY hard one for me, but I know if I give an hour of my morning to mediate and invite the spirit into my day, by next Christmas, I will have witnessed many miracles. So that’s my goal!
It was a merry Christmas!
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