and a Happy New Year Party

We jumped in on Renee's fun version of a New Year's Eve Dance Party.  The ball dropped at 10 pm!  Thanks Renee!
 

Our free spirit Tessa loves this kind of party!!

and Leisel did too :)

104 and 120 days with Leisel

 We love every day with Leisel!

She stayed sweetly and patiently with me one night wrapping Christmas presents... and I had to snap a few photos.  

a friend gave me some darling hand-me-downs! 

She is so sweet.  It isn't hard to get this smile!

Tessa jumped in to our after church photo shoot :)

First Christmas

Leisel was our best Christmas present this year..

Collection of Christmas

We graduated from our three feet tall student Christmas tree.  Grandpa Harston helped us bring a tree from "the cabin."  It touched the ceiling! 

We always begin the season with "Marvin's Party."  He really needs to be an event planner.  Every year seems to be a little more extravagant.  Since the tradition is into the third generation now, he caters to all ages now.   

First we meet Santa.  This year Tessa was nervously willing to go for the picture (and the treat.)

I guess this will be our year of Disney, initiation courtesy of the Hull family and friends. 

The boys were crowned as princes and taught some courtly virtues. 

Each family had a paper lantern to light on the wick by match. 
Then when they filled with the heat we released them.  They floated and filled the sky. 

Marvin's vision and detailed ideas are amazing!

Grandpa Harston orchestrated a visit to a beautiful live nativity.  The Roman Centurians that guarded the entry to the event were very convincing.  I took a picture to remember the beautiful nativity. 
I really tried to take the commotion out of the season, be prepared, and not be too busy, but I couldn't pass up this event.    

 We enjoy so many things at Christmas that bring the spirit of Christ's birth.  I love the music and the decorations.  One other fun tradition we enjoyed was a sing-along with friends.

The kids got to go downtown twice during the season, once as a family and once with Hildebrant cousins!

These boys keep loosing teeth!  Now Jordan can sing, "All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth."

Christmas "Field Trip" with Fisher -- Tasty!

We had a quick visit to Grandpa at his office and then went to the see the Christmas Village nearby at Sandy City Hall.

Jared made it to two Jazz games and I went with him to one for a work party.  We are so grateful to be on this side of employment!  Christmas parties and bonus' are a great perk!!

Another huge blessing was finding a used piano on KSL for a special Christmas present.  We drove to North Ogden for the dining room table and Far West for the piano...  This van sure comes in handy!

Michael started practicing the first morning after we got the piano and hasn't stopped yet.

The kids wanted to put all the presents we would give to family and friends under the tree throughout the season.  This year they were safe from little ones who unwrap before Christmas morning...

Grandma's fun nativity tradition on Christmas Eve -- Leisel style this year

Christmas treats

Christmas morning or afternoon....

 

and Christmas Night

Happy kids!  and Happy mom that we enjoyed and we survived....

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving is time with family...and good food.  We gathered with the Harston family a week before Thanksgiving, and then went to visit the Clarks for Thanksgiving Day.

For some reason this picture reminds me of great memories when I was a little girl at holiday family parties with cousins. :)

One tradition after dinner on Thanksgiving day is to take a walk together.  A favorite spot is the Garland City Cemetery at the end of the road.  Hmmm... no pun intended.  

Jared's interpretation of the scene

Can you feel a bit of the hometown nostalgia?  This is where Jared grew up. 

Then we took a quick trip to Pocatello to see some family that is close enough for us to visit!  Yea for the Allens!