Christmastime

Christmas 2012 was busy - stressful at times - but still an enjoyable time.  It's so fun to make memories with little ones in the house.  I think my favorite memory from this year is driving around town at night and hearing Claire exclaim when she saw all the houses with Christmas lights, "Chrrrrrri-miss lights!!!"  Childhood wonder is so precious.

Here are some photos of some of the memories we made:

With each of our kids' "Operation Christmas Child" boxes.  It was very meaningful to Benjamin, especially. ;)

The 2013 version of our annual trip to Zoo Lights.  First time as a family of five!

The annual ladies Christmas luncheon at our church

Getting our Christmas tree.  It was an exceptionally warm day, hence our lack of layers!

The five of us took a three day trip to Sun Rive.  It was so wonderful to be together, and to enjoy Sun River for the first time at Christmas time.  Here we are eating dinner in the little village.  Everything was decorated for Christmas.

We looked at all the lights at the resort's lodge after dinner.  It was bitterly cold, but beautiful!

Going out to explore in the small amount of snow at the Sun River house.

Playing a board game as a family.

Dan started to build a little fort for the kids.  He will add on to it the next time we go to Sun River!

Claire, with her Sunday School class in the Christmas program at church.

Matthew, in the Christmas program, as a rabbi in the temple

Making gingerbread houses with our little neighbor

Benjamin, meeting his first out-of-town relative: Uncle Christian

And his Aunt Linda

Claire, chatting it up with Uncle Christian on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve snuggles with Grandpa Hickman

Present time!

THREE kids under the Christmas tree now!

Enjoying the new fort they got

Matthew, excited over his new game of laser tag

Setting off sparklers with our friends, the Beattys, on New Years Eve

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!