Five Kids in Five Years: Christmas Lead-up

This is where we are. My parents' house near Park City a.k.a. winter wonderland.

We woke up to a beautiful snowstorm this morning. Perfect for Christmas Eve.

We went to a "Candlelight Christmas" at the "This is the Place" heritage park in SLC - got to ride a little train, have a lovely dinner and wander around to the different pioneer homes where we learned pioneer dances, made Christmas crafts, heard Christmas stories and had a lovely time.

We've been singing carols, playing games, hanging out with cousins and aunts and uncles, building a massive snow fort, going on walks/hikes in the snow, doing some sledding. Mellow, peaceful, beautiful. Let it snow.

I loved going on some great walks and jogs in the snow with Jared, with Charity, with Anita, and we even got mom out there with us on one walk.

Liza and the twins went on some exciting cross country skiing expeditions with Charity and Grandfather.

Jared, my brother Tal and all my kids have been having so much fun working on a big, elaborate snow fort. It has a skylight thanks to a wood lawn chair angled just so and has an awesome icicle-decorated entrance.

They say it's very warm inside. I'll just trust them on that.

The other day, we built gingerbread houses.

And we had so much fun with Noah and Kristi and family while they were here (they had to take off yesterday). They were here for gingerbread houses and for a crazy-crowded trip to Temple Square to see the lights (people only got lost about 100 times but somehow we made it through...).

Yesterday, we went home to Ogden for church (I was in charge of Sharing Time in primary) and had our own little present exchange at our house. The kids were SO excited to give their carefully-selected and hard-earned gifts to each other and we didn't want to bring quite so many gifts to my parents' house where little pieces and gifts could get lost. Everyone was MOST pleased with both the giving and the receiving experience. The fire was on. The kids were so sweet to each other. Everyone played with their gifts for about three hours while Jared and I sort of fell in and out of sleep on the couch, all cozy with the fire going and our good kids happy around us. Nice nice afternoon.