Instagram November-December

Bowling with the family.  Owen's new favorite activity!

Enjoying the 4D movie at the aquarium.  

We met up with some friends at Gardner Village to find the elves!  The boys enjoyed the taffy treat at the end-- even if it was a little sticky and a lot messy!

Tis the season for holiday baking.  Owen was a great helper this year!

Porter came down with a nasty stomach bug just 3 days before Christmas.  Poor guy couldn't keep anything down for a day.  Luckily it passed quickly and he was back to normal by Christmas Eve!

Christmas 2014

We spent Christmas with the Hardcastles this year.  Christmas Eve we had a fun extended family dinner with Ron's family.  We enjoyed visiting with cousins and the boys loved making (and eating!) gingerbread cookies!

Ron Hardcastle & family 

and
Don Hardcastle & family

Christmas morning with the boys was so magical.  It is fun to see them begin to understand holidays and get excited for each little thing we plan.  

Merry Christmas 2014

December at Temple Square

We were lucky enough to win tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert this year.  Usually the age minimum is 8 years old, but they lowered it because this year's special guest was the Sesame Street Muppets.  Brad and I took Owen for a special night and he absolutely loved being in the Conference Center and seeing Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird.  

The next week we went back to enjoy the lights with Brad's coworker, his family, and Uncle Ross.   They never disappoint!  We tried going on a weeknight this time instead of a weekend, in hopes that the crowds would be lighter.  No such luck.  I've realized that it doesn't matter what day it is-- if it's the month of December, it will be busy!

Visiting Santa at Thanksgiving Point

We got to visit Santa at Thanksgiving Point this year!  The boys enjoyed talking to him, telling him what they wanted for Christmas, and getting a candy cane.  

They thought it was hilarious when it was time to take pictures and  Daddy had to dress up like Santa!  Brad was a little unsure about the whole thing, but the photographer worked some magic and we got some really nice pictures of the boys.  

Afterwords we headed over to the cafe for some hot chocolate and mint brownies.  Yum!

Thanksgiving, First Snow & Preschool Nativity

We were lucky enough to have the entire Urry crew at our house for Thanksgiving this year.  It was a little cramped, with people sleeping on couches, floors, and air matresses but we made it work!  It was so fun to have everyone together.  The actual day of Thanksgiving we spent with the Hardcastles.  I love that both my family and my in-law family enjoy spending time together.  

Owen and Mimi making sugar cookies one night.  Yum!

We woke up one morning to some fresh snow!   The first actual accumulation of the year.  I was content looking at it from the inside, but the boys insisted on playing.  (Go figure!)  So we loaded on all the snow gear and enjoyed the cold snow for a bit.  It probably took longer getting ready to play in the snow, that the boys lasted actually playing in the snow, but it was still fun!

Owen's preschool went to a local retirement center to perform the story of the nativity and sing some Christmas carols. Porter was a last minute fill-in for the star of Bethlehem.  When his arms aren't out, he looks a little like a banana, but he's cute regardless!

These cute kids did a great job on the play and were so happy to share their candy canes with the "grandmas and grandpas".  It was a good morning!

Family Pictures

It was that time of year again.  We had our family pictures taken at Gardner Village and they turned out great.  It's always a little dicey with toddlers, but we had enough candy on hand to keep them smiling.  Sure love this family of mine!