Nativity Memories 2012

Decorating for Christmas has become a whole lot more enjoyable since these cute kiddos have grown old enough to want to help me!  I used to loath any kind of decorating, but thankfully I gave birth to a sweet baby girl more than 7 years ago and she LOVES decorating.  And, she LOVES JESUS even more.  So, when it comes to decorating for Christmas, her eyes light up and she is in heaven!  She makes it such a joy to get down the Christmas boxes.  These first few pictures are of Nathan and Jesi getting out the Nativity that Andy and I were given as a wedding gift by some dear friends of ours.  It has been such a special keepsake.  Here the kids are unwrapping each little piece.

They started to get worried as they thought they had opened each wrapped up piece when they thankfully and excitedly found that baby Jesus was the last wrapped figure, hidden in a bottom corner of the container!

It was so fun to see their excitement and relief!  Each of my kids has LOVED playing with this baby Jesus and therefore, it is so precious to me.

The poor donkey and cow in this nativity are missing some of their ears and horns (my fault for not wrapping them better the first couple years we were married).  This year, Nathan accidentally dropped baby Jesus on our tile floor.  Tile is not very forgiving, we've found.  So, the tips of His little fingers on one hand were lost this year, not to be found.  But, I hope that will be a reminder of how much my little ones love Jesus and how they tenderly played with our nativity year after year!

Notice anything different about this nativity? :)

Someday I hope to put together all of my pictures through the years of funny things the kids have done with our nativities.

 I love that Nathan is playing with the pink wii remote.  Although he is all boy and loves football, cars, trains, airplanes, and dinosaurs, he also loves the color pink (almost as much as he loves BYU blue)!

 Holding Jesus' hand.  Melt my heart.

 The above nativity was one that Andy and I found a few years after we were married at a store called "Kirkland" that used to be at the mall.  It was an awesome deal we couldn't pass up when we were purchasing some Christmas gifts for family.  When we got home, we realized that we hadn't been charged for the nativity!  So, we had to call the store and they told us we needed to come back in and pay for the nativity (honestly I was hoping they would say since it was their mistake and we were honest, not to worry about it).  I don't remember if it was that same day or another day that we paid for the nativity, but it was worth it even though we lived 30 minutes away at the time.  It may not have been quite a good a deal, but I would pay every penny and more to have hte memories of the kids loving this set.  Unfortunately in our other home we had this set up high where Drew couldn't reach it, but later I have lots of sweet memories of Jesi wrapping Mary, Joseph, and Jesus up with blankets and making a "home" for them, Kassi stealing the little blanket off of baby Jesus when she was army crawling around a few years ago, and all of them holding baby Jesus' hand.

 We don't really collect anything else at our house except a few willow tree figurines that represent family memories (and Andy might say that I collect too many used books :), but Andy has always wanted an outdoor nativity set.  So, last year for Christmas the girls in our family all decided to purchase this Nativity set for Andy.  It has been so fun every time our kids go out to play in the snow, to see how they care for this set.  We got a few pictures before all the snow came and now we wonder if the snow and freezing temperatures will ever leave!!!

 Nathan trying to hug baby Jesus.

 Nathan hugging Mary and baby Jesus.  Jesi shared with me a very sweet experience that she had the night we set up this outdoor nativity for Andy (to surprise him).  I sure love this little girl and her faith and love for Jesus.  And, I sure love all of my children and their gentle reminders of what Christmas is all about.  

 One last fun picture from this year.  My sister gave us this great Playmobil Christmas Nativity set  back when Drew was a toddler and it is been SO much fun for the kids to play with each year.  One day I found baby Jesus on this little rose petal on the kitchen counter.  Oh to enter the sweet mind of a child.  I love the sweet things they say and do!  And, now I can thankfully and truthfully say that I love to decorate for Christmas.  I think my children will have to come home for Thanksgiving each year to help me keep that love of decorating for Christmas alive!  In our family Christmas letter this year, Jesi and I decided to include this quote from Neal A. Maxwell:

"Each of us is an innkeeper 

who decides if there is room for Jesus"

I do love to see how my kiddos love these nativities, but even more, I love how they love their Savior and hope they will always make room for Him in their lives!  I know that that is what brings true joy at Christmas time and throughout the year.

Grandma Walker & Grandma Starkey's Visit, Nov 2012

Yay - I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  All of these updates won't show up on this page, so you'll have to click on older posts at the bottom to see them all, but today I've been able to get almost caught up!  (Jesi's Reflections Contest,  Trip to Texas, Riverwoods Lights, & this post).  The kids sure loved cuddling with Grandma Starkey on the couch.  And, Nathan enjoyed playing a little football with her!  We got to spend a day or two with both Grandmas once we returned from Texas.  It was quite a treat for all of us!

 The kids enjoyed seeing their cousins as well!

 I really had a hard time getting pictures of Andy's Mom while she was here.  She is always helping someone with something!!!

 These kiddos sure are cute together!!!

 And these kids sure love their grandma's hugs and kisses!

 These pictures were taken at a little Restaurant that we love called "The Green Panda" that our friends own and operate.  They make some tasty Chinese food!  So, we enjoyed some Chinese together with all of Andy's family that were in town for the big Idaho/BYU game - and I won't mention the fact that Andy - one of the biggest BYU fans I know even succumbed to wearing his Idaho paraphernalia for the game (he was born and raised a Vandal fan - so we have to forgive him).  We were celebrating Mike's birthday if I remember right!

I love this picture of Grandma going in for a kiss!

 Then the girls and I and Grandma Starkey and Grandma Walker swung up to the Salt Lake Expo Center for the girls' dance performance.  They did a great job and since I somehow didn't even know about it until that morning (who does Christmas dance performances the beginning of November?), it was a fun surprise for Andy's mom and grandma to join in on the fun!  Kassi wasn't feeling like having her picture taken apparently and once again, Andy's Mom wasn't available as she was running out to get the car!  But, the girls were so excited to have them there and then we were off to Provo for the big game.  Most of us girls stayed home in our nice warm house, but the boys and Andy's Mom joined in on the fun - in the freezing cold!!!

Riverwoods Light-Up Ceremony 2012

 The last couple years we have made it a fun little tradition to attend the Riverwoods Light Up Ceremony with our neighbors.  They have done a great job with their light display and it is always fun to see their gingerbread contest, sample free cookies, & (when the lines aren't too long) go for a free carriage ride!  They have everyone vote for their favorite gingerbread house - our kids loved the Snoopy one decorated by Shoots Chinese Restaurant.

 Kassi is attempting to hide from the camera.  In a minute she will take more drastic measures by using her coat as a shield!  Funny girl.

 Nathan was quite adorable if you ask me.

 The kids had a blast with our old neighbors and dear friends. We have really missed our friends since they moved a whole several miles away!!!

 Drew sure loves babies and they love him!

 Nathan had a ball playing his new little game where we'd chase him around these bricks.  He was extremely sad when we had to change locations!!!

 And the fire scared him a little because it was so "hot"!

 Two of my adorable boys.

 This is another shot where he didn't know what to think of the fire - we really need to get out more!!!

 The kids LOVED watching the guy work on his ice sculpture.  It kind of scared me because he was using a drill and all the kids were practically clobbering him, but thankfully no one got hurt!  And, no one even got their tongue stuck to the sculpture.  I know, I'm way too overprotective!

 It was really cold, but we could not keep this boy from stripping down.  I'd get him all bundled up again and then find him doing this and throwing his coats on the ground!

 The kids always love to pretend to do a little dance revolution and video games.  Apparently we are really cheap parents because they never even ask for money!!!

Some of the kids earned giant candy canes for filling out a scavenger hunt form.  They all enjoyed relaxing in front of a big screen movie while we waited for everyone to find each other - which took a while :).  Another fun night at the Riverwoods.  Our family has made so many fun memories there from free concerts at the amphitheater, to bike rides as a family which occasionally end in ice cream cones at Ikes, to chalk festivals, to the Christmas Light-Up Ceremony.  So many fun ideas - oh, and the splash pads during the summer are always a favorite!  I think more people found out about the festivities this year because it was much more crowded than last year, but we all survived and only had to park half a mile away!  Let us know if you'd like to join us next year or anytime before then!!!  We are always up for hanging out at the Riverwoods!