rice cereal

We are now feeding Gabrielle rice cereal. She can't seem to decide if she likes it or not. Sometimes she smiles and looks so happy and other bites she scowls as if it is the worst thing to happen to her. (See the two contrasting pictures below.) But one thing is for sure, if Michelle is around, she can almost always get Gabrielle to laugh. (See the photos above.)

Grandma and Grandpa

My mom and her sister/my aunt Elaine



Gabrielle with Grandma Barbara


Gabrielle with Grandpa Mike





Gabrielle loves "flying" and squeals in delight as Grandma swings her through the air.



Michelle and Ella both had a great time dancing on Grandma's feet. They would climb on and she would dance around singing, "You can have her. I don't want her. She's too fat for me. She's too fat. She's too fat. She's too fat for me." OR "You can't have her. I do want her. She's just right for me. She's just right. She's just right. She's just right for me."




Making sugar cookies with Grandma



the girls
Sadly, due to the huge snowstorms, my sister Rebecca and her family did not get to come down. (They were going to be driving from Canada and many roads were closed and driving conditions were very, very poor. Not worth risking it, especially with 3 young kids.) So my other sister Suzy also decided not to come. They will all come sometimes this summer when road conditions are not so hazardous. We missed them, but I'm sure it was a wise decision. But my mom and stepdad did come. We had a wonderful visit with them. My girls love their grandparents. I wish we lived closer and could visit more often (we usually see them 2 or 3 times a year for a few days), but we love the visits we do get.

Christmas Day

Santa brought Michelle and Ella each a Leapster. It has been a big hit. They also got clothes and a couple of toys each. They got a cute pony and cowgirl doll from my aunt. Gabrielle got a cute zebra to push around from Alfredo's cousin. She also got a few other toys.

Christmas Eve traditions

So the fun of Christmas really begins on Christmas Eve. First, we always attempt to do luminaries. This is a tradition carried from my childhood, but I must admit that it was much easier and more successful in Arizona winters than Utah winters. We first cut out paper lunch sacks with holiday shapes and then put candles in them and place them around the sidewalk. We have fun decorating them but many years, including this year, it is just too cold and windy to work very well. All but one had blown out within 10 minutes... ah well.

We also open a gift (their Christmas pajamas). This year I labeled the box wrong and Ella opened a sweatshirt. So I ended up letting them open their pajamas and sweatshirts.

After we do the luminaries, read Luke 2, and open one gift, we head to Alfredo's aunt and uncle's house. We exchange gifts with them, including his cousin Patty's two girls who are the same ages as Michelle and Ella. Michelle is so fun to watch open gifts because she squeals and her face lights up and she grins and looks surprised and excited at every gift. Ella tends to get distracted after opening one gift and not be interested in opening any more. She also doesn't act nearly as excited, although she clearly is because she plays with her toys the rest of the night/day and for weeks to come.

Then we stay at their house for dinner which is served right around midnight. That is very late for my kids, so we leave right after dinner. The rest of Alfredo's family stays up and open gifts that night and they sleep in late on Christmas Day. That is pretty typical in Central America apparently.

Michelle and her cousin Daya... they are both five and equally good at posing for pictures.






Alfredo's uncle's dog just had puppies. Ella carried this female, Fiona, around and really wanted to keep it. One dog is enough for us though. They would have given us this puppy if we didn't already have Chester. (Sorry this is a poor picture.)

Feliz Navidad.

Our sweet Michelle made Christmas greetings for us at school last week. Merry Christmas sounds wonderful in any language, especially when written for you by your five your old.

I know this one is hard to read... it got bent in her backpack. It says,

"12-12-08

Papa y mama.

Feliz Navidad!

Los quiero mucho!

Michelle"

Here's the whole reindeer with the sweet Spanish Christmas wish.

My Wish for Santa

Dear Santa,
I have tried to be good this year (but sometimes fall short! Don't we all?) As you guide your sleigh tonight, I have a special request. I would like there to be nice weather between Calgary and Salt Lake. I know many people are dreaming of a white Christmas, and I don't mind the snow too much. But my sister and her family are driving from Calgary to Salt Lake tomorrow and Friday. Right now the weather looks so frightful that they may have to cancel their trip that we've had planned for months. It's been a couple years since my whole family has been together and four years since we've had a family picture taken. Four grandchildren have been born in that time. So, please Santa, let the weather be calm so that all Christmas travelers may safely reach their destinations! Thank you, dear Santa!

Sincerely,

Jenny

The Grinch

I love Dr. Seuss! He was a talented man. I renewed my appreciation for him tonight as I watched The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (cartoon version) on tv with my kids. I have read the book and seen the movie before, but somehow was quite touched by it tonight. There's the Grinch on top of the hill waiting to hear the kids begin to cry. What he sees instead is the whole village come out and join hands and begin to sing. He realizes that Christmas is more than just the decorations and gifts... that maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. I knew that before, but it really seemed to speak to me even more today. I hope that if for some reason we were every to not have gifts on Christmas, that we could still feel the joy that comes from celebrating Christ's birth. I hope that my children recognize that it truly is better to give than to receive. In Primary today, they had a really neat sharing time where "the wise men" came and told the children about their journey to see the Christ child and the gifts they brought and the gifts they received from Christ. Then Jackie, the primary president, talked about how the memories we have of Christmas really don't center around the things we get. One boy shared that he can remember giving toys to a needy family when he was six better than he can remember what he got for Christmas last year. That's really true. When I remember childhood Christmases, it is the feelings, the time with family, the traditions, the service we gave that stand out. I hope I am also creating these types of memories for my children.