More Snow!

It's snowing AGAIN!  After the winter we've had so far, this seems like us getting spoiled with all the snow!

It's a great ending to the year.  I can't believe another year has almost passed.  Time flies when you're having fun, yes?

Snow

Day after Christmas slump was averted by heading to the school and sledding on the new snow!  We had a great time playing.  There hasn't been enough snow this year!  We have missed our winter activities!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas!  Finally it came!  The girls were with Brad this morning, and joined us up at Grandmere and Bapa's house later this afternoon, where we had Christmas all over again!  They are very happy with the day!

The Macdonald girls! 

Mac in motion 

Grandmere and Bapa were happy to have us all there to celebrate. 

And oh my goodness, it snowed!  We got a white Christmas, which was SO wonderful!  Mac headed out with Bapa to salt the walkways.  It was really coming down.  We need it, and it couldn't have come on a better day! 

The girls all have a real American Girl Doll!  I sewed up some cute dresses and clothes to go with them.  They were very pleased. 

Grandmere had set a lovely table for the traditional swedish meatball dinner!  I like them once or twice a year.  That's about it.  ;)

After dinner was the white elephant exchange.  I went home with this lovely gem!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We headed down to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point today so the girls could meet Derek's children.  It went well, actually, and by that really I just mean that no one fought.  Integration and being comfortable will take some time, and that's okay.

This is a pretty cool place for the girls, though.  I got a membership, so we can return as often as we want during the next year. 

The girls went with Brad this afternoon, and Derek headed out with his kids, so I hung out with my family, doing the traditional Christmas Eve festivities! 

This was the line to pay for parking near Temple Square.  It was ridiculous. 

Lights were beautiful as always.  The Christmas spirit is in the air, the excitement for tomorrow almost palpable. 

The Wilding women, all together! 

Gorgeous Salt Lake Temple with lights. 

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve!  And it's supposed to snow, tonight!  We might have a white Christmas if we're lucky!

We made Christmas cookies today!  The girls LOVE making sugar cookies.  They are so messy, so we don't do it as often as they would like.  But Christmastime is always sugar cookie time.

They love all aspects of it, but only for short times.  Their attention spans are just not sufficient for an afternoon of cookie baking!

I ended up frosting many of the cookies after they had kitted out their cookie.

We set up cookies for some friends, and we had to hurry, because the girls were headed to Brad's house in the morning.  We are on the DOWNHILL slide to Christmas morning!

And that meant Snowbell came tonight with their jammies!  A night early, because Snowbell always stays with us.

Such sweet little Christmas Eve Eve girls!  And saweeet pink leopard jammies!

We met Derek at Scheels this morning to let the girls go on the ferris wheel and do some Christmas shopping.

He got these shots on the ferris wheel of us girls. 

Mimi was playing on one of the exercise machines and hurt her ankle and foot pretty badly.  So the outing was cut short and we headed home.  Later this evening I took the girls to IHOP, where they so love to go!  Christmas is almost here, and I need to stop spending money! 

Preschool Christmas Program

Did the soap teacher gifts again this year.

Today was Mimi's Christmas Program at preschool.  It is so fun to see her in this element.  She wanted to dress up, so we put on her Christmas dress for the occasion.  She got to ring the sleigh bells with another little girl during one song.  But wouldn't look at me.

She is SO tall.  Obviously the kid on her left is a smaller than average little guy, but seriously.  He doesn't even come to her shoulder!

I totally lucked out and snagged a seat right in front of where she was seated the whole time.

She looks like she is looking down her nose at this little guy.

She did such a cute job!

I was so happy to get to go see her perform!

Dentist Visit

We all took a trip to the dentist today!  Checkups all around!

The girls are over the moon excited for two things when they come to the dentist.  First, they love the new toothbrushes they get.  Go figure. 

And they are always happy to get a coin that will get them a tiny toy from the dispenser as you go out the door.  I love their joy in the simple things.  I need to cultivate it more in myself. 

Out of the four of us, there was only one cavity...Ms. Mac!  I got to put my name in a drawing for something or other.  Hey, I'm just glad that my days of having cavities when I go to the dentist are over!  Now if I can just remember to floss...

Okay, seriously.  This garland will be the DEATH of me!  I finally got all the lights on it lit, then the Command hook holding up the right side WILL NOT stay stuck to the house!  It's fallen multiple times since the weekend, which means me out here multiple times on the footstool to hang it back up.   Grr.  And I'm out here without a coat!  This has been the oddest December ever!

Countdown

Today the Primary did the cutest little Christmas countdown.  Each day has a candy, as well as a scripture or activity that goes along with it.  The kids were super excited, and it's a pretty darn cute idea.

We are at 12 days until Christmas!  Woohoo!

Today was a fun day full of Christmas activities!  We headed up to Grandmere and Bapa's house, and made candy houses! 

The gross gingerbread was glued together with hot glue...the best way I've found to make it work!  They never want to eat the actual house, anyway.  Then each girl got some frosting in a bag and set to work. 

Mimi was really equally interested in eating the candy, which is not surprising. 

Even Bapa got in on the fun! 

Sweet little girls and their cute little houses! 

We went to lunch at Hires, which is always fun with Grandmere and Bapa. 

This afternoon we enjoyed some hot chocolate in Grandma's Christmas mugs! 

The evening ended with a trip to Temple Square, as the girls will not be with me for Christmas Eve.  Bapa headed out with us, and we took in the lights. 

I've never seen this before, but the gates to the actual temple grounds were open, so we could walk right up to the big doors. 

We had a fun day with family, celebrating this beautiful time of year!