Our Merry Month of December!

I love the Christmas Season…

it’s such a happy, wonderful time of the year!

I’m just sad that this year it feels like it flew by faster than normal.

I can’t believe it’s January 1st.

Before anymore time passes, I need to share all of the many

“Merry” moments of our December 2010 that brought

happiness and JOY to my life!!

Saturday December 11th

We made the Trek to my parents house in Honeyville, Utah.

SO many FUN things and more important, so many ADORABLE kids to enjoy!

The day started off with a Hay Ride where we drove around the neighborhood and sang Christmas Carols.

Grandparents and Grandkids...

My sister, brother-in-law and their three kids have recently moved to Kent, Washington and so what a WONDERFUL blessing to have all of their grand-kids there for a quick photo.

This photo is PRICELESS!!

Next, on the days activities...

making Gingerbread houses. Carissa was SO cute as she kept eating the roof of her house. She didn't care if she got any candy put on it.

and last but not least...

acting out the Nativity!
SO cute. Little Ava, was such an adorable Mary and took great care of Isaac (who was Baby Jesus)
Good Times!!

Loved going to Ethan's

Christmas Program on December 16th!
There is nothing that puts you more in the Christmas Spirit than the JOY and singing of little kids!!
(the photo on the bottom left makes me sad....this is Ethan's good friend Tucker and his mom has Breast Cancer.

Hope 2011 brings a healthy recovery for her!)

Feeling SO grateful that at this moment in time
me and my family all have our HEALTH!)

Saturday, December 20th

Jade looks SO handsome in his new shirt, pants and tie!!

Jade's and Karissa's Christmas Dance!

They had a BALL!!

(they are wearing old shirts as they didn't want to spill anything on their clothes).

A toast, yummy salad, laughter, Calzones, MORE laughter, Cinnamon almonds...

A perfect night!!

What a handsome couple...

Off to the Dance we go!!

Tracy spends Sacrament Meeting

writing in his journal each week...

this journal entry was priceless!!

Christmas Eve 2010!!
We spent the evening at Tracy's parents...delicious soups, breads, appetizers, veggies plates and LOTS of fun!!

Adorable kids all dressed for the Nativity.

Cole Makai was our AWESOME angel!!

More photos of the evening fun.

No Smith get-together would be complete without Tracy's dad playing his guitar and singing us a song or two!

Christmas Morning was beautiful

with sun shining in our windows, JOY and MANY happy, wonderful memories!

Ethan's highlights

were getting a Rubik's cube, Mario 64 game for his DS and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books.

Jades highlights

were getting a new watch and a DOWN filled jacket (along with other trinkets)

I got spoiled by my kiddos...

Battery powered candles from Ethan
(SO excited to use them for family candlelight dinners)

Butterfly shirt from Jade

(He knows his mom well as I am very much a butterfly lover!)

More photos of our FUN morning...

Tracy surprised me with this library stool

that he had found at the dump...

he put a mending plate on it, sanded it down and painted it a HAPPY red color and made it like brand new!! I have always wanted one of these stools, but new they are over $70.
love, Love, LOVE it
SO excited to use it in my pantry!
(the top rubber tread should be arriving sometime the first week of January)

Christmas lunch...

Clemetines,

the most delicious Omelette filled with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, ham, eggs and topped with cheese and tomatoes

AND Spiced Cider!
Perfectly Delicious!

****

Tracy's parents and his

sister/brother-in-law Shelley and Joel

joined us for lunch and after lunch we enjoyed watching AVATAR (on Blu-Ray) in our TV room where we enjoyed bowls of popcorn and treats and the evening ended enjoying our Christmas Clam Chowder.

It was a perfect day...

enjoying two meals with our family, gathered around our dining room table, great conversation, a movie, yummy food...

I can't think of anything else that would have made it more perfect!
So happy they enjoyed our Christmas day with us!

Jade in his new Christmas clothes...
(photo on left is his new coat...
photo on right is new outfit from Grandma)

Ethan wearing his new clothes...
(from Grandma)

Tracy's Christmas Journal Entry

Gorgeous sunrise & sunset

that we experienced during the holidays!!

Tracy and I

FINALLY had a moment to get all of our onions from our garden, put in nylon stockings and hung in our Food Storage Room.
(they've been sitting in crates in our garage since harvest time)

What a lovely sight...

SO happy to go down and cut off an onion that we grew in our garden and prepare yummy food for my family!

It truly has been...

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"!!

Looking forward

to many, many more

wonderful memories in 2011...

Have truly enjoyed the past week with my family...
Lots of reading, cuddling on the couch/bean bag watching movies, playing games, holiday treats, breakfasts of English Muffins with poached eggs, bacon and Swiss Cheese, endless amounts of clementines and oranges to eat, cracking and eating LOTS of Pistachios, trips to town, getting cozy by the fire, having days where we stayed in our PJ's all day, enjoying the lights and glow of our Christmas Tree, working on home improvement projects, back massages, staying up and watching the BALL drop on New Year's Eve and letting our kids experience the taste of one of our childhood treats
"Sen Sen"
(the reaction of Jade and Ethan when they tried this was priceless!)

So, sad that our holiday will soon be over and then it's back to work and school.
I could spend every moment of every day with Tracy, Jade and Ethan and never tire of them!

Time spent with family,

truly is my most favorite thing in the world!