No Dreaming Necessary...

...Christmas Will Be White.

As of late, there have been some really good snowstorms dropping significant amounts of snow around these parts, and the forecasts show an actual snowfall to commence on Christmas Eve and carry on through Christmas day.  We won't wait until then to enjoy it, though!

This post authored by Amber

Salt Light City

An absolute holiday must is to brave the crowds and the weather to get a glimpse of the lights on Temple Square.  Additionally, if you can go on an uncrowded, fair-weather night--BONUS!  The first Tuesday in December proved to be one of those nights. It turned out to be a perfectly wonderful evening, wrapped up with a delicious meal at the Lion House and a visit to City Creek Center where the children were able to see Santa Claus and "window shop" at the Disney store.  Another lovely evening!

 This post authored by Amber

In The Sun He Melted

Between egg hunts on lovely spring days, a storm or two decided to stir things up.  When the snow accumulated to a sufficient amount to build a snowman, Garrett was persistant to have my assistance for the task.  I realized this might likely be the last snowman of the season so I reluctantly obliged. 

The snow was wet and dense and perfect for moulding into form.  Throw on some buttons, a hat, a carrot nose, and some other accessories, and our snowman turned out to be a pretty dapper fellow.

No sooner had we built the icy figure, when the sun came out and melted him in a matter of hours.  And just like that, he was gone.  All we had were the photographs to stand as any proof that it had even snowed that morning.  Oh--and we had the memeories, too.

When I looked over the crumbled mound of snow that had been a smiling figure moments before, a twinge of sadness washed over me as I thought of how many (or how few) snowmen I might have left to build with Garrett before he begins to outgrow the notion of building snowmen all together.   At the rate life is going, I might soon find myself thinking And just like that, he was grown.  All I will have are the photographs to stand as any proof that he had once been a young, spunky three-and-a-half year old who obsessed over building snowmen.  Oh--and I'll have the memories, too.

I am so grateful for that little snowstorm!

This post authored by Amber

Finally!

We love a good, dumping snowstorm.  There's so much to do when a significant amount of snow accumulates in a short period. We excuse ourselves from boring Saturday chores to build snowmen, snowball fight, and sled instead.  I have a reasonable excuse to have a messy front room, what with the littering of wet boots, puffy coats, gloves, and stocking caps.

This winter we've had merely flurries and rain, and the mountains above our house have been looking grey and naked (and no one wants to be out in the cold naked!), so you can imagine our bliss when the two days of slushy rain finally decided to turn into fluffy powder.

Time to break out the snowman kit we got for Christmas!

Brevin and Spencer were lured into the house with offers of hot chocolate while Garrett remained outside.  They watched with Ella from the front window as Jason and Garrett had a final snowball battle.

It just does not seem like winter is complete without experiencing a day like this. 

This post authored by Amber

A Visit to Temple Square

On the final Saturday before Christmas, we gathered the boys, dressed in our warmest outerwear, and braved the inversion and crowds to get a glimpse of the best Christmas lights display around.  The trip to Temple Square never dissapoints.  The boys love the ride on the Trax commuter rail, Jason and I love eating at the Lion House, and the lights are spectacular no matter how many times you've seen them.  And what I love best about this annual tradition is the fact that Brevin and Spencer look forward to seeing the Christus (or as they refer to it, the Jesus statue) most of all.

This post authored by Amber

Sing Choirs of Angels

Brevin has been a part of an after-school choir and rehearsing over the past month and a half. They prepared songs for a Christmas concert that was performed for the entire school in an assembly and then for parents in the evening. It was highly entertaining to watch the children sing songs like Feliz Navidad, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and Silent Night (they even learned sign language for that one). However, I think the favorite piece of all the children was this one:

Here are a few more pictures from the evening:

It was a bit of a challenge for these first-graders to sit through the older grades' performances:

Here's a sample of the basic choreography for a musical concert:

We learned from the first grade Thanksgiving performance that we needed to come early to secure a decent seat on the front row.  Jason was at the school an hour before the concert saving seats for the rest of the family.  But who needs seats, when you can just lie on the floor?

This post authored by Amber

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I've taken several pictures of activities that seem to define this time of year for our family.  Here are just a few:

Spencer made this gingerbread house at preschool.  It lasted only three minutes after this picture was taken.

Here is a rough-draft of a letter to Santa written by Brevin (edited by his teacher). I love how Brevin spells Zhu-Zhu pet.

Christmastime wouldn't be complete without spending a few minutes in front of Grandpa Park's train.  It is a replica of the train from the movie The Polar Express and it's a dandy.

Each of our children have three Christmas drawers at Grandma and Grandpa Park's house where they get to chose a number to receive a gift. Brevin is showing off his new word search book and pencils.

The Christmas cards keep coming in... 

...and we sent our "newspapers" out.

I purchased a bunch boxes for an order with my cupcake business and didn't end up using them, so I made a few cupcakes to give to the boys' school and primary teachers.  The greeting is "Mele Kalikimaka" because the cupcakes are chocolate coconut...delicious!

This post authored by Amber

Big Hollow Park

This is our favorite spot to take in a few spills and thrills while sledding.  When the weather was ripe for such an activity, my children were at my heels begging to go, so I worked feverishly to ready three snow tubes for the season's inaugural run.  We invited some friends along and had a great time.

For more great sledding pictures at the same location, go here.  Oh and this picture is my all-time favorite.

This post authored by Amber

"My Kid Brother Looked Like a Tick About to Pop"

It has been snowing continuously here for the past three days, and it is like Heaven!  Of course, we have to appropriately "christen" the first significant snowfall of the year by taking plenty of photographs to document the occasion.  (Can I just say that Garrett's snow gear really cracks me up!)

At Brevin's request, Jason buried him in the snow while shoveling the driveway:

 

Spencer was accidentally pushed down by Brevin and was crying and storming off into the house.  When I informed him that I didn't have a picture of him yet, he momentarily obliged by flashing a winning smile before going back to his sobs in the refuge of a warm home:

Garrett just wanted to ride the trike and push the play lawn mower around.  I guess he's got his seasons a bit mixed up:

And while the snow has created the most beautiful scene outside my house, the inside is a wreck with snow clothes, gloves, hats, and soggy boots littering my entryway.  I love it!

This post authored by Amber