Harlem Globetrotters

We saw a Groupon deal for 50% off tickets for Harlem Globetrotters tickets. It was fun to be able to go to this game on New Year's Eve as a family.
This is my second time seeing them, it was much funnier the first time but I still laughed a lot.
The kids though, especially Matthew, laughed a lot.
Here they are dancing during the game.
 

Too funny to see them on the rim, and backboard.

 

This was Matthew and Allison's FUNNIEST part, when Big G came out.
They played pieces of a bunch of different songs and Big G did different things.

Here is Globie

The FUNNIEST part was when they played, I Get Knocked Down (but I get up again). Every time they sang knocked down, Big G would fall flat on the floor. I have never heard the kids laugh so hard, except Matthew, when he saw it two years ago, he laughed so hard also.
We could have left after that and it would have been a great time:)

 

 

It was fun and an added benefit to Chris' job is that they have a downtown campus so we just got to park in the faculty parking lot about two blocks away so we didn't even have to pay for parking. SCORE!! It was a great day.
Happy New Year!

Can You Read This?

I LOVE reading how kids think things are spelled.
This is Allison's. Can you read what she wrote?
 

Gifts from Santa

We finally splurged and put the kids on a local youth basketball team. They are on the same team. They are the only white kids in the WHOLE league. When we went to try-outs with everyone I felt VERY uncomfortable being white. I almost felt like there were signs I was missing that said, "No white people allowed". A whole gym full of people and we are the lightest skinned, was a little unnerving a bit, but we survived.
There are 10 on their team. We have been to two practices and I have seen just how much they need help.
I don't think Allison has ever even seen basketball played so she has NO idea. Matthew has a little bit more of an idea but not much. You can tell this is their first year.
They have needed basketballs and Matthew kept asking for a hoop.
Santa came through and got them both a basketball, different colors of course, and a basketball hoop.
We have been working with them for just a bit and I can already see some improvement with them....that is how bad they were:)
They have spent hours out there shooting hoops already.
 

 

 

My Little Girl

Here is my little girl wanting her picture taken.
Of course, her hand is on her hip like she always poses:)

 

 

We made Rudolph's on a candy cane so here is her Rudolph.

 

Cookies for Santa

The kids were SO excited and pretty hyper for Christmas day to come. Since we didn't go anywhere, we didn't open any presents early or anything like we have usually done in the past. We saw the whole build up from after cousins left at Thanksgiving to the actual day of Christmas.
The kids got to frost and decorate cookies for Santa.
They had fun at the beginning and then having to frost all of the cookies they kind of got done with it.
They have enjoyed eating them though.


They got new pajamas and put the cookies out for Santa.
 

We figured they probably wouldn't fall asleep at their normal 6:30 and 7pm bedtimes so we stayed up a couple more hours before putting them to bed after reading the scriptures and talking about what the symbols of Christmas mean.

 

We must have let them stay up just long enough because I seams as though they fell asleep pretty quickly. They never came out or heard them talking or singing at all.
We had a good night:)

Christmas (Eve) Dinner

Some years ago, when we were in Bryan, TX we were going to do Christmas Dinner with our friends, Paul and Amy Martin. As we were talking, we learned that both of us already purchased turkeys. We ended up having the Martins over for a big dinner on Christmas Eve and then went to their house for a big dinner on Christmas Day. I loved making a big dinner on Christmas Eve because I get so excited for Christmas day that this helped the day go by so much faster. Then on Christmas day we just ate left overs and enjoyed the day and our presents without having to do anything.
Whenever we have been able to do that, we have enjoyed doing it that way.
This year since we weren't going anywhere, that is what we did.
The funny thing about Christmas dinner was that I felt like it was more hectic preparing it for just our family then I did when I was preparing dinner for 26 people at Thanksgiving. Part of it was because I had more then just Chris helping me but I had also made rolls ahead of time at Thanksgiving were as I made rolls the day of Christmas Eve so that took a lot of time. My sister-in-law made fresh rolls for Thanksgiving so she took care of that whole thing. I also didn't have as big of a turkey to cook and there for I didn't really start cooking until later. At Thanksgiving, I knew there was so much to do that I was in the kitchen even in the morning getting things ready.
Chris and I enjoyed it though, the kids didn't love it much.
 

 

It was a great day of celebration.

Kroger Girl

There is an advertisement at Kroger that has a girl on it. This girl has the same shirt that Allison has. Allison was so excited when she realized that. There was a couple different posters on the ground that I wanted to have Allison in her shirt and come and take her picture next to it. The picture was there for a long time and every time I saw it I wished I had Allison in her shirt with me but I usually went to the store during the day while the kids were in school.
I finally said it needs to be done, put her shirt on and we had to go to Kroger anyways.
We looked all around the store for the ones that were one the ground but none were to be found. The only one I could find was this one hanging in the air. So admits all of the Dec. 23rd chaos by the check out lines I took this.
It is not as fun when it is like this but still kind of cool that Allison has the same shirt as the advertisement, that we got at Target.
 

 

Cub Scouts

Matthew attended his last Pack Meeting and Den Meetings in December with his School Group. When we joined it was only $5 to be in this pack from September to December. Then it was going to be $130 for the next year. Since Matthew is going to be 8 in April he will be able to be with our church pack. So instead of paying that additional amount we just knew that we would only be in the pack until December.
There was only this other boy in the Wolf den, but they did some fun things. He really enjoys going. So once he turns 8 he will be excited to start it up again.
 

 

 

 He earned some pins and belt loops but he also earned his progress towards advancement and they have the parents put the stuff on the kids.

 

Until April...

Matthew's CTR 6 Primary Class

Matthew had the best primary teachers this year. I am glad that he got to be with them most of the year. They had around 10 very active and sometimes rowdy kids there each week. Brother (Donnie) and Sister (Carol) Taylor were like wonderful grandparents to each of these kids. They always made great lessons and even made things for the kids to come home and have a Family Home Evening Lesson with. I just can't even describe how good they are.
He sadly only has one more Sunday with them:(

One of the things that we gave them in their Christmas present was a framed picture of this that I made for this with the names and class, just in case years from now they forget some of these kids.
They are just the sweetest ladies and we are hoping to have Carol be our realtor when we sell and buy our next house in the next couple years.

Elf of the Shelf

I had never heard of Elf on the Shelf until a couple years ago. Finally this year we got on Elf on the Shelf. There is a book that came along with him and so we read to know what it was all about.
We had to name our Elf, so his name is Blitz. Matthew has apparently been watching Chris play too much console games or computer games because that is always Chris' name when he plays.
There was one time that Blitz didn't move from his spot the night before. We told the kids that Allison was up so much the night before hurting that he didn't want to leave to Santa until he knew that Allison was ok.
 

Allison got a really good report from her teacher so she wanted to show Blitz. It was kind of cute.


 Also, Christmas Eve, Blitz was suppose to disappear and stay gone but he happened to still be there when we were opening gifts. We said that he wanted to give Santa a report as to how the kids liked their gifts.
 It has been fun having elf on the shelf.
The kids loved looking for him the next day. It is like a game of hide and seek each day.
Blitz disappeared after presents were opened:)

Gingerbread Houses

It is fun making Gingerbread houses but we haven't done it in years. The last time we did it we bought a kit. It wasn't all that great so maybe that is why we haven't done it again.
Anyways, I thought so that we would actually eat it, I would make it out of Graham Crackers instead. I made Royal Icing and away we went. Chris and I ended up helping the kids so much that we didn't even want to do one ourselves but we had a fun time together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back of Allison's

Front of Allison's

Front of Matthew's

Back of Matthew's

The royal icing worked really well, but almost too well. It was like solid rock when it dried. It was hard pulling everything off to actually eat it.
We had a fun time though.