The Christmas Compendium

It always seems to be the case that when you have the most to blog about you always have the least amount of time to blog. So as per tradition, you get a giant overview of our Christmas activities in one ginormous post. Grab a mug of hot chocolate. You're going to need it.

The week before Christmas we rode the train up to see the lights on Temple Square.

It was a cold night, but we came prepared with a Thermos full of hot chocolate.

And we managed to get one of the only family pictures of the year.

The kids liked riding the train the best.

The next day we had the annual family gingerbread (graham cracker) house building party.

I made a little stone cottage.

Complete with thatched roof...

Wood pile...

And stone walls.

Then the next day we went and made sugar cookies with the nieces and nephews/cousins. Alex spent most of the time shoving cookie dough and sprinkles in his face and then wearing this expression of illness. It was that night the puking began.

Ella's school did a Christmas program. When it was her class's turn to sing, the teachers so nicely propped this giant poster in front of her class so no one could see them. Oh well.

Anton got an early Christmas present of a set of snowshoes. We haven't seen him since.

On Christmas Eve day it was beautiful and sunny and we took advantage of it by going sledding.

Alex went face first into the snow once, was run over by other sledders once, and went through a giant pine tree once. He still had fun.

Then it was Christmas day. The kids got everything they wanted, and then way too much more. It was a crazy day of fun with all the family.

And now we are going to spend a week recovering. We still have that weird stomach bug floating around. Ella threw up the night before Christmas. It's a tradition for her. She's been sick on more Christmases than not. I felt yuck yesterday. And today grandpa is feeling sick. Merry Christmas to us!