Eleses Birthday/Christmas

I always enjoy Christmas but this year was extra exciting because I only knew one thing I was getting. To help the kids understand more about the meaning of Christmas we did a Christmas Advent where we read a scripture about Christ every morning and put puzzles pieces together to create a stable scene. Things always seem so busy with Eleses birthday so close to Christmas and this year it was no different. Max got to give his first talk in Primary on Eleses birthday so that was one more thing to do. He did a great job and even had a good portion of it memorized. He is really good at things like that. I was very proud of him.

Elese had 3 birthday parties, spoiled girl!!! First on Friday the 19th we went out to eat as a family as Applebees and had them sing happy birthday to her. When the wait staff all came up to our table clapping Elese got a scared look on her face and even started shaking a little bit. It was very similar to her reaction to Santa. Then we had Stevens family Christmas Party on the 20th so we did presents for Elese & had cake and ice cream & then exchanged cousin Christmas gifts. On the 21st (her actual birthday) she opened our gifts to her before we went to church. This is Elese with the Quilt I made her for her birthday, my pre-school teacher (Sis. Swensen) helpped me make it.

That night was also my moms extended family Christmas party so we had cake and ice cream at that one too. I felt bad combining the parties but things are so busy this time of year. We did her very own party when she turned one and may do a friend party for her next year. Once she gets older she can decide if she wants to celebrate her 1/2 birthday instead.

I made two different cakes, a chocolate cake with raspberries and a Cranberry obsession Snow cake. This is obviously the chocolate cake which I think was very good, the other one was good but not as good as this one I prefer raspberries over cranberries. I made 4 cakes and between all the parties we only ate 2 of them so I donated the other 2 to our neighborhood Christmas party that was on the 22nd. I love my uncle Ron in this picture, he looks like he is trying to guide her in how to blow out candles. For the record she needed the help. She wasn't quite sure what to do so she would just get really close and breathe really deep. She blew these candles out from her nose.
This is Papa helping Elese open her new blanket.
OK, Christmas. Christmas Eve we had our regular big Christmas Eve dinner and Steven helped with the cooking. He made Prime Rib. There was some concern about wether or not Santas Elf could force Max's gift to dry which caused me a little Christmas Eve stress and Steven had to go to Santas workshop to help out. As you can imagaine a Christmas Eve trip to the North Pole is not my idea of a fun Christmas Eve but fortunatly everything worked out. While Steven was working hard the kids and I made Santa cookies.

We opened Jammies and a nice new copy of Twas the night before Christmas that night and read the story of Christs birth from the Bible. The kids slept like champs. We told Max he could get out of bed when he saw the 6 on his clock. At about 10 after 7 he came in our room and said with a very disapointed tone, "I just woke up at the 7, not the 6." Then came the excitement!

Max LOVED his new Batmobile bed!!! It even has a licence plate that said, "BATMAX"

Elese got a baby and a stroller. She likes to push it around the house and has been heard saying, "Baby stroller vacuums!"

It was a very Merry Christmas and I'm excited for the new year and the extra motivation to better myself.