Daily December 27--signing off

I am signing off for 2012.  It has been a great year, and thank you for joining me!  Hope to see you next year!    Love, Jen

Daily December 26--shopping today

Going shopping today.  Our first order of business on December 26 is Christmas ornaments.  We get new Christmas ornaments every year, but we always buy them the year before and the day after Christmas--when everything is 50 to 75% off.  So the ones we buy today will be our 2013 ornaments.  I also stock up on all my Christmas wrapping paper, bows, gift tags, tissue paper, etc.  Happy shopping!

Daily December 25--Merry Christmas

Good tidings we send to you and your kin. . .

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With love from our Family to yours!

Daily December 24--gingerbread houses

We do gingerbread houses at my mom's every year.  My 2 sisters and their families were here.  It was a lot of fun.

Technically they aren't made of gingerbread, but of graham crackers, but they are still awesome!

I watched

Miss E helped her little cute cousin.

Miss A and Miss O worked on one together.

Mr J did his own,

and then had fun being a orange nosed reindeer :)

The girls' finished project

Mr J's house with is chocolate ball fence.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas Eve!

Daily December 23--Our Christmas letter

Every year I write a Christmas letter to update our family and friends on our year.  Here is what I shared this year. . .

We hope this finds you all healthy, happy, and enjoying the season.  We are doing well.  It has been a busy year, but we are happy to say we are all well and grateful we can be together.  A huge highlight of our year was participating in the Kansas City Temple Open House, and Miss A and Miss O participating in the Youth Temple Cultural Event.  That was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience for us.  We are so grateful for our Savior and His Gospel in our lives.  Another highlight was visiting 3 National Parks this summer—Arches, Canyonlands, and Captiol Reef.  National Parks are the best.  As usual, reading is a big part of our lives, and we wanted to each share our favorite book we read this year with you along with some highlights from our year.

Ben * physical therapist at a nursing home in town  *called to be the early morning seminary teacher, has 4 students (including Miss A) and is teaching the New Testament every morning at 6:10 in our basement * does not love getting up at 5:30 *favorite books Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

Jen * busy mom, taxi driver, cook, seamstress, PTO secretary, school volunteer, counselor in the Young Woman’s at church * most busy trying to keep up with 4 kids in 3 different schools * loves to blog at www.bluejeansmomma.blogspot.com * does not like doing  laundry * favorite book The Invisible Wall by Harry Berstein

Miss A *15 at Christmas * freshman in high school (gulp!) * loves running * broke a middle school 2 mile record * in high school this fall she ran varsity cross country and medaled in every race * in the school madrigal choir *straight A student *enjoys reading, playing the piano, singing, being outside * national winner in writing contest * does  not enjoy cleaning her room * favorite book Moon  Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Miss O * 12 * 7^th grade at the middle school * enjoyed her first year of church girls’ camp this summer * played volleyball this fall and did a great job * is very musically talented and plays both the piano and guitar *a straight A student * loves reading, making things from fancy duct tape, being with her friends * does not love making her bed * favorite books The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan

Miss E * 10 * 5^th grade * loves school * gets all A’s * in an African Drumming Circle group * played soccer in the spring and did a super job * a super reader and loves listening to audio books on her MP3 * does not like feeding our chickens and gathering eggs * favorite book Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Mr J * 7 * 2^nd grade * loves math and collecting stickers * is really getting into reading chapter books now which is always fun * still loves trains, which we love *does not like picking up his dirty clothes * favorite books The Dragon Slayer’s Academy series by Kate McMullan.

 We wish you all the very best of holidays and a great New Year!

Daily December 22--last Christmas book post

 For my last Christmas Book Post, I wanted to share an adult book and an older kids' chapter book.

Christmas Jars by Jason Wright can be read any time of the year.  January would be a good month to read it, and then you have all year to build up your own Christmas Jar.  I loved this book!  He has written several others, but this is my favorite.  He has a sequel to this, but the original is the best--aren't they always?  

We actually listed to the audio book of this on our trip at Thanksgiving.  I have been a fan of Ann Martin for years, and this was a fun Christmas book she did.  The audio book was great to listen too.

I know it is awfully close to Christmas, but you can put these are your "to read" books for next year!

Daily December 21--Christmas Program take 2

Miss A had her high school madrigal choir Christmas program recently.

It was very good.  I love their outfits.

The girls got to sing with Santa--too cute

Miss A had a solo and did amazing

It was a great concert and lots of fun!  They all did awesome!