Our Christmas letter, 2012

Merry Christmas!  I hope all of you find yourselves happy and well this holiday season.  We wish we lived closer to more of you so we could celebrate together, but we are doing well in our California home, even if it is a little remote. 

This Year:

Mike:

Favorite Things: Playing tea party with Sylvie, watching Jens play soccer, time to ride his bike, ice cream, watching the Gators have a good football season, sleeping in.

Least Favorite: Working all hours of the night, home improvement

2012 Highlights: Vacationing at the Sea Ranch, Riding bikes with Joel, going on an awesome date with his wife to see the new James Bond.

Hopes for 2013: The Death Ride, Gator Basketball, Healthy baby, Disney Land!

Alison

Favorite Things: Holding hands with any of my family members, volunteering at Jens’s school, Sylvie’s fantastic dress-up and hugging skills, watching Jens LOVE to read, book club, good food, peaceful vacations, company, the farmer’s market

Least Favorite things: Feeling sick, cleaning up messes, getting behind on laundry, sibling fighting, things that are sad.

2012 Highlights: Coordinating the FAME program for Jens’s school, vacations in Florida, Utah, and the Sea Ranch, running the Turkey Trot as a whole family

Hopes for 2013 A healthy, EASY baby in June, completion of a few house projects before then, and a house elf.

Jens

Favorite Things: Playing with friends, Legos, reading—sometimes late into the night, riding his bike to school, getting trophies, candy, olives, Ritz crackers, playing the Wii, Family Movie Nights, swinging, recess, playing family games, being outside,going to Grandma and Grandpa’s, poking his sister. 

Least Favorite Things: Being sick, chores, getting ready for school quickly, being bossed by his sister, bedtime (he claims he doesn’t sleep and actually stays awake all night most nights).

2012 Highlights: New trampoline, losing two teeth, 6 Flags roller coasters, going to the ocean, a stellar report card, father and son’s campout, going to cyclo-cross races with Dad.

Hopes for 2013: Disneyland, unlimited supply of desserts, go to the zoo, visit Grandma and Grandpa in Utah, the beach house in NC.

Sylvie

Favorite Things:

Olives, pickles, snacks, “snow flicks,” Play Doh, Joy School, having friends come to play, playing tea party with Daddy, reading stories, Pink Kitty, dress up shoes, learning to write, singing original songs, dancing to Joy to the World, princesses, story time at the library, pretending.

Least Favorite Things: Being asked to do things when she is “too tired,” which is any time you ask her to do something she doesn’t want to do, being poked by her brother, being afraid, non-twirly skirts.

2012 Highlights: Swimming and putting her face in the water!  Playing with cousins this summer, starting school, singing at the Nursing home, daddy daughter campout.

Hopes for 2013: A dog (ha!) A new baby brother (we’ll see about that) Her own make up (ha!)

Enjoy the holiday season.  We are grateful for this time of year to celebrate Christ and the joy he brings to our lives, and we are thankful for all of our family and friends, near and far. 

Love,

Alison, Mike, Jens, Sylvie, and Precious Miracle #3

Merry Christmas!

We had a very odd Christmas Eve this year in that it was, well, completely random.  Fun, but random.  We spent the day getting ready for Christmas and company--cleaning the house, wrapping a few presents, etc.  We made a last minute run to Sam's club for a few necessities (strawberries and Duraflame logs--both very important for Christmas Day festivities!)  We happened to be there right at dinner, and as I had no dinner planned, the kids both got hot dogs.  We headed from there to the temple so we could see the nativity and read the Christmas story, but alas, when we got there, the lower gate was closed, blocking access to the road up to the temple.  We forgot that it was Monday and the temple is closed.  We couldn't get close enough to even see it.  On the way home, Mike voted in Indian food for dinner and stopped for take out.  I opted for soup.  At home we finished our advent calendar, read the Christmas story, and went for a walk to admire the luminaries that our neighborhood does every year.  They were really pretty, and the lights were fun to see, too.  We finished the night with new pajamas and the Tabernacle Choir broadcast, which both kids loved.  We told Jens he wasn't allowed to get out of bed until 7:00am, which actually worked.  

 Jens was up, very quietly, at 7.  He climbed in bed with us to wait for Sylvie.  Mike was hoping for a little more sleep, but Jens was very wiggly and excited, so he and I read Amahl and the Night Visitors.  Once Sylvie was up we thought about our birthday gifts for Jesus, and FINALLY we were ready to go downstairs.

 We had a fire and orange julius and the kids opened stockings first.

 Then we made them take a picture in front of the tree.

 Silly faces!

 Sylvie asked Santa, repeatedly, for a REAL dog.  Santa must be quite smart--he knew that we do not want a real dog right now and got her a Fur Real dog instead, which is almost as good.  At least, I thought so until tonight when Sylvie was crying about needing a real LIVE dog.  Has anyone heard of that brand name before?  She really does love her new pet, though, and spends a fair amount of time dressing her up.

 This was, by far, the favorite gift.  She wore the whole set the rest of the day.  Mike and I both found it distressing to see her in the clip-on earrings.

 With her new apron (and princess accessories)

 Which matches Mom's apron! (But I don't have any princess accessories).

 Jens was very pleased about two new Lego sets, Battleship, and

 a new watch!  We get regular, unsolicited time updates.  (It's 4:26!  Now it is 4:27!!)

 Sylvie trying out her paint set the next morning (with princess accessories.)

December Fun

We had a fun-filled December.  We tried to fit in all of the activities we enjoy most around Christmas, but even so, we missed a few!  We will get to them next year.  

The young women came over one night to make popcorn and peppermint bark.  We watched Elf and had a good time.  The popcorn (Peppermint bark popcorn) was delicious.  We also did a YW activity, planned by the advisors, at the temple.  We had a beautiful clear night, but it was also FREEZING COLD!  By the time the activity was over, the three advisors, who got there an hour early and stayed late to clean up, were pretty frozen.  But it was pretty up there, and lovely to think about Christmas.  I do love my calling in YW. 

On Sundays in December, Mike has been at church until 6 most weeks because of tithing settlement, so I have been thinking of lots of crafts for us to do together.  We made lots of snowflakes, and one week the kids decorated cute foam trees.  Sylvie is still sporting the sticker residue from her birthday, which took at least a week to get off.

Jens's picture is sideways, for reasons unknown.

We had friends over to decorate gingerbread houses, which was fun.  Ours actually lasted, unpillaged, for at least a week before candy started being snitched off and I threw it away.

Sylvie was helping Mike to sleep in.  He looks very snug, and he has Pink Kitty as his sleeping companion.  Fun!

Sylvie was an angel in the ward nativity.  She took it all very seriously and did a great job.  The best part was when she belted out Silent Night at the end.

It was a really rainy December, so whenever the sun was shining and it was over 40 degrees, we tried to get outside.  This was another Sunday without Mike.  We rode bikes to the park, Sylvie in her bunny costume, which she wore for Halloween the year she turned one.  I think the kids rode about three miles, which for Jens isn't a big deal, but for Sylvie is unheard of.

Jens and Sylvie goofing around.  I love this picture because 1. no one is crying, and 2. my house looks so clean.

We also had some sickness in December.  Sylvie had a 24 hour flu bug one weekend, and the next week Jens had the same thing.  It wasn't fun, but it was quick.  The kids managed to watch "Arthur's Christmas" five times in five days because, well, being sick is pretty much the only way they get a whole lot of screen time.  That was by far the winning holiday movie this year.  Jens was the VIP at school that week, which meant he missed two of his VIP days.  His sweet teacher arranged for him to be the VIP the first week back to school after the holidays.  He was better by Thursday evening, so we bundled up and hit the zoo to see the lights, Santa Clause, Santa Paws, and ride the train.  We had such a fun time.  The wolves were really fun to see this year--they were running and playing like they knew they had an audience.  Afterwords we went out for dinner.  It was a really good night together. 

On the last day of school, when Jens was all sugared up, he had his friend Colby over for a late-over.  They decorated gingerbread houses, played Legos and Nerf guns, ate dinner, and watched--surprise--"Arthur's Christmas."  Here is what I learned: after 8:00, Jens gets pretty irritating.  Therefore, late-overs should end at 8:00.  Their gingerbread houses turned out cute, and Jens discovered that spice drops are disgusting.  He has already picked all the rest of the candy off of his house.

 My funnest Christmas craft this year was making aprons for my three nieces.  It took forever to sit down and make them, but once I got going I enjoyed the process.

December 3 continued

Sylvie is one of the most rewarding people to give gifts to.  She loves everything and wants to play with it all.  She spent the rest of her birthday loving her new gifts. 

 Round two--cake with the family.

 The last birthday present--a cardboard playhouse to color and play in.

 Happy Birthday, Sylvie!  We love you!

December 3

Happy Birthday sweet Sylvie!

 Birthday breakfast.  We had German Pancakes (hootanannies) and opened presents.

 Big Kitty is from Grandma.  She is very popular!

 We had Sylvie's birthday party on her actual birthday.  Her cute friends came over to celebrate with her and had a fun time.  We decorated sticker gingerbread houses, played with balloons, had lunch (pigs in a blanket, carrots, apples, grapes, olives, and lemonade mixed with sprite), pinned the ornament on the Christmas tree, had cupcakes, and opened presents.  Sylvie definitely felt very special!