Christmas Eve

We had a lovely Christmas Eve. My sisters, Ann and Mary came to sleep over Christmas Eve so they could be with us in the morning. We had our family favorite dinner; green chicken enchilada casserole. It's easy and a festive green color. We had squash and corn and rice to go with it with sparkling cider of course. Very yummy! Here's the recipe. So easy, so delicious, the best kind AND most importantly, everyone eats it!

Green chicken enchilada casserole:

In a 9x9 baking dish layer:

cooked chicken
corn tortillas
some green enchilada sauce to cover
grated cheese (mozerella or cheddar)
corn tortillas
green enchilada sauce to cover
chicken
corn tortillas
rest of enchilada sauce
top with cheese and olives

so yummy, so easy! My fav kind of recipe, quick and easy for christmas eve when I can concentrate on the important part of Christmas Eve...

We took pics from the gospel art picture kit and had each child read a part of the nativity story ending with the signs in America. There was a very lovely spirit there! I'm so grateful my kids really have a desire to learn about the savior and his life. I pray that desire may continue! That truly is the best Christmas gift I can have is having them all there and sharing their lovely spirits!

Of course we end by talking about the reason we exchange gifts is to respresent the great gift the savior gave to us. The kids get to each open some special Christmas p.j.s to wait for santa in. this year, grandma Nancy did the honors decking everyone out in special robes too (Tyson declined to be photoed for this event. In fact, he was having a problem wanting to wear any p.j.s at all although he did enjoy opening them!) Then off to bed, nice and snug to wait for Santa to come!

Mommy's little elf helper!

This was the first time in 14 years I didn't not have my traditional Christmas Cookie exchange. I guess I haven't been in a real party mood since we've moved. However, the kids wondered when we were going to make the "Christmas Cookies" the chocolate ones with peppermint frosting and sprinkled mints on top, yum! We made plates for our neighbors and new friends.

I'm so blessed with 4 little helpers. This time, I was blessed with the help of the littlest one. I guess if you received any of our cookies, you're glad to see this pic after you've eaten. I think we had more ingredients out of the bowl than in at one point.

but the real point is TYSON had fun!

Everyone needs a taste tester!

Another singer in the house... Bryce's Christmas Concert!

Can you see the darling little boy in the santa hat on the end of the 2nd row from the front? No, well, you'll have to take my word for it that he's just the most darling, musically inclined 8 year old in a santa hat in the whole bunch of 3rd graders!

I would have loved for you to see him better, but my camera, which is has awesome clarity, and so forth, does not have a great zoom. I did get a video pic but I still have to figure out how to download them.

Take my word for it, it was a very festive atmosphere! With a great song about a spanish reindeer I wish I could remember the words to, darling! Good job Bryce!

A Visit With Santa

We're lucky that Santa usually makes a stop at our church Christmas party. So we get to have a visit with him without waiting in that awful line at the mall that usually destroys the moment by the long wait! It turns out he actually travels to the ward in Murrieta as well.


Bradley spared Santa's lap and visited with him instead. He said he wanted a new airsoft rifle this year....

Kierstin opted out of even personally visiting with Santa this year. I guess she's banking on the letter she wrote him (I hope he got it!)

Bryce told Santa he wanted a remote control helicopter or airplane....

Brian wanted a skateboard.....


Tyson, well, he's just getting the idea. This was as close to Santa as he was willing to get this year. I'm sure he'll make up for it next year with a list a mile long!!

Christmas tree to the max!!

When I was a little girl, we had an artificial tree to save money and because my mom, dad and sister are all allergic to a real tree. I was always so jealous when my friends would go with their families to choose a real tree. I loved the smell of it the look, everything. I guess we always want what everyone else wants when we're little.

Of course I vowed to always get a real tree when I had my own family someday! From the moment I got out on my own, we have always got a real tree. I still love the whole thrill of going out to find "the one." I love the feel in the air and the smell of the lots.

As the kids have got involved, they of course, have always wanted the biggest tree we could fit. In the past, it has always been a 6-7 footer as we have had 8 foot ceilings and with the stand and the star, it was always a tight fit.

Well, this year, our new home has 10 foot ceilings so we could actually get a 9 foot tree! although ,when we got to the lot, our kids were convinced we could fit a 16 foot tree in "that spot by the stairs." Danny and I laughed. I thought I was always bad at gaging measurement. When someone says, "oh, it's about a foot", I am clueless to how big or small that may be. However, I was fairly confident we did not have room for a 16 foot tree. Although, trying to talk them out of it was hysterical. We finally said "look, we'll take it home and you'll see, this one barely fits."
So we settled for a 9 footer this year. Wow, I was beginning to worry that I was gathering too many ornaments to fit on a tree anymore. that may have been true for our 7 footer but the 9 footer, it all fit nicely (although I did have to buy 3 extra strands of lights!)

In the end, Kierstin and Bradley had a nice little "oops," laugh at themselves when they realized just how tall 16 feel would have been and how inconvenient it would have been to crawl up the railing of the stairs to go around it! Tyson just kept looking at it like he was amazed we actually brought a tree in the house! It all turned out lovely in the end!

Tyson, loved it all! He even brought refreshments!

I think Kierstin thinks she's getting too old for our traditions!! (sad thing is she only has 3 more left!)

Voila, proof that our 9 foot tree was the perfect fit!!

Brad's Christmas Concert

Part of the perks of middle school is that you get to choose an elective. Bradley was going to choose Band but the guidance counsellor talked him into taking choir and boy is he glad he is. He enjoyed it so much that he tried out for the honors all boy ensemble and made it. There aren't many 6th graders in it, just a couple. He gets to have his own tux and got to go to Disneyland the Friday before school got out to perform and then enjoy the rest of the day.

Also, that week before, they had the Christmas concert. Man, does my boy look good in a tux or what?

It was fun to get to hear him sing and dress up.

Bradley can not only sing but comes fully loaded with the full set of dimples too! (Can't we go back to arranging marriages and skip the whole dating scene? He's not only cute but knows all the right things to say to a girl. We're in trouble!)

Boys working hard in school!

Danny and I always tell our kids that it's their "job" right now to do their very best in school. If they do their best and work hard in school it will help give them more choices in how they can be happy in supporting future families later on.

A's are nice, but the most important thing is that they do their best and I always tell them I will know when it has been their best.

Bryce and Brian showed what they were capable of this past quarter in school. Bryce won 2 awards these past 3 months, one in his first class with Ms. Castilla for Citizen of the month. This is for a child that shows exceptional character. He got to eat lunch (McDonalds) with the principal.

The 2nd award was from his current teacher, Mr. Ennis, for outstanding achievement in reading. (Bryce was transferred from his first class cuz they had over 20 kids in it). This is really an achievement for Bryce as he excels in math (he wants to be a mathmatician someday). He usually has a harder time in reading. Not that he doesn't get it, just he's not interested in it and so he tends to rush through his reading and writing, not caring as much. So I was expecting the award to be in math and tickled to find it was in reading!! Way to go Bryce!

Brian also received an award that day. His award assembly was 2 1/2 hours after Bryce's. I was all set to go and had a bad parent moment and completely lost track of time. When I looked at the clock it was 1:45 and the assembly was at 1:30!! I grabbed Tyson out of his nap and rushed to the school, but of course I was too late! I felt AWFULL!! I can't express enough how awful I felt.

Brian's award was for outstanding citizenship. Having caring, understanding, considerate, courteous qualities which he definately has as he was quick to forgive mom for being such a flake! I was so grateful to his understanding nature! I'm also so proud of how well he is doing at school too especially considering this is his first year AND a new school AND he had to get switched out of his first class 1 1/2 months through cuz there was more than 20 kids. He's been a real trooper. How can you not love his smile!!




CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HARD WORKING, SCHOLARLY BOYS!!!