December happenings

For a long time, December was quite warm. Our tree is the last to shed its leaves (I remember raking while big and pregnant with my two December babies in years past), so while we were waiting for our tree to finish, we raked other people's yards for service -- and to keep the kids busy.

Part of the process involves getting into the can to smush down the leaves. This moment below is at our neighbor's house.  Not long after this, Andrew realized he had lost part of the Lego Mini-Figure he brought with him. Tears ensued. And tears from Benny, because it was his mini-fig.

After Benny's birthday brought us more Lego Star Wars, I spotted this addition to one of our nativity sets. "And there were in that same country, stormtroopers...."

Max's 4th-grade classes were invited to be a part of the St Martin's Lantern Parade at This is the Place Heritage State Park. They came singing down the main way, holding their lanterns. I spotted President Dieter F. Uchtdorf there, too, as it was a German traditional evening.

 

While Max was with the classes getting ready at the top of the street, Benny and Andrew and I met St Nicholas.  Andrew had just found a stick ("light saber") and was carrying it around with him.

So on Instagram I had the caption, "When meeting Santa, speak loudly and carry a little stick."

 

A few days before Christmas, my mother-in-law helped me finally finish James's stocking.  Years ago when Max was a baby and we did his stocking, she said "We'll do red for your boys and green for your girls."

Ahem.

Anyway, I love love these stockings and these boys all in a row.

The morning before Christmas Eve, while I was at work, JB took the boys to the Grand America downtown to see the window displays and gingerbread houses.

When I came home, he took the older two to Braza Grill with a coupon. Theses boys they love the never-ending skewers full of meat.