{Top Ten Countdown for December}

December was a busy an exciting month! Here is our list of the top ten events.

(It was tough to narrow it down to just ten!)

10. Not what I wanted for Christmas but we got a brand new freezer. The old one died on December 23rd so our options were limited to what was in the store that night when Scott got home at 6:30. With a freezer full of meet, waiting for a freezer to be delivered the following week was not an option.

9. The first graders did a great job performing their songs for the Winter Concert. The favorite song was “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer.”

And the great thing about short kids is they get to stand in front.



8. Zane and I got to help with Morgan’s class party. We made Reindeer Goodie Bags (using bird seed) so the kids could feed Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve.


We traced their hands for the antlers and Zane insisted that his needed to be turkeys. Fun, fun!

7. We had enough snow for the kids to enjoy sledding behind the four-wheeler. It took a lot of hot cocoa to warm them up but they had a blast.

6. Thanks to a wonderful friend, we played Don’t Eat Pete many times. I had to make a rule that they couldn’t eat the m&ms while looking for Pete because the bits of candy and slobber flying from their laughing mouths was grossing me out. This game was a BIG hit in our home!

5. This year I tried to let the kids help more with decorating the tree. Brittany hid in her room after peeking out to see what we were doing. She said “I heard you saying ‘don’t touch, leave that alone, and don’t put that there’ so I guessed you were decorating the tree.” I’m trying to do better, really I am.

4. I don’t have a picture for this one but spending time with friends and family is definitely on the list. We spent Christmas eve having dinner and visiting with some friends. We spent the day after Christmas with Scott’s sister Erin and her family. (They live so close and yet it seems so hard to get together.) And we spent New Year’s Eve playing games with the neighbors. Lots of fun and lots of laughs!

3. One of our favorite Christmas traditions is baking goodies, to eat and to share. Morgan saw this idea for candy canes made from sugar cookie dough so we tried it. YUMMY!

2. Of course opening Christmas presents was a highlight. For the first time Scott actually had the day off. I made everyone wait until Zane woke up on his own so we didn’t get started until after 9:30. After every present he opened Zane said, “This is exactly what I wanted!” And Morgan was thrilled to get so many Littlest Pet Shops. And Brittany thought I did a good job picking clothes for her. I loved it!

1. Number one was getting the Nintendo Wii for Christmas. We discussed it last year and decided the kids were too young. I gave in this year and we have had so much fun playing as a family. The little ones were having a hard time losing games so I am trying to teach them to say “Good Job!” to the person who wins and not focus on losing. And I have had to let the others beat me at boxing, occasionally.

In spite of a few speed bumps, it was an especially good month. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we are hoping for all good things in the new year!