Trying to catch up!

Where has the month gone! Here's some updating: I thought it would be really fun to show some of my favorite decorations. The kids were so excited to help decorate this year. They did most of the Christmas tree! They decorated all of the gingerbread house after Dad did the construction. They are at such great ages......we can actually have decorations on the floor and on the low branches of the tree....well, as long as the dog isn't inside!

We get the kids an ornament each year. Here are the kids showing off the ones they received last year.

Our large Nutcracker is one of our favorite decorations! We got him from Bombay Co. before they went out of business....we were so sad when this store left. We purchased quite a few things from them.

Here is our smaller Nutcracker that sits on the fireplace hearth.

Our metal Christmas advent calendar. Love this....Brandon has been manning this calendar this year. I just tell him what numbers to look for and he finds the piece!

I don't have pictures of our Nativity scenes....I'll have to remember to post those later. Also, the Dicken's Village didn't quite make it out this year. We missed the good weather for putting lights on the outside of the house, too. But, really.....it's been fine! We are all just happy to have done what got done. Mike's work has been sooooo time consuming lately, that we are just happy to have him home with us. No time to be concerned about what didn't get done. Christmas will still be wonderful! And, we will probably save some $$$ on our electrical bill! Yea us!

Here's the Santa elf! His little jingle bell on his hat jingles whenever we walk into the family room!

Many cute ornaments!

And the kids elves! Sydney's elf is named Sparkle, Amanda's elf is named Tinsel and Brandon's is Ollie.

These elves watch the kids from various points in the house to make sure they are being good! Sydney made Sparkle and Tinsel some bead bracelets this year and she is really good about giving them one Cheerio to eat every couple of days. On Christmas Eve, the elves leave to go tell Santa if the Arvy kids were naughty or nice!

They also leave new jammies to wear to bed that night!

And then....here is our Christmas card picture. We sent this card to only Utah fans and a couple of our Y friends who could handle it! We got more comments on this card! Mike's idea...he would laugh to himself every time he put one in an envelope! Merry Christmas!!!!

(More updates later....)