Zander...5 Years Old

Can't believe my baby is 5...where did the time go.  So the last few months Zander has developed quite an interest for Legos.  So we did a Lego themed party at Hop 2 It.  What a great day and fun night.  He had a great amount of friends come and they had a blast jumping around and playing games.  We did a guessing game, "Guess the number of Legos"...581 in the jar.  

Looking forward to seeing how Zander will grow this year, but wish he was still a little baby.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!

FHE

My kids love Family Home Evening. Yesterday Kya said she wanted to plan the lesson for tonight. She pulled out her journal and began to write. This evening she filled a bag with about 10 big rocks and then began to read what she wrote in her journal. "A boy and his mom went to a store and the little boy asked if he could have some candy. Mom said no, but the little boy took some candy, put it in his pocket and then ate the candy. When he got home and told his mom what he did, he felt bad and then went and paid for the candy" Then she asked each of us to hold the bag with rocks...after we did she told us to look at one of the rocks in the bag. There was a word written on the rock with chalk "stealing". The lesson was repentance and that if we repent the heavy burdens (rocks) will be lifted. This is one pleased mother. Zander was in charge of the activity, he wanted to have us build a tower of blocks. What a creative night we have had.

Well, finishing off Christmas pics.  Starting with Kya's attire for her school Christmas party.  Since she has earings now, we have been playing around with fun and festive jewelry.  I just love how she gets into fashion with me.  And then of course she had to wear a Santa hat.  She had been asking to wear it for weeks, so I finally let her wear it to school.

Then the kids decided they wanted to play dress up...somehow Zander always ends up in tutus and even put a purple tutu on for his "hair"...what a goon.

Christmas Eve traditions next.  We went to my mom's for her traditional dinner of Clam Chowder and Eggnog.  Of course with options of Potato Soup and this year she added Shrimp Chowder...that one was good.  After dinner Grandpa played a video of the birth of our Savior for the kids to watch.  As a child, my siblings and myself would reenact the story of Jesus with blankets and dolls.  We were so excited when we finally had a baby brother to play the roll of baby Jesus.  Now my kids have technology to learn from.

Topping of the night with new jammies from Gma Morgan and getting Santa's plate with cookies, carrots and milk on our awesome Santa plate that Gma Popejoy made for us a couple years ago.

Then to bed they went, dreaming of sugar plums and toys.  Hoping Santa would come...and come he did.  The kids got a nice Christmas...but our focus this year was service.  We have a new Christmas Eve tradition where we do an act of service (which of course we try to do an activity of service at least once a week out side the home).  We put together care packages to leave in our car for people in need if we come across someone in need.

Truly grateful for all our loving family and friends and this time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 Kya got to play some fun games with her friends while waiting for dad to pick her up from piano lessons.  What a fun time.