Christmas Eve 2017

Christmas Eve 2017 was wonderful!

We went to church that day just for sacrament meeting.  We were asked to sing and ended up singing as a family, "Angels we have heard on high."

After church we ran over to spend some time with the Harris'.  We went caroling to a retirement center right near their house and it was wonderful!

Then we came back home to their house and enjoyed goodies.  We were going to get home in time to greet Carl and Susan who were coming to have Christmas with us.  But they were delayed and we were having so much fun with the Harris' that we ended up eating their Christmas Eve dinner with them and taking a plate home for C&S.

Then when we went back home to have our traditional reading of Luke 2 with costumes.  Carl and Susan forgot theirs so we had some last minute rummaging.  We were so glad to have the Harris' come with us.

 

A-up!

Our Allen Eagles made it all the way to the State High School Football Championship game that was played at AT&T Stadium.  We played against Lake Travis HS and won 35-33!

What an exciting game!  We came out on top but not without a close fight.  Probably our best competition all year long which is to be expected.  The other team's star QB was injured in a previous game and tried to start this game.  After the first play, which we intercepted and returned for a TD we knew that he wouldn't be able to play so their back up played and he was really good too.

We enjoyed going to the game with wonderful friends the Hess' and Teson's, also the Torpy's sat with us--and we sat in front of the Billings.  I swear that half the town was there at the game.

The BEST SANTA!

Our ward Christmas party was awesome!  A breakfast where we were invited to wear pajamas. 

Our "special visitor" was not new to us.  This Santa also came and visited us at home back in 2009.  It was a wonderful visit!  Lindsey wasn't so sure about him but the other two really liked him.  And Matthew doesn't remember him because well, he was still in my belly! 

December 2017--week 2

Sad day...my mixer is broken.  This is really bad because I usually make loaves and loaves of homemade bread for people for gifts for Christmas.  So I've been really stressed about getting this project "done".  Stephen has tried to fix it.  He removed the cup of flour that was inside the mixer.  But it looks like this machine isn't fixable.

But thanks to friends who loaned me their mixer, I was able to do batch after batch of bread and catch up.

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Basketball season has begun.  This time with an additional player.  Matthew has been a quick learner and really is doing well.  He was excited to play his first game against a buddy from preschool--Brennan! 

And, he's a bit of a toothless wonder right now.  His first central incisor was loose and he'd been working on it.  Since it's close to Christmas, he's determined to lose the other one too..... 

Another Christmas tradition started this week--the massively large puzzle that we spend spare time on over the holiday.  I love this "screen free" activity that brings us together.

Christmas piano recital!  Kids did great!  

"Joy to the World"

December 2017

First weekend in December was a busy busy one!

My big boys ran the Rudolph Run and did awesome--super proud of them!

We stopped by briefly at our Stake Nativity event and enjoyed a new feature that let us dress up: 

And we got the tree put up and decorated.  One of the things we love is a pile of Christmas books that only come out at Christmas time.  After they were ready for bed, these boys enjoyed looking at this book together and it was just an image that was pretty as a picture! 

Kaitlyn performed in her Band concert.  She's worked hard to earn the spot of first chair in the flute section.  Isn't she cute?

End of November 2017

The secret weapon for MCO singers are these gummy bears from Sprouts.  They're made with pectin and are really good for a throat.  The weeks leading up to our concert, I had to stock up.

This sweet boy is just THE BEST!  In his packet of info for signing up for the Rudolph Run was a coupon for a free salad from Chick-fil-a which he so graciously gave to me because I like them.  He wanted me to treat myself sometime.  Well that sometime happened on a day when I surprised him with his own lunch from Chick-fil-a.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving holidays are best when spent with family.  Traditions are important.  Here are some of ours: Making treat turkeys, playing games cards and outside games.  We ALWAYS play soccer, and this time we made a conscience effort to play outside, a lot.  It helped the babies always get a good nap and it helped keep the kids calmer and happier.

Kaitlyn had a special assignment for her hospitality and tourism class to help with the thanksgiving meal and to snap photos of it so she helped make stuffing--from scratch!  YUM!

But she wasn't the only one helping with the meal, making Thanksgiving feast is an "all hands on deck" kind of event and everyone has responsibility for something to make. 

For Thanksgiving it is always a fancy affair.  At the McKneely's we dress up for Thanksgiving.  Usually church dress, dress shirts and ties for the men.  This year, Matthew decided to press his luck and bring a Hawaiian shirt and ask grandma if it would be acceptable.  Guess what?  It WAS!  AND this kid asked for the drumstick and got that too!  He was SO excited!

One of the nights there we went out by the pool and enjoyed some s'mores.