Getting ready for Santa

Here are the kids with their platter of cookies for Santa and some carrots for the good reindeer.  Kenzie and Jordyn painted some really cute water color cards for Santa as well. 

Christmas with the Carpenter's

For Christmas ever we dolce to my sister, sharons,  house and enjoyed a lovely evening with family. 
We had a delicious ham dinner in a beautiful candlelight setting.  Then we watched the Nativity movie which is always so nice in helping us remember the true meaning of Christmas. 
The Saviour is The Gift and I'm so greatful to have a knowledge of Him and how I can be with him again!
Afterwards, we had a little fun with the extra string of lights while trying to get a family picture with the Christmas tree. 

Heath Family Christmas Party

We had the opportunity to get together with Jared's family for Christmas last night. 

Is always fun to get together and laugh and play.  We enjoy delicious soups and rolls and treats and do a gift exchange.  All the cousins pick names randomly and then get presents for that person. 

Once the gifts are all opened the kids go play and then the adults play a gag gift white elephant exchange game.  Sometimes the gifts are horrible in every way,  like you could get a half frozen pig leg... Hoof included,  or a old time movie about a celebrity from Branson,  OH, or even worse,  the many shades of grey books or whatever it's called. 

Afterwards we then do a nice white elephant gift exchange.  This year I scored a selfie stick which will be fun to use and Jared scored a wallet ninja (a card that has tools on it) and a high powered flashlight. 

Hanging with the Heaths is always an adventure! I'm so greatful for my in-laws!

CHRISTmas preparations

We are slowly getting ready for Christmas this year.  Each Monday night for family home evening we do another Christmas activity.  

I love when we decorate the tree and we get to pull out the ornaments from years past.  I love the lights and especially the excitement in my kids eyes.  We sing Christmas songs and talk about the symbols of Christmas.  I love that the ever green tree signifies life and that the pine needles point towards Heaven,  which is where we should always be pointing!

Christmas random photos but goodies!

Here are a bunch of pictures from while we visited our family in Washington for Christmas. We had a lot of fun playing together, eating together, celebrating together. I love my family so much!

Santa

We had our ward Christmas party and Santa came to visit.


We also got to see Santa at the 
Virginia Theater just before a performance too. 

Never hurts to remind the big guy what you would like to recieve. Santa asked 
Lex if she's been good and she said, " 
I've been naughty and nice but mostly nice. " 
Santa laughed and said i can appreciate your honesty. 

A Christmas Carol

A few months ago I had a feeling that it would be a really good thing to let Alexis try out for the play A Christmas Carol. When she was trying out Eli decided he would like to try out to and then the director said they could use more women in the play. So I ended up trying out to and we all landed rolls. I ended up with Mrs Cratchit, Eli got Tiny Tim, and Lex got Cratchit child number 4.  It's been a long chaotic process but fun for them also. We are now in the performance mode, which is always more fun.

We have a really big cast. Our director, Ronnie Jaynes, double casted all the children, which has been hard because all the kids and all their personalities make the dynamics of acting and blocking and getting the scenes down, really really hard! I have the most kids in my scenes and so I have to be on my A game in case a line is dropped. On the other hand, we have backups every night in case someone gets sick, which happens a lot during this season! It's been good and bad, but mainly good!

Here is a whole cast picture, one of us in our costumes, and a few of Eli and I back stage waiting to go on. And one with my friend leah picanco as a missionary with me just before the show started, and one of lexie getting chummy with the ghost of christmas future. 


We also have a few pictures of us Cratchits setting the table for our 
Christmas dinner. And a few years later poor 
Tiny Tim has died and we are mourning his loss. 
I sing a lulabye for my children, What child is this, which was so scary to do but i conquered my fear and was able to do it. 
And finally,
(eli
)Tiny tim lives after all. 
Scrooge repented of his selfish ways and became like a second father!