Dec. '19- Week 4-Alice Threw Up, Mantua, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Dan and Anna date, Help Gma and Gpa House, Sedwicks Visit, Date, New Years

Sunday morning I got all the way ready for church, and then when we got Alice up, she was not acting like herself and after eating some breakfast, she threw up. :(  So Grandma and Grandpa picked up the other four kids and I stayed home with Alice.  She actually napped the whole time, so I did too and blogged a little.  Dan actually came home for lunch but then had to leave again for a work thing.  I made our German pancakes and the kids watched the Grinch.  When Dan got home, we had a lengthy discussion about if we should go to Mantua with the Webster family or not.  Alice had only thrown up once and had kept down food and was acting better too...so we decided to go.  

We enjoyed family time that evening.  Games and crafts and coloring.  Once kids were in bed, we played the werewolf game.  

Monday I took the little three girls to see Frozen 2 again and Dan took McKenna and Ben to see the new Star Wars movie.  We chilled and played games when we got home.  

Once ALL the Websters were there, we prepped dinner and feasted!  

Then we had our traditional talent show, including a fun trivia game created by Whitney.  Dan even played a song, I did a headstand, and Anna decided to pass on performing.  Alice pretended to play, Bethany and Mia sang Jingle Bells, Ben played some of his piano recital pieces, McKenna decided last minute to sing "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2 and did great!  Everyone loved joining in on the "ah-ah" parts.  :) 

Funny Alice snuggling a puppy as a pillow. 

Once kids were in bed we did our pyramids and played the werewolf game again.  

Crazy Bethany sleeper.

Tuesday we had a delicious breakfast, cleaned up, and then exchanged gifts.  

The kids always love getting matching stuff with their cousins.  

Bethany loved her new chair and McKenna loves getting her hair braided by Aunt Swa.  

Alice fell asleep on the way home and had adorable pouty lips.  We also arrived home to a doorstep filled with wonderful cards, gifts, and treats.  We are so blessed to live in such an amazing neighborhood!  We also stopped by Costco, I used the blower on the driveway, and we unpacked, did laundry, and played with new gifts.  I wrapped some more gifts for Dan and we cleaned up and ate our traditional pizza dinner.  

The kids opened their new jammies! 

We acted out the Nativity and Alice was a baby stealer.  McKenna even made a costume change from donkey to shepherd.  

We left out treats for Santa and after kids were in bed we actually didn't have much left to do.  :)

VIDEOS: Mantua Talent Show, Webster Fam Nativity, Christmas Morning, New Years Eve.

Wednesday was Christmas morning!  We opened stockings first and Alice surprisingly dove into eating the fruit, not the candy!  

 It was a very "Descendants" Christmas for Bethany and she could not have been happier!  Alice also loved her new slide! 

Dan and Ben built Ben's new Lego Brickhead (Robin from Batman), and the girls played with their Blume dolls, Polly Pocket, and Barbies (one of them being my "Totally Hair Barbie" from when I was little).  

McKenna's favorite gift was her watch.

Ben's favorite gift was "hard to pick."  

Anna's favorite gift was her upcoming date with Dan.

Bethany's favorite gift was her wig.  

Alice's favorite gift was the slide.  

 I got a beautiful necklace with all my babies' birthstones from Dan.  I love it so much! <3 p="">

 My family came over around 3 and we Skyped with Emily, then we opened more presents and had an amazing dinner!  

After dinner we worked on the lighthouse puzzle and just enjoyed being with each other.  

Thursday morning snuggles with Alice, then Dan went to the temple.  I tidied up a little and did one of Ben's Chemistry experiments with him about "saturation point."  

After lunch, Ben and Anna played at the Alexander's.  McKenna babysat while Dan and I ran some errands.  When we got home, Dan took Anna out on their date.  They ate at Del Taco and went to Smith's to buy an outfit.  When they got home, Dan and Ben built Legos and McKenna and I did one of her string arts.  

Friday Dan had a back doctor appointment, and after breakfast we headed up to Layton to help my parents do some more unpacking and organizing.  McKenna and I mostly worked on my mom's fabric and Dan moved a lot of their Christmas decorations to their cold storage room.  We had lunch there and left around 3pm.  We had a relaxing afternoon at home and watched Harry Potter 1.  

Saturday I exercised and was having some bad lower back pain.  McKenna and I went on a date shopping to spend some of her BD money.  We went to Old Navy, got groceries, and Pat's Danceware.  After lunch, we sorted through school papers, watched more Harry Potter.  For dinner, Dan took the younger 4 to pizza at grandma and grandpa's house with some of Dan's brothers and their kids, even though Dan's parents weren't there.  :)  They took all of us mom and the older girls out to dinner at Zupa's and then to see the new Little Women.  It was great and McKenna said she even cried a little. We missed Laurie and Emma!  I worked on Primary stuff after we got home.

Sunday we were on time for church which was Zack Bramall's mission farewell.  We worked on "Choose the Right Way" in Primary singing time.  After church, we watched Little Women from the 90s.  Cute selfies of Anna and Nutella lips on McKenna. I made some energy bites and after dinner we played Slap Jack and I worked on the Nelson News.  

Monday we worked on kid's homework (Upstart, reading minutes, a diorama, piano practice) and laundry while Dan ran errands with Ben.  After lunch, we finally finished Harry Potter 1 and started #2.  Then my friend and old roommate Heather and Rich and their kids came over.  My girls loved holding baby Henry especially!

9 kids between the two of us and they played well together!

That evening we had tacos and enjoyed a visit to Grandma Condie's house.  I put all three of these pictures in because Alice's face is different and cute in everyone!

Tuesday was New Year's Eve!  I exercised and my lower back pain had gotten worse.  Jonathan came to babysit (and play the Switch) while Dan and I went on our lunch and movie date.  We ate at a Greek food place, ran an errand to look for new gloves for Dan, then headed to see the new Star Wars movie.  I loved it!

Once we got home, we made the rounds to some New Year's Eve parties.  First was playing and dinner at Swa and Jake's.  We learned to play a new card game called Skyjo.  Then we stopped by Dan's parents' house followed by coming home and hung out with my family.  We ate way too much food that night!  We worked on puzzles and had an early count down and put kids to bed a little after 10pm, but we continued to work on that lighthouse puzzle!  I worked on it for so long, my neck muscles were killing me the next day!

Happy New Year 2020!!

Dec. '19- Week 3- Prelude, McKenna's School Concert, Anna World Religions, Christmas in Color, Piano Guys, Breakfast with Santa, Nelson Family Party

Sunday the Primary kids sang "Picture a Christmas" and "Christmas Bell" in Sacrament meeting and Ben got to play one of the tone bells.  The Jr. High Madrigals also sang that day.  Greg Mortensen came by that afternoon to deliver and officially present Ben with his Cub Scout WOLF badge.  They had misplaced them the evening of the pack meeting.  That evening was our stake Prelude to Christmas performance and my solo went well and Ben sang great also! I loved that he patted my shoulder every time he walked past me and kept giving me thumbs up!  I also loved singing with Brynn!  Dan gave his dad a priesthood blessing that nice before his dad has a minor hernia surgery.  

Monday was normal day- laundry, listen to my book, edit phone pictures, wrap some gifts, run a couple errands.  Then, after dinner we delivered the rest of the neighbor gifts.  

Tuesday I exercised, edited more pictures on my phone, blew out the garage and driveway, kids worked on book reports, and we wrapped some family Christmas gifts.  Alice loves to snuggle Ben and snack while he does his homework.  

Wednesday evening McKenna had her school Christmas Concert.  They only sang two songs, but she had a lot of family support there!  Dan also had a fun YM activity that night with a white elephant gift exchange and arm and leg wrestling.  :)

Thursday I exercised and Bethany actually took a morning nap because she woke up super early in the morning.  She was not too happy to wake up for ballet.  Rachael babysat my girls while I helped with Anna's class world religion activity.  I taught a mini lesson about the Menorah and they kids made a paper one.  McKenna attended her FINAL Activity Days while the rest of us went to Christmas in Color drive through light display.  Most of the kids (and Dan) piled into Sam and Lara's truck.  Alice loved it but told me to "bop!" (stop) every time I danced. She's a party pooper.  

After words, Grandma and Grandpa treated us to Neilsen's frozen custard.  Such a FUN tradition! Dan and I wrapped a lot of presents that night.  

Friday I exercised again and Dan was home for the day.  I went ministering to Shelly and Janel, then headed to Ben classroom for his Christmas Around the World activity.  A mom taught about a Christmas festival in Mexico where they carve radishes.  He also learned about Christmas in Hawaii.  

We had the Alexanders over to play that afternoon as well as the missionaries stopped by to give us a message about ministering.  I cleaned our master bathroom.  Jonathan babysat this night while Dan and I went to dinner and the Piano Guys Concert with Dan's parents.  It was amazing!  At one point the cellist was playing in the crowd right next to Dan's cousin Nick Nelson!  They were so entertaining and talented!  As usual, the kids loved playing Jonthan's Nintendo Switch.  :) 

Saturday we were up bright and early so we could be in Layton by 8:45.  Another favorite Christmas tradition is breakfast with Santa at the Davis County Conference Center.  It's also wonderful since this event benefits Utah Foster Care.  We love the time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandma and grandpa, decorating cookies, face painting, the magicians and characters walking around, the delicious food, and of course sitting on Santa's lap.  

Alice loved the big teddy bear in the lobby! 

We picked up groceries on the way home, did laundry, cleaned the basement, showers and baths, and then headed to the Nelson Family Christmas Party.  The kids acting out the Nativity and hearing from Grandfather are always a highlight.  

Ben got to be an Inn Keeper and McKenna was a narrator.  Anna was an angel, Bethany was a shepherd, and Alice was a cow.  

VIDEOS: McKenna school concert, Piano Guys, Nelson Family Nativity