~Piano Christmas Recital~

Mckell has started taking piano this year, so this was her first recital.  She was so nervous but did really well.  I love listening to my kids play the piano, one day I'll start taking lessons again :)

For his piano pieces, Hunter played Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and Joy to the World.  He did an excellent job!

For Mckell's piano pieces, she played Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Jingle Bells, and Away in a Manger.  She also did an excellent job!  The both made me so proud!

Eating treats after the recidal.  I love how Garrett is trying to shove the entire cookie into his mouth, lol.

~Annual Candy Making~

It is a tradition to make candy with the Wangsgard side of the family every year at Christmastime. Mckell and Lexi had a blast making candy this year!

We always do our favorites: chocolate covered cinnamon bears, chocolate covered pretzels, caramels, chocolate covered marshmallows, cashew clusters, etc.  This year we said that we weren't going to make as much, however I think we ended up with just as many as we have in previous years :)

Lexi and Garrett had fun playing with Paislee.  This is a fun tradition and I'm glad we do it.

~When Do We get to Open A Present~

The kids have been asking for days when they would be able to open their first present for Christmas.  Well, tonight was the night.  We had the Smeding Christmas party, and a special visitor came bringing presents with him.  Santa! The kids were so excited.

Don't you love Hunter's socks, lol.  For some reason he likes wearing all my holiday socks, even if it is not the right holiday.

Garrett wasn't afraid of Santa.  He was more interested in the present Santa was holding than anything else.

Hunter's face says it all.  At first he wasn't thrilled with his gift.  But after he started playing with it, he had a lot of fun.

Hunter and Dave having a war with their Nerf guns.

My mom leading us in a few songs.

Garrett showing everyone his lizard.

Poor Lexi had a fever, so we made her stay in Dave and my bedroom for the party.  We did let her sneak out, just as Santa was leaving so he could give her a present.  She was so excited!

I love Christmas parties!  They make me feel like it is really Christmas.  I love this time of year!

~Stake Christmas Concert~

Every year our stake does a Christmas concert. They have a children's choir sing a few songs with the stake choir every year.  I was surprised, well let me rephrase that, I was SHOCKED when I got a call from our primary presidency telling me that Hunter and Mckell signed up to sing in the children's choir.  Mckell didn't surprise me.  She loves to sing.  She is the one who at the age of 4 would go up and sing with our wards impromptu choir, while Dave and I watched form the audience, lol.  I was surprised that Hunter signed up.  He doesn't really sing :).  I had to document this cause I don't  know if it will ever happen again :)

The concert was great and the kids did an amazing job.  I was so proud of them. After the concert, Hunter informed me that his friend, Ethan, told a bunch of the boys from our ward that he'd pay them if they sang in the choir, lol.  I understand now why Hunter signed up :)

~Christmas Village~

Lexi had a fieldtrip to the Christmas village today.  It was soooo cold, but the kids had fun looking through all the houses and visiting with Mrs. Claus.

Andrew, Melyn, and Lexi.

About halfway through they village, the kids were done.  Andrew couldn't feel his toes, Lexi's fingers were hurting her, and Melyn was just cold.  I bribed them if they could finish looking at the houses, we'd go to McDonalds on the way home.  It worked!  I just need to make clear that it wasn't just these 3 that were complaining from the cold.  All the kids were, lol.

Garrett was snug in his blanket.

Lexi with Mrs. Claus.  Lexi informed Mrs. Claus that she wants a real live bunny rabbit for Christmas. Hahaha, that's not going to happen.

Garrett wasn't afraid at all to go sit on Mrs. Claus's lap.  Although he wanted nothing to do with a picture.  He just wanted the treat she was passing out :)

~Christmas Fun!~

I love this time of year and all the fun things that go on.  For Activity Days, the girls made Gingerbread houses.  They had a blast doing this, and they all turned out so cute!

Lexi made one in her preschool class too.  However, she had it all eaten before I could get a picture, lol.

~Holly Jolly Christmas~

Lexi's preschool put on their Christmas program last night, "Holly Jolly Christmas".  It was such a cute program!  The songs were fun, the speaking parts were adorable, and the dancing cracked us up.  Lexi was on fire, lol.  She was dancing and singing her heart out to every song, which was probably why they had her right on the front row, lol.  She would have fallen off the bleachers if she was on one of the back rows.  She was so cute!

Lexi and her best buddy, Melyn.

Lexi's favorite song they sang was "I'm getting nothing for Christmas". She LOVED making the naughty face at the end (hands up by your ears and tough out)  She also did such a good job giving her part, "What doesn't eat at Christmastime?  The turkey.  He was stuffed".

I was a little bummed last night because the batteries in my good camera died at the beginning of the program.  We got my camera when Hunter was a baby, so it is old and really on it's last breath.  But I love it.  It is a good camera.  But needless to say, it doesn't warn you anymore when the batteries are low.  So I had to take a majority of the pictures with my phone :(  The pictures aren't the best, but what do you do?

We were glad to have Grandma Wangsgard with us.

The kids sang so good, that a special visitor came to see them.  Santa!  Lexi and Melyn decided to go see him together.

Lexi making funny faces with Andrew.  She loves that she goes to school with her neighborhood friends. After the program, they had cookies to eat.

We went to Kirt's Drive in after to celebrate "Lexi's Special Evening"(as she called it).