Christmas Eve

Abby and Madison decided to be Mary and Joseph.  Maddy took her role very seriously!  They asked Bailey to be the angel but she insisted on being the star.  What a very important job.  

Oh boy...pj's for Christmas!

Grandpa and Grandma Speakman gave each of the kids a card with a $5 bill.  Bailey was so excited she kept cheering I got $5 bucks...I got $5 bucks.  Hence the photo with the $5 bucks.  She was smiling from ear to ear.  

THE RUN DOWN OF THE NIGHT

Every year for Christmas Eve, the kids open a present from Grandma Luthi.  Madison has noticed a tradition over the years and instead of getting her pj's on after dinner before we opened presents, she and Bailey got their bathrobes on.  I asked Madison what she had on underneath and she giggled and said she knew what she was getting and didn't want to have to change. 

We were planning to have dinner with our friends on Christmas Eve, but Madison woke up early throwing up.  Jared was also sick with a bad cold and cough.  We had a nice night opening pj's (of course!), reading a new christmas book, playing christmas songs with the bells, and watching the kids put on the nativity play.  

We also had a visitor stop by our house.  It was late but the kids were having a hard time getting to sleep.  Santa stopped by the house and dropped off candy canes and a reminder to hurry off to bed.  It seemed to work because after that, they finally all fell asleep (even though Bailey was scared out of her mind and didn't want to get any where near Santa!)

Making Gingerbread

While we were in Logan for Thanksgiving, Bailey asked my sister Karen if we were going to make a gingerbread man.  When we were up visiting last year, Bailey remembered Karen helping them roll, cut out and decorate the cookies.  Bailey was only two at the time.  She still remembers making them because she had such a blast.  She pretty much took the rolling pin from Karen and went about her business.  This year I let the kids make them with their friends.  They had more fun decorating them and left me to roll and cut.  

Let it Snow!

Snow in St. George!!!  This past Wednesday, we were hit with some snow.  Nothing major, but enough on the ground the school district cancelled school on Thursday.  Kelsee was elated, Abby made plans and Madison cried.  All the 2nd graders were planning to make gingerbread houses and she was worried it wouldn't happen.  Well it just so happens school was back in session on Friday and she got her wish! (and they got to wear their pjs to school)

Wednesday night, Madison made her first snowman at night with her friend Abby.  On Thursday, Madison and Abby made a snowman in the front yard.  It was quite the sight to drive around the neighborhoods and see snowmen in front of most homes.  The kids had a great day playing in the snow and drinking lots of hot chocolate. 

 

Who says it doesn't snow in St. George?  

Recitals

It's that time of year for recitals.  Kelsee and Abby had their Christmas piano recital.  They both worked hard and they did a great job.  Kelsee played two pieces...Bright Orange and Frosty the Snowman.  Abby also played two pieces...To Fly Like and Eagle and Playful Puppy.  

Kelsee also plays the violin and had an orchestra concert at school.  She and her friend Missy played a duet.  She is attending a new high school this year so their orchestra is very small.  They also played for the school play, Oklahoma, in October.  Kelsee was familiar with the play because back in July when we were visiting my parents, we went to Jackson with Karen and saw it.  She has a natural ability for musical instruments.  I hope she keeps them up.  She just told me last week she wondered if she could teach herself how to play the guitar.  

Thanksgiving in Logan

This year we had Thanksgiving at our aunt Karen's house. It was really fun to see our cousins, Uncle Kelly and Aunt Robin, Uncle Curtis, Aunt Karen, Grandma Luthi and Great Grandma Haderlie. My oldest cousin Linsey chopped off about 5-6 inches of my hair and I got bangs! I'm glad I did it though. My other sisters got trims. After our feast we went and saw the movie Bolt. It was hilarious! Our favorite character was the hamster, Rhino. He just cracked us up!
On Thanksgiving we also had some guessing contests. There were 3 different contests:
1- How much money was in the jar 

WINNERS=a tie between Abby and Casidy 

PRIZE= They split all the money-it was about 100 bucks total

2- How much the money jar weighed 

WINNER= Linsey 

PRIZE= $15  itunes gift card
3- How long the yarn was (it was sealed in a jar by the way...) 

WINNER=Maddy 

PRIZE= $15 Walmart gift card

One night we went out to eat at a restaurant called The Blue Bird. All of us kids had fun goofing off at the table :) The adults weren't too happy about us! Oh well! Me, Abby, and Maddy spent one of the nights at Casidy's house and we slept on a blow up bed. We would jump on one end and send the other person flying! We stopped once Maddy almost broke her neck. Don't worry--she was just laughing her head off! On our drive home we met up with the Draneys at Dairy Queen. As if we hadn't eaten enough! :)Kelsee author

We had a nice Thanksgiving. It was strange not to have my dad there. I kept waiting for him to come sit down in the kitchen and start chatting. We all missed his presence and felt a void. He was always up for a lively conversation. We went to dinner with my Aunt Joy and Uncle Guy and their daughter Ann (my cousin) and her husband. It was fun to visit with them. My mom, Karen and myself did some shopping the day after Thanksgiving and got some Christmas shopping done. And as Kelsee said...we ate plenty of good food.

Tis the Season!

Abby is part of the choir at her school.  The school choir was invited to sing Christmas carols for the "lighting of the tree ceremony" in Bloomington.  They served hot chocolate and doughnuts and had straw bales for seating.  The kids had a great time!  After the tree was lit, Santa Claus came down out of the sky (some kind of a lift/machinery thing) and handed out candy.  

Grandma Haderlie

We spent Thanksgiving up in Logan with my sister, my two brothers and sis-in-law, cousins, mom and Grandma Haderlie.  After arriving home last night, we had gotten the news that my grandma had become ill and been taken the the ER.  She apparently had a heart attack and also had pneumonia.  She passed peacefully this afternoon, Monday, December 1 2008.  My mom and sister were at her side.  I am so thankful that we had the chance to visit with her one last time.   We shared Thanksgiving dinner together, went to the movie Bolt (which she quite enjoyed) and played Bingo with the kids using candy to mark the squares.  My sis-in-law Robin kept teasing Grandma and telling her not to eat her markers.  She would giggle, continue playing Bingo and sneak a few more.  Grandma lost her husband a number of years ago and ever since then has wanted to be with him and has missed him terribly.  I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the knowledge I have that she is with my Grandpa again.  We love you Grandma and will miss you!

Ruth Anderson Haderlie (90 years old)

Born - April 28, 1918

Died - Dec. 1, 2008