Christmas 2018

We had a crazy busy but fun Christmas season!

We started with Sarah and I gathering of almost all of Sarah's dance team together for a showing of the "Minnesota Nutcracker" ballet at the Ames Center, performed by the Twin Cities Ballet.

The girls got to meet with the Artistic Director before the show!

Then we got the tree up and decorated. Austin wasn't into it, but Sarah and Trevor had fun with it.

We attended the Benilde-St. Margaret's Alumni Children's Christmas Party and the kids had lots of fun.  Trevor ran over to give Santa a hug!

Crafts with the cousins

Austin had his band concert and Sarah had her grade school Christmas program. I couldn't catch a good view of Austin to get a photo, but some of the other moms grabbed photos of Sarah and her friends at her Christmas program. 

Cookie day!

I made 4 batches of cookie dough, froze them in rolls, then spent a day slicing and baking them so we'd be ready for a marathon cookie decorating day!

Trevor wanted to frost some of them himself.  Start 'em young, right?

 Licking the beater is still Trevor's favorite part, I suspect.

Do you think we made enough cookies?

 YUM!!

 Don't worry, Mom. We'll take care of licking the frosting bowls.

Sarah's dance studio hosted their annual Christmas party. It wasn't a sleepover this year, but many of the girls wore Christmas jammies anyway. They played games, exchanged gifts, had treats, made blankets for the kids at the children's hospital.

Austin's basketball team continued to do well at another tournament.

We saw "Elf, the Musical" at the Ordway.

 Then Mommy and Daddy got to have date night to go see Les Mis.

The kids got new matching Christmas jammies because they finally outgrew the last ones.

On Christmas Eve, I had to work a half day, but then we got dressed up and headed to the 4pm Mass.

After Mass, we continue our new tradition the last few years of going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner on Christmas Eve.  Of course, we had to get some giant slices of cheesecake for dessert!

Oreo Extreme Cheesecake for Trevor

Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake for Sarah

 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake for Austin

 Cinnabon Cheesecake for me and Peppermint Bark Cheesecake for Steve.  Yum!

Then back home for jammies and getting ready for Santa!

 Christmas cookies are ready for Santa!

 Checking the NORAD Santa Tracker one last time before heading to bed.

Trevor wanted to wear his Santa hat to bed

Up bright and early and ready to go Christmas morning!

Stockings first!

After a yummy breakfast of Belgian waffles, we opened gifts under the tree.

Trevor made us a calendar with his handprint painted on each page.

Sarah made us a beautiful ornament for the Christmas tree. 

 Austin got a new soccer jacket and a basketball hoodie.  He also got a "smart" soccer ball that an app on our phones can sense and track his movements to run through drills or shooting or juggling. 

Sarah is quite a reader and wanted books for Christmas, mystery books she specified.  She was happy to receive the first 10 Nancy Drew mystery books.

Trevor loves to draw lately, and here he showed us a drawing he made on his new light up drawing board.

The kids all got wonderful gifts from family near and far as well. 

Trevor playing their new Osmo Detective Agency game.

Santa brought the kids board games again this year and they were a big hit!  Austin got Villainous (about the Disney villains), Sarah got "Whoowasit?" (a mystery game), and Trevor got the ocean version of the game Labyrinth that we have all enjoyed playing.  We spent most of the day Christmas Day playing all the fun new games!

That evening, we had whatever family was was local for Christmas come over to our house for dinner.  We got the kids gingerbread houses to decorate again this year.  They had a blast!

It is always wonderful to celebrate special occasions and holidays with family!

Merry Christmas!