Christmas Clothes!

Ward Nativity

"Christmas means giving.  The Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life.  Without giving there is no true Christmas."  

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Santa!

What a fun busy week!  We are having a cold snap (60-70's during the day and 30's at night).  We got a call from the schools saying we were having a Cold Weather Emergency.  I scoffed but when I figured out my children have only a few pairs of long pants each and NO coats it made sense.  It feels a lot colder then I ever would have guessed.  To make it feel even MORE Christmasy we went to see the lights at a drive through park this week. We had the kids dress warm, turned off the car heater, turned on the Christmas music and rolled the windows down.  We wanted to freeze so that when we got home hot chocolate would taste extra good!  It was a cool light show!
We had Derek's Christmas party at preschool where he crafted and decorated Christmasy things.  Wednesday night for mutual we had a 'His Hands' themed night.  We watched President Uchtdorf's conference talk about 'His Hands', then listened to the song 'His Hands' then talked about how we use our hands.  Then my counselors and I gave the girls spa treatments and manicures for their hands so they'd be ready to use them in the right ways.  It was fun!
Friday night was our ward Christmas Party.  It was great to see the nativity (the ward here has beautiful costumes and a terrific narrative with music), have a lovely dinner, musical numbers and Santa.  Notice we are missing a kid in our Santa picture?  Emma is off on her class field trip to Disneyworld....that's right, here they have class field trips to Disney!  Crazy! It was hard to let her go for a whole day, so far away, and into a very busy park...but the school has done it for years and has never lost a child so we had to trust that they would return her home safe.  And they did.  She had a grand time and even brought home suckers for the other kids.
Saturday we did some cleaning in the back yard, various home projects etc then headed off to a friends for a Christmas Party without the kids.  It was fun, we played the game where you all put in a word, then have three rounds:  first round is describe it any way you want to get your team to guess, second round is using only three words, and the third round is charades).  Then we played the dice game and Brett came home with a baby toy that speaks Dutch and Spanish only, I came home with Glenn Beck's book called 'Christmas Sweater'.  I am enjoying the book but every time I read it, it puts me right to sleep!  We had a fun time shopping for our dice gift and want the Stevens Family to know they really dodged a bullet this year!  It may or may not have involved some very large Captain America underpants and may or may not have induced tears due to sooo much giggling when we purchased it.
Sunday we had tithing settlement and BYC.  The RS also had their VTing conference during third hour and fed us lunch!  Yum.
It seems like the time is flying by and I don't have time for anything.  It doesn't help that I fall asleep at all hours of the day and spend my waking hours complaining...=).  I am trying though.  I love all the Christmas Cards and letters, they really cheer me and make it feel like Christmas.  Hope everyone is keeping warm and safe!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

My name is Derek Stevens.   I am a very good boy and I should be on the “nice” list.  I listen to my parents and sat when they asked me.  I helped Mommy pour the noodles for the macaroni and cheese.  For Christmas I would like:

1.       Bobbo Fet’s Ship

2.       AT AT Lego Set

3.       Bumble transformer

4.       Nerf Gun

Yours sincerely,

Derek John Stevens

Dear Santa,

My name is May Stevens.  I have been a very good girl.  I would like for Christmas:

1.       A big sack of chocolate

2.       Barbie named Rapunzel with a castle

3.       Nintendo DS

4.       Ipod

5.       Books

6.       Pet Shops

I have helped Mom and Dad by putting my laundry away.  Me and Emma helped each other do the laundry.

Sincerely

May

Dear Santa,

My name is Bryant.  I would  like for Christmas:

1.       Harry potters  castle lego

2.       Nerf gun

3.       Football

4.       Action fig yours

5.       Atlantis Lego

I have been  good to my siblings and I have done  my chores.

Sincerely,

Bryant Stevens 

Dear Santa,

My name is Emma and I have been trying to be better this year.  I've tried to make a fun club for little kids.  I've done what my parents told me to.  I've tried to do all my chores.  I'm doing good in school and much more.  For Christmas I would like a new CD player, a playmobil set, some earrings and necklaces, and last but not least a big jar of Jelly Belly Jellybeans.  Also, if it's not too much to ask more assorted candy.  Oh and hint, hint I like to cook and read some.  The books I want is any new book by Rick Riordon, Leven Thumps series and other adventure books.

Love,

Emma

(PS Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year)