Christmas 2011

The weekend before Christmas was when we traveled up to Salt Lake. I had won tickets from the raffle of the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert at the Conference Center. So John and I went to the concert on Saturday night, which was beautifully spectacular. The guest stars were opera singer Nathan Gunn and Jane Seymour (hello Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman!) who did a special reading. I really loved the story she read of Good King Wenceslas along with the carol. The story of that particular carol had never really reached my consciousness before!

We also visited with my family while up there and got to open a few early Christmas presents and a late birthday present for Joseph. Dad & Judy gave us the game Guesstimation, which is a great party game. And for his birthday, my dad gave Joseph his old Buzz Lightyear. That was so awesome, and Joseph really does love his Buzz.

Our neighbors invited us over for FHE one night during the month and we made gingerbread houses together. It was a lot of fun and the kids got away with eating an insane amount of candy. We then went to see a house that had its lights timed to a radio station. That was a lot of fun. Joseph loved it and we visited the house with the dancing lights a couple of more times throughout the month.

We went up to Enterprise the weekend of Christmas. We had our annual extended Humphries family Christmas party complete with a visit from Santa. I love the tradition the family has of gathering and singing carols together. I feel blessed to have married into such a wonderful family!

I had to laugh at this scene. It is so typical of Joseph. Note all the children running around like wild, and Joseph is hanging out with his dad right in the middle of all the chaos, completely oblivious to the kid fun that is surrounding him. 

Here's my cute little Kaili at 8 months old. I love her little tongue! The middle picture shows off her newly acquired first tooth.

The next night, Christmas Eve, we had our annual tradition of the grandkids/cousins dressing up to act out the Nativity while Grandpa read it from Luke. Joseph was the last one to get all dressed up, and I was actually surprised that he allowed it. He is usually very apprehensive about that kind of thing.

I really had a good laugh over this scene though. While he allowed himself to be dressed up as a shepherd, he did not at all understand the concept of acting/pretending. He was, again, completely oblivious to what all the other kids were doing, kneeling around their pretend baby Jesus. But, that's my Joseph. Oh, how I love him!

We really enjoyed our Christmas and spending time with our family. John gave me a food processor and a Snuggie. I was like, a Snuggie? Really? (thinking it was pretty stupid) I must admit, I do actually use it and like it. Go figure, right? I gave John the movie Thor and the game Bocce Ball. Joseph got a few games and books, Kaili a doll and a few toys. I really loved the fact, though, that Joseph spent a good portion of the weekend playing with this dollhouse that his twin cousins got.