Wishing You a Merry Virus and Happy Our Nasals are Clear

Our holiday season this year began as what Dallas called "our best ever." We enjoyed so many festive events together as a family and with our wonderful friends and extended family. We enjoyed Raleigh and Madeline's piano recital at an assisted living center, attended the Festival of the Nativity, ate dinner with a few different friends, watched the Christmas Devotional together, had festive family nights decorating the house and eating holiday desserts, skyped with loved-ones near and far, made some awesome new Christmas decorations, attended a few Christmas parties, and even spent a whole Saturday in December painting a mural as part of a service project for church. It was all "magical" and Christmas-y!

Dallas and I, along with another couple, painted this mural for our service project. We were happy with how it turned out! Go here to read the Church News article about our fun day!

We had a special dinner with Grammy and Grandpa Bear before they left for their long trip to Utah for Grandpa Van's big 80th birthday-bash:

Grammy is wearing a "cape" that Raleigh made for her that said "Birthday Girl." She wore it all night - what a good grammy!

Choobies fell asleep on the "pink chair" in the middle of dinner, so we swept her off to bed and enjoyed the other girls. Grammy and Grandpa Bear brought special presents:

Custom-made American Girl Doll sleeping bag and pillow sets by Grammy . . .

. . . which have been put to good use already, and some Baby Legs for all! All of the kids, that is. Here's Madeline in hers:

She wanted to wear them to bed with her pajamas.

Thanks, Mom!

Even Emery has enjoyed them!

Here are some pictures from a party with lots of great friends:

And finally . . .

Christmas morning!

(How would you like to meet up with Madeline in a dark alley with that look on her face?! She looks like a scary cat!) The girls must have been good this year because Santa brought them some pretty neat things!

I stayed awake for most of the festivities . . . unfortunately, I came down with Strep two nights before and still had a fever. By Christmas night, three out of our four kids had high fevers, I was still sick, and the worst part was that Emery was sick and not breathing well. We had some very scary late-night moments with her, and by Monday we were able to get everyone in to see the doctor and brought home one of these for Emery to help her breathe:

I love how she's looking at Dallas. He took mighty good care of us. What a way to spend his precious days off, though! As Raleigh got better and her appetite increased, I found signs like this around the house:

We ate soup all weekend (and it was divine), but she was ready for a real meal! She was also compelled to make this "pharmacy" out of all of our spices and a creche:

I guess this picture is a metaphor of Christmas Day at our house!

And we're sure glad this little plump-kin is better, so we can kiss her little toes under the mistletoe (which still happens to be hung, along with all of our other Christmas decorations)! (FYI - I overheard Dallas calling Emery "Miss Butter McFrumple Knuckle." Thought you should know.)