Wow... where to begin with this update?!

There are so many excuses I can give why I haven't updated for about a month now...the holidays are busy, the whole family being sick, I used up all my free storage in my Google account and I had to buy more, I was lazy... you name it and that would be right there on my list too. But now that the holidays are over, I am sad that I didn't give more effort in posting it all. Because we had a great month with lots of fun, laughter, memories and love. So here is my best effort in trying to remember our month of December.

I started a new tradition this year with the kids. Jantsen and Kambryn each made one of those traditional Christmas countdown chains but we added something new to it. They had to do some sort of service each day and write down what they did on the little slips of paper and save them all in a little "present". Then on Christmas day, we would go back and read what they had done that whole month.

The kids did an awesome job with doing service. I hope they were learning. Although one time Kambryn wanted to open a game and play it but I told her that we didn't have time so she started crying and saying "But Mom, it's service. It's for service!" Hopefully they learned to think of others during this Christmas season.

Helping me put together a box to be sent to the soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

 

Here are some of our other fun things we did during the month. In random order...

 Rode the train around the mall. Nothing makes Jantsen more happy than riding on a train. Those 8 minutes were the happiest of the year for him!

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We saw Santa this year...kind of unintentional.  We were out shopping down at the Riverwoods (absolutely the cutest Christmas decorations ever!!) and it just so happens that a little Santa Shack right in the middle. So no lines...it was freezing since it is an outdoor mall...but still. I can say I took my kids to see Santa.

 Kambryn was not nervous at all! I was surprised. She was adorable. Just jumped right up there and rambled off her little list of what she wanted.  A princess doll with a pink crown and a married barbie. She is easy to please.

 Jantsen was cool with sitting on Santa's lap.  You could tell he felt like he is getting alittle old to do it but he still climbed on.  I didn't hear what he wanted, but I am sure it had something to do with a race car or a race car track or a truck with 100 trailers (he asks for that every year.)

Talan was bundled in the stroller and I didn't want to attempt getting him out in case he would freak out at Santa and then I would be left with a crying, cold baby.  He was content with just watching.

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My amazing friend Allie and her cute family moved out here to Utah from Omaha. We were so happy that Kyle got his job in KC because that would mean we would have only been 2 hours away from each other...but now with only one more month left of me in Utah, they ended up moving out here. Agh!  So sad, for me. But I wish them the best in Utah!

 But we got together with some friends for her little guy Easton's 2nd b-day. It was fun to catch up and hang out with some wonderful friends. We just need to do it more often!!

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We went to Festival of the Trees with Grandma Nana, Kristen and Kara and all the kids.

Seriously some of these trees....well most of these trees are AMAZING!! oh and I can't forget to mention the scones...those were AMAZING too.

 Jantsen liked the sports themed trees....that or else the ones with a train going around them. What is it with him and trains! Go Utes or Go Cougs?!

 Kambyrn of course loved all the girlie trees. Anything with pink or glitter or dolls or barbie or dancing or purses...those were her favorite trees. And she insists on posing like this in all of her pictures.

 I think Kambryn would have been fine not looking at the trees and instead just watching the dancers perform.  She LOVED it! She told me that one day she wanted to dance up there like those girls. What a cute little princess I have!

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We put up the Christmas decorations all around my mom's house.

Don't ask me about this picture because seriously
I have no idea whose kids these are.
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We played in the snow. I think this winter has been so cold! I feel like I am back in the mid-west with the biting wind and humidity. This is not how cold it is suppose to be in Utah!

And Jantsen is a big elementary tough kid apparently. Why do they have to grow up so fast!

 When they played out in the snow this time, it was a huge blizzard. My dad was shoveling and they wanted to go and help. It was freezing but they were having a blast. I could barely stand being out there for more than 1 minute, they were out there for almost an hour.

 

 Poor Talan could only watch from inside the house. He would bang on the glass and yell at them. Next year little dude, then you can join your crazy siblings!

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We made gingerbread houses too.  My mom is a pro-gingerbread house maker (out of graham crackers of course) and we put 6 houses together for everyone to decorate.

 Jantsen was very meticulous in how his was going to look. But that is Jantsen...my perfectionist.Jantsen that you have an OCD mom!

 Kambryn, on the other hand, her motto is "the more candy the better!" She is my candy-lover. So between pouring candy all over it and sticking every kind of candy on the house, slathered in frosting, she would be eating it too. I had to supervise her a lot more.

Okay so I found some pics on my phone of Talan's activities for the month....

this is what Talan is usually doing during the day.

 He is our destroyer.

I have no idea how he got that bowl in his hood, 

but it was pretty funny. He just went about his business

with the bowl there.

 And he is also always being "mothered" by Kambryn.

Well that's about all our month of December...

I will get to Christmas and New Years and Kambryn Dance and Gymnastic recital later. But this will do for now. Oh and in 2 days my baby buddy Talan turns 1! Holy stink!