December Highlights

One thing we did over Christmas break was service.  We worked on some items for the Lily Pad Project (bereavement kits for families of stillborn babies), and also tied these fleece blankets again for Lifting Hands International to pass out at refugee camps. 

The Sunday before Christmas we got to sing in church!   We sang Away in a Manger in parts and basically it was my dream come true.  Eric already knew the tenor part, and Katelyn showed her newfound harmony singing skills by learning the alto part to sing a little duet in the 2nd verse with Whitney.  Emma and Maris adorably learned the last 2 lines of the 2nd verse and made everyone cry with their sweet little duet. Our friend came up with a piano arrangement and it turned out so good.  I loved every second of it and made everyone perform it for Grandma and Grandpa too (and record it on Marco Polo for my fam).

Emma had her first dance recital!!  It was ADORABLE of course, and she took it way more seriously than Maris ever did, it was so funny and cute.

Emma second from the left.

Oh quick side note, she and Hayley took some cute Christmas pictures at the last preschool before Christmas.

Emma after her recital, with flowers from Grandma.

Such a cute little Christmas portrait! She loves to pose.

Everyone had fun supporting Emma.

One of my favorite things about this Christmas season was the secret person name drawings and service. This is one thing Maris did for me when she had me for her secret person. We had such a great feeling of love and concern for each other, more than usual, because of the service and thinking of others that went on all month!  It was wonderful.

We got to help Grandma and Grandpa make and set up luminaries for their ward luminary tradition.

I made a nativity one. :)

more blanket making- Even Emma learned how to tie knots for this!  So cool!

And, Maris got to go skiing for the first time and she LOVED it!!!!