Longest December post ever...

January is here again, and we're trying to return to regular life.  Rachel and Kale are off to school today, while Hallie and Jon are recuperating from a night with no sleep (Hallie was sick all night long, and Jon knew I would just get sick if I tried to help clean her up, so he let me sleep).  So, it's just me and Sky for the day.  So, with everyone being busy, Sky and I decided it was a good opportunity to tell about our December fun.

There's always so much that goes on in December.  Here are a few of the highlights that took place while the kids were out for the Christmas break.

SEEING THE LIGHTS

 Jon and I found this crazy light display at the Layton Park one night.  So, we decided we would come here to see the lights instead of driving all the way to Salt Lake.  True, there is no temple, but there is also no parking hassle and no long drive.  It seemed like the trade-off was worth it.  The kids loved it!

 After walking through the lights, we stopped at Starbucks for hot chocolate and a few treats.  Kale couldn't believe that we were actually going to a place that sold coffee.  He was relieved that we could also get hot chocolate.  Looks like he was really listening during those Word of Wisdom lessons.

HANSEN PARTIES

 We had our annual sleepover on a separate day than the Hansen party this year.  It was fun to be able to see everyone twice during the season instead of just once.  We stayed up late playing games, and the kids were back and forth between games and watching movies.  Our kids were especially excited because they got to stay up until midnight, which is a far cry from the usual 8:00.

 This is the Hansen clan these days (minus Star and Anna who are still on their missions).  There are getting to be quite a few of us.

 In addition to the Hansen sleepover, we also had the usual Hansen party that Anita hosts.  Bree gave us a family night lesson about Joseph Smith and then the games and presents began.  It was lots of fun being together.  It was so much fun being together.

  Kale got some new running clothes from Anita, and he was trying them out on the treadmill.  Sky also got some new things from Anita, none of which were for running, but she also got all geared up in her new things and tried them out on the treadmill.

CHRISTMAS EVE

 Christmas Eve was the usual affair for our family.  We started off with a dinner of waffles and ice cream.  Usually the kids have regular waffles with a separate bowl for their ice cream and another one for strawberries, but this year Kale and Rachel tried it with the ice cream and strawberries on top.  They're getting pretty brave.

 After dinner we had a program.  Jon talked about how we can remember Jesus Christ when we see the different Christmas decorations.  We watched a movie about Jesus' birth, sang songs, and then everyone performed a Christmas song on the piano.  It was a really nice night.  We made everyone go to bed at 6:30 since there had already been so many late nights.  Surprisingly, no one put up a fight. 

CHRISTMAS DAY

 Jon and I woke up at 2:30 and opened presents together.  We went back to sleep at around 3, and the kids woke up soon after.  The rule is that the kids can't wake us up until 6, but that didn't stop them from staying awake.  They checked out all the wrapped presents and tried to guess what was inside, then they passed the time by playing games until they were allowed to come and get us.

 We spent the rest of the day playing with our new things and enjoying phone calls (or skype dates) with the missionaries.  It was a fun, but exhausting, day.

 Steve, Anita, Bree, and Ruth and Matt and their boys came over that night for Christmas dinner.  It was nice to have something else to look forward to once the excitement of presents and phone calls had passed.

CLASSIC SKATING

 The kids (minus Sky) got roller blades for Christmas, so we headed to Classic Skating to try them out.  We were the very first people there (literally -- we had to wait in the car for 10 minutes before they unlocked the doors).  It worked out perfectly to be there by ourselves -- it gave the kids time to learn how to get around on their skates without having to worry about other skaters.  They also got free tokens from one of the workers so they could play a few games.  Wahoo!

 After about 40 minutes of skating/scootering, everyone's legs were hurting from where the roller blades were hitting their shins, so we spent some time playing the games (and pretending to play them once the tokens ran out), and then made our way over to the bouncy toys.

 It was such a fun morning.

TRYING THE NEW SKATEBOARDS

 Rachel and Kale both got new boards for Christmas, although if you ask them neither of them got a skateboard.  Kale's is called a banana board and Rachel's is a ripstick.  They had a good couple of hours learning how to stay standing and make it down the sidewalk with all the bumps.  Pretty impressive.

 CASTLETON SLEEPOVER #1

The first Castleton sleepover was on the 23rd, but I didn't have my camera to take any pictures.  Jon and the kids went to bed early, and Becky, Rob, Ryan and I stayed up playing games and making treats while we waited for the Lee's to get in from the airport.  Unfortunately, that's where the party ended for me.  I said my hello's and then promptly fell asleep while everyone talked.  We woke up early the next morning (compliments of the kids) to discover that Becky and Ryan were super sick with the flu.  Fearing that we would have sick kids for Christmas, Jon and I quickly packed up our kids and headed home.  So, the party was short-lived on our end.

CASTLETON SLEEPOVER #2

Luckily, we were able to have another sleepover on the 26th.  We played clue charades with everyone (including Joshua and Sky).  It was pretty funny to watch the kids try and determine what was being acted out.  They were always so certain of what things were within seconds of watching the actor.  The clue charades was my kids favorite part of the night.

We also had feats of strength which included backbends, balancing, long jump, and limbo.

 Jon was out in like 2 seconds, and he kept crawling under MJ and Alyssa to try and make them fall.  And, since he was doing it, so was Sky.

 Anytime MJ and Brian are around, we can always count on a good dance party, and this night was no different.  So, we cranked up some sweet Beatles music and everyone danced around for a few songs.

DATE NIGHTS

NEW YEARS EVE

 We had been planning to go to our neighbor's for a New Years Eve party, but alas, the flu hit our house this week, so we didn't want to go and make everyone sick.  So, we had a celebration of our own.  

All the kids got to choose one game they wanted to play and one special treat they wanted that night.  Rachel made a list of what everyone chose, we went to the store for the necessary ingredients, and then the fun began.

 We played Twister, Feast or Famine, puzzles, and a game that Kale made up for us.  After dinner the kids got to have a movie night (but only 2 movies -- after all, school started again on the 2nd).

The kids were disappointed about missing the party, but we had tons of fun with just our family, so it turned out to be exactly right for us.

We have lots of exciting things coming this year, what with the new baby, Kale starting all day school, and Hallie turning 8. . . the kids are already talking and planning about all these things.  I love their enthusiasm.