The Nativity

Growing up, we always did the Nativity...even 2 years ago at Mom and Dad's. As we've gotten older, it's lost the cutest and the charm and has been more irreverent than anything. But we always looked forward to it. This year, with my little neighbors, it was quite entertaining.... Grace, Brooke, and Hyrum were our wisemen and they didn't do their part as well as we would have liked. My favorite is that one of the "gifts" was a box of wipes. Mary probably could have used wipes more than myrrh...whatever that is.

Our angel Kensey was talking to Bryson and Ashlee--the shepherds.

Our angel and shepherds again, but Bry Bud was hiding.

Evan was the narrator, Cooper's carseat was the baby Jesus, Austin was Joseph and Amanda was Mary. She "gave birth" with a smile on her face and wondered why the rest of us women didn't smile when we have babies....hmm....(here you see Hyrum's headress as a wiseman).

Our little actors/actresses and the box of wipes. How cute were they?

Christmas Eve Dinner

Kimberly and sweet newborn, Cooper. Don't worry, 5 of us offered to hold him before we ate. And then Kimberly got to eat later...

William is sitting by Evan, then I look hunched, Brandon didn't like dressing up but Amber made him :) My Christmas table cloth? I don't have one. I used gift wrap.

The FUN table. Brooke, Bry Bud, Kensey, Grace, and Austin.

Ashlee and Amanda at the bar...wait...are you old enough to be at the bar?

And nobody wanted to sit by poor lonesome Buzzy boy.

Thanks to all of my neighbors who dressed up so that I could "carry on" the family tradition of Christmas Eve dinner!

4 years old

Today is Jeb's 4th birthday. I can't believe that I have a child that would be that old. We had some angelfood cake and sent 4 balloons to heaven for him. (Hyrum was a little torqued when he realized the balloons weren't coming back). It's always a bittersweet day for me and I think of him the most on this day. I compare him most to Hyrum; but even that's hard b/c I know they'd be different. I guess what gets me through is the knowledge that I will have him forever someday and that someday he will open his eyes and look at me. I'm very excited for that day.

Christmas Bears

A tradition the Johnson family had was a collection of Christmas bears...many of which came from Granny T. Mom would pile them in the middle landing of our home and we would go push the buttons on the musical ones all at the same time...we were so clever. Well, that tradition vanished when our "take-it-to-the-DI, doesn't-like-to-accumulate-too-much-junk" mother took them to the DI when the fam moved from Dayton to Malta (don't get me wrong, I'm really glad that my mom doesn't store just STUFF). My little sisters, although well into their teens, were very perturbed that the Mummsie DI-ed the Christmas bears.
Anyway, I now have started my own collection (due largely in part to, once again, Granny T) and I had them all neatly arranged. I was trying to get Hy to sit amongst them and look all cute. He obviously had other ideas.
WWF with the Christmas teddies. I think Hyrum wants to wrestle Uncle JC and Elliott and probably Steve.

O Christmas Tree...

Here are "the boys" putting the star on top of our Christmas tree. Sorry that Hyrum is showing a little midriff.... :)

Evan's parents make getting the Christmas tree a real holiday tradition and it is a day long event as they hike through the woods with the Rencher family. We wanted to do something similiar. We went up with the Humphries family about 2 miles from our home, found 2 "decent" trees, and got out the ol' chainsaw. Took about 22 minutes. Long live holiday traditions.

Drive through the ol' hometown...

Our plans changed for Thanksgiving and we ended up in Malta and then in Cache Valley for a day. Evan had me do an errand for him in Dayton and then I took a quick drive around the "block". Dayton has changed some but in some ways it will never change. There are so many things I miss about Dayton, but especially the people. It turns out that a few of my friends were home over the holiday and we probably just passed each other...