Next up was the Hunt Family Christmas Party which is held every year on the 23rd. We had a big dinner at Aunt Toby's ward house, visited with all of Jon's cousins, and watched the children put on a little nativity play.

Tressa and Aspen are far left as Angles, and Josie is on the right as a sheep.


Josie in her beloved sheep costume.

I also figured out the best way to really capture and event is to give the camera to a 7 year old. Tressa got some really cool pictures of everyone without anyone really caring that she was taking them.

And finally we get to Christmas Eve, which since this was our German Christmas year means that this is when we opened all of the presents and had a big dinner. And since all of the pictures for the actual even are on my other camera I will have to add them latter. But here are some pictures of the girls going to bed in home-made PJ's (courtesy of Grandma Verna) and their brand new IKEA down comforters (which worked out well to give them this year when they got to open them at night).

We spent Christmas day doing nothing but relaxing (reading for me and Jon), playing in the snow, and making cookies. We had no one to go see because no one was around to go see. And although I would never want to spend every holiday this way it was really nice to spend one doing nothing but being together with my girls and wonderful hubby. The one down side of the day was that Jon used the last eggs without telling me so when I went to go make Sausage Casserole, our traditional breakfast, there were none to us. So we had to have waffles instead.=(

The only way Jon knows how to make cookies-by eating all the dough

Josie talking to my brother Jesse and becoming and inventor at the same time
Below is a picture of my flour bucket, if you will note the suspicious white powder around the bottom I will explain. I had just refilled the bucket so that we could have flour for the cookies, so it was still open. Aspen meanwhile was going around playing her recorder that we gave her the night before. She came over to the bin stuck her new recorder into the fine white powder and blew. The rest I think should be self explanatory. She looked so shocked and guilty we could only laugh.

And they were dancing yeaaaahhhh.....

Tressa

she is the one in the red and she isn't even the smallest this year

Josie

Josie is the 3rd from the right in black

Jon said I had to post this picture up for his family. While getting Josie ready I couldn't resist curling her bangs in the good old fashioned 80's style (which means up instead or down). And as you can see she really didn't like the end result, but it gave everyone a good laugh. The girls laughed even harder when we showed them a picture of Aunt Angie with her bangs done even higher in her "volcano bangs."

St. Nicolas Day

This year we started a new tradition in our home. We will be picking a different country each year to learn about their Christmas culture and to try some of their traditions in our home. This year we picked Germany because my Sister Dana is from Germany and so we know a bit about their traditions already and simply because Germany is the coolest place for Christmas anyways. I think we made a good choice, it has been fun to teach our kids about where Christmas stockings, Christmas Trees, Advent Calenders, and a lot of our Christmas carols came from (since they all started in Germany).



So since we are celebrating German style that means that this morning we got to celebrate St. Nicolas Day. Last night our girls set their shoes, well snow boots, out by their bedroom doors before they went to bed and this morning when they woke up their boots were filled with small gifts and candy. I didn't get many pictures because they woke before we did and came running into our room very excited to show us what they got. It was very unorganized and chaotic which just made it that much more fun. Every single thing seamed to be the greatest treasure to them, and I had so much fun watching them squeal and giggle through the morning.











It was quite a lesson to me as a mother as well. Everything they got was simple and small but I have never seen them so excited in their lives.

Zoo Lights

For Co-op this week we only had one family so we decided to take advantage of our zoo membership and take all the kids to see the lights at the zoo. And I have to admit that even having 2 more kids is harder to do, but luckily the kids were all well behaved and we got through it with out loosing anyone. Phew.










The lights were actually pretty cool. Most were zoo themed and a lot of them moved, but what I liked most was the colors. Everything was so bright. And of course the kids loved it all. They especially got a kick out of seeing the free roaming turkeys asleep on top of the monkey enclosers. I am not sure why they liked that so much but they did.


The turkeys are the blobs on top of the net



And as usual they spent the longest time looking at all the bugs and snakes in the Reptile and Bird House. I couldn't blame them though since it was WORM inside.

Tressa and Katelynn looking at some big bug

Rattle snake with his dinner




This is Aspen looking through the glass-Jon loves this picture.


A little work but a LOT of fun. Thanks girls for being so good.

Thanksgiving-just a bit late....

I know I am late with this and it is even more inexcusable because of what happened on Thanksgiving day in our family.

My little sister Crystal (more commonly known as Beaner or Cootie) had the very first boy to join our family since my older brother were born. I was beginning to think only girls were allowed. We have 5 little girls and now finally one beautiful little boy on my side. ( Jon's side isn't any better there are 6 girls and 1 boy there). So anyways she had him early Thanksgiving morning and named him Koven! It was a great way to start our day and we got to hear our girls telling us how thankful they were for Baby Koven the rest of the day.

My sis was very trusting and let everyone hold the baby (I think it is the first Aspen has held, she felt so big)

And then as usual Jon put up a fight to let me have a turn because the baby was happy with him ...

But of course I got him eventually...

.

And as though she planned it just so they could see him our sister Dana and brother Dan got to stop by to see the baby on there way in from Denver. Which was good for us to since we got to see them as soon as the got in.

And of course the proud Mama eating her lovely hospital provided Thanksgiving Dinner complete with Pumpkin Pie, which Crystal hates.

Our other Thanksgiving events were fairly routine.

Jon played in a Turkey Bowl early in the morning with both old and new friends...

We cooked and ate dinner at my Mom's. Jon's parents are still on their mission in the PI so we were lucky enough to claim his little Sis Krista for the event. It was really cool to have both families together even if it was just a piece on one side. Thanks Krista for coming with us.

It was a great Holiday. I am Thankful for my family and especially for my beautiful little girls. I am Thankful for all the many blessings that come from living in this day and age and for a big brother who taught me to learn as much as I can. I am Thankful for a Mother who showed me that raising a child with love is possible and for teaching me to do things my self, even when I don't know how at first (for those of you who don't know my Mom she is the ultimate do-it-yourselfer). And I am Thankful for a husband who continues to love me even as life gets busy and hard.

Happy Holidays!

Jocelyn's stage debut!

Josie was picked to play the lead in her classes Thanksgiving play at school. And she did great. I think the teachers are crazy though for doing such a big production with such little (active) kids, but I glad they did because it was really very cute to watch.

Josie played Elizabeth and she remembered all of her lines (but not always when to say them) and looked like she was about to burst from the excitement from being on stage.

After the play they had a Thanksgiving dinner for the kids and their family. Aspen thought it way pretty cool to be able to sit at the table with Joe and the picture below is my favorite from the day. They choose different flavored pies and then decided to share.