Christmas with the Andersons

Wow, I have a lot of catching up to do in order to stay current on our 'family blog journal'. We have been so busy lately that I need to go all the way back to Christmas. It seemed we hosted parties non-stop! We had the Anderson Family Christmas party at our house this year on Christmas Eve. It was my big attempt at 'Martha Stewartness'. Her bacon wrapped dates recipe was a big hit.
We even got to do the nativity on our new stage.




The big boys got a little restless!

It was our turn to host Mark's work party too! We had Hamiltons Steak House cater the food. The adults ate upstairs and the children down.

Our kids thought it was great that we got to have 'a restaurant come to our house' and we thought that it was great that his work payed for it.




We also had our yearly New Years Eve Party here as well. This year was with the Christiansen Family. Christmas time just seems to fly by so fast. I wish that it would last a little longer so I could enjoy it more. It is so much work to put up all the decorations only to take them down again in a few weeks. We all love Christmas however. Rachel was in a childrens singing group called Music Theatre West Kids and performed cute Christmas songs. She had about 6 different performances including our own ward Christmas party and the Cache Valley Governors Christmas Party. She was so cute to watch a natural performer.

Benjamin had a band concert (he plays the trombone) and Christine her choir concert. All the kids were happy to have some time off from school and very excited about Christmas. This year our big gift for the family was the basement. It was a crazy month full of contractors etc. finishing the basement. We are so glad that we no longer have 4-10 'workers' downstairs all day! the basement was finished (mostly) just in time for the Christmas Eve Party. We loved having family here.


Christmas Eve Benjamin, Daniel, Rachel and Johnny chose to sleep in the theatre.

Mark fell asleep on the couch for a quick nap before the real fun began for both of us. Every year we try to plan ahead so that we can actually get some sleep, but this year was no different than any of the others - only a few hours of sleep.

Christine got an i-pod and some clothes and her newly finished bedroom, which she had not yet seen. Benjamin got a camcorder,some clothes, his newly finished bedroom and a RAT! Yes, you heard right, he talked santa into getting him a rat. It is actually kind of cute except the tail! He named her Eowyn from Lord of the Rings.


Daniel got an i-pod, clothes and shares his new room with Benjamin. Neither of the boys new that they were getting a new room. It was supposed to be my sewing room but I decided it would be better to surprise them with a new bedroom. Gone is my dream of having a sewing room that I could close off and keep little people away from my projects - but the boys love their room. It was supposed to also be the exercise room. The boys don't mind having the treadmill in their room and they don't mind that their Dad uses it every night. Rachel got an American Girl doll and some clothes. Johnny got basketball game for the x-box and a few other toys. Isaac got a batman blowup chair and batman car and a few other toys. Hannah got a baby doll and some clothes.


Later on Christmas Day we took a trek in the huge snow storm (perhaps the worst of the year) to my parents house for Christmas dinner. The drive took twice as long as it normally does. Thank goodness we have 4-wheel drive and some answered prayers or we may not have made it!


The kids were glad that we made it home for them to sleep in their new bedrooms for the first time.

This year we had our traditional Christmas Eve smoothies and potato soup a couple of days late because the Anderson Family Christmas party was Christmas Eve. Laura and Derek and their family came to stay and enjoyed them with us.
We had a wonderful holiday season and we are so very grateful for the Savior and his birth.