Kents: April 2011

Christmas is such a happy season. I love it. You are still excited to have snow and hoping you get lots for Christmas. I grew up in California, so snow on Christmas was not the norm. I remember once in Oklahoma when we woke up to like an inch of snow on Christmas morning, it was the most exciting thing I had ever seen!

I love shopping the day after thanksgiving (black Friday). I went this year with my sister, Julie. We hit Toys R Us at midnight, then went to Wal-Mart after that. I got most of what I wanted (buzz lightyear wings for like 12.00!)and it was the first time I was able to go with Julie, it was a lot of fun. I think we got home around 3, I was back up at 5 a.m. and went out with my Mother in Law since that that is our tratdition. We hit wal-mart (again) and yes, I bought more, lol. Then, K-Mart. It was a fun day. To me, that is the kick off of Christmas!

We always have so many Christmas parties and celebrations since we are so lucky to live near so many family members. We all love it.

It started off this year with our yearly trip that Brandon and I take with his Dad to St. George, Utah.

There, we sell fudge. My in-laws make such wonderful fudge. They go around to Christmas shows and farmers markets and sell it. The Dickens Festival is one of the funnest. The whole building is decorated to the theme of Charles Dickens and his plays. There are so many fun vendors and the atmosphere is amazing with the decor and so many performances throughout the day with the end of the day showing being "Oliver"

Brandon really got into the costumes this year and wore grew out his beard to shave porkchops into it.

he was very excited when he bought this hat from some "friends" at the show. That is another great thing about the shows, we meet so many fun people there (other vendors) We were able to go out to eat with some of them this year and it's always sad to say goodbye, but chances are you will see each other again next year.

This is my Father-In-Law, Scott, between him and my Mother-In-Law, Twila, they make all the fudge for the shows.

It's always fun at the end of the long days to come back to the hotel and see the count for the day.

A few years ago at the Dickens Festival, Brandon convinced me to get a corset. Ya, they really aren't too bad once you get used to it. I wish I looked that good all the time!!!

This year, the Dickens decided to do a show in Salt Lake City, Utah also. It is much closer to us than, St.George. Since we needed more fudge delivered, my Mother in Law was able to bring some. Which was fun for her, since she has never been to one of these. Well, the perks of that is she brought our girls too.The downfall is now they know how much fun the Dickens Festivals are and they will beg to come again

next year, I am sure. And, because they have Daddy wrapped so tight around their little fingers, they convinced him that he should buy them dresses so they could fit in. They did look so cute and charming though.

And we can't forget the chestnuts.

At the Dickens Festival in SLC this year, they (the show directors) arranged to have chestnuts roasting on an open fire (yes, I burst into song on that one frequently) Well, the people never showed up! There were customers complaining. Well, half jokingly, the director was talking to Brandon and said, "you don't want to roast chestnuts for us do you?" He said, ummm, sure. So, thanks to Google.com, we quickly learned how to roast them. While, we couldn't do it on an open fire, a hot plate and borrowed skillet worked just fine. It was a fun experience. We didn't make money on it, but we did break even (those little sucker are EXPENSIVE) So, who knows, maybe we will do it again next year.

And, as always, we sold out in St. George and ALMOST in SLC.

I believe the first family party we attended was the Kent Christmas party. It's always a lot of fun. We do a big dinner and exchange gifts and, of course, Santa comes to visit.

This year we talked about the story, Christmas Jars, if you haven't read it..YOU SHOULD! It's a small book, but worth the read. In short, it's about a family that started a tradition that they saved up all their change throughout the year and at Christmas time took that jar and gave it to a family in need. The story is MUCH better and more detailed than that, but that is the general thing about the story. So, we decided that as a group family, our goal this year is to do Christmas Jars. So, we all have our jars and are saving all the change/spare money to put into it. Then, we can share what we did at our party next year! My girls were so excited and went right home to find all the money they could.

In enters the star guest of the evening!

Gabe was so excited. He is at a fun age where Santa is the BOMB!

Kyla

I think this is the first year Hadley didn't cry when Santa came.

Bianca

Cadence

Sometime between the 2 Dickens festivals and Christmas, we must have decorated the tree. I think it was a night or two after the Kent party. Brandon and I went to Teton and bough it this year before the kids were home from school. They were so excited to see it because the girls were SURE we weren't going to get a tree this year.

(Have I ever mentioned how dramatic my girls are..)

While some of us decorated the tree....

Others decorated themselves!

Or got bored rather easily.

But, it eventually got done and everybody was happy.

Okay, next we have the Brian's. Now, we normally don't do Christmas stuff with each other (at least since the parents passed away) We normally go up to the mountains in Victor and have a picnic. Well, that didn't happen this year due to this and that. So, we did a Christmas dinner at the church.

This is my Mother in Law, Twila and her brother, Ralph.

In this picture, there is

Brandon, Uncle Robert, his wife, Heather and his son, Adrian and his girlfriend he brought with him.

The kids had fun playing around the gym.

It was a fun evening and I hope they will do it again, next year.

WOO HOO, We are finally at Christmas Eve. The night in December that every kid looks forward to! I don't think there is a night that is more exciting and anticipated.

We started it off at...a party. But, this year the MEP Christmas party was started at a live nativity. It was out at somebody house, totally free. They had a stable and animals and actors, the whole thing! I am sure it was amazing, and many people felt the spirit, um, me not so much because I was wrestling around with kids. I felt bad for people around us. I guess it's an annual thing, so I hope we can make it again in 2011 and I will be able to enjoy it more.

Then, we headed to my aunt and uncle's home, Bev and Lon for a yummy appetizer dinner! Followed by...yup..SANTA!!!!

Since I already have pictures of my kids with Santa, I won't post these also. But, I have to put this one..

You know those fingers and wrapping people around them, I talked about...ya, Cadence has Grandpa around that string about as tight as it can go and is constantly pulling it tighter.. So, when she took him the present Santa gave her and they opened it to find a book, she got him to read it to her.

We also played the left right game which is a fun tradition we do there. It's always great to see family and spend time with them on such special holidays.

Finally, the kids got to go home and open that one present on Christmas Eve...