Christmas is coming

So when we returned from our trip we immediately started getting things ready for Christmas. We got out our limited decorations(I left most in storage, so what we have was given to us or made with the exception of the tree from the used store for $20) 

Our tree after the kiddos decorated it. I rearranged, but I think it got rearranged every day. I gave up after doing it for a few nights.

Alissa loved unpacking the nativity Blake's parents got us in the Philippines. 

For our ward Christmas party this year we did a night in Bethlehem. The primary was in charge of the Primary's Pita Inn. The whole gym was decorated light Bethlehem may have looked when Christ was born. We started in the Chapel, then paid our "taxes" or canned food and were given a bag of coins for our food. The primary served bagels, pita, cream cheese and hummus. There was also hard boiled eggs, chicken, cheese, fruits, veggies, drinks and cookies. They even had games for the kids to play. After everyone ate there was a nativity put on by a few people in the ward with singing. Blake was one of the wise men. The whole evening was awesome!

The day after our ward Christmas party was Fast Sunday in our ward. Broden wanted to bear his testimony. We told him we wouldn't tell him what to say that he needed to know himself what he was going to bear his testimony about. So I went up with him completely unprepared for what he said. He said, "Our family read the Book of Mormon and it said to pray about it to know if it is true and that he knows it is true."

Such a simple testimony, but so full of truth. You could tell that he knew, he wasn't just saying it because we told him to. He really knows it is true. We were proud parents!

After the ward Christmas party we got a lovely round of pink eye. I think we all had it over about a week and a half period. Here is the picture of Parker the first day, before going to the doctor. He had a cold too, and had been water painting, hence the black and red. I just thought it added to the misery of the picture. He wasn't actually bothered by the pink eye, other than having to lay still to get eye drops.

Remi and Broden both had Christmas presentations this year. Broden did Christmas with the Aliens. It was about these aliens who crashed on earth and met some kids who were talking about Christmas. The Aliens didn't know what it was, so the kids took them to school to see their Nativity play. It was awesome! I love that they tell the real story of Christmas and talk about Christ and how important he is to us. 

Remi's presentation was at the church down the road from our house. They sang songs, did a nativity and talked about Christmas in other countries. The pastor closed with a prayer and in her prayer she would say a phrase about remembering Jesus Christ and all the kids would repeat it. She said it like 4 or 5 times in her prayer. I love that it really reinforced this concept to them.

And, just because I couldn't resist. Parker was helping me fold socks after he got out of the bath and this is what he came out wearing. It was hilarious! They are Blake's church socks. I couldn't stop laughing and had to take a picture.

I wish I had more pictures of our decorations. I made 3 stockings this year, to go with the 3 I made the year Remi was born. I didn't get any pics though. They weren't anything fancy. I cut up a knitted sweater and made it into stockings. The greenery on the mantle is 2 extra branches from our tree and one I took from the back where no one would notice. I love greenery with lights. Too bad the picture didn't turn out too good. Santa needs to work on his photography skills:)

We did so many fun things with friends this year for Christmas. The Friday the kids got out of school we got together with Ingersoll's and Hatch's ate pizza and each brought a bunch of treats and other gift type items. We compiled them into 15 plates and delivered to 15 different families. We caroled at some and rang and ran at others. It was fun doing nice things for others. Then we went to Hatch's for game night.

Sunday night we did a Christmas dinner for 9 of the Dental Dorm residents. We thought it would be really lonely being so far from family at Christmas time, so we invited them in to our home. It was tons of fun. We kept the kids here for dinner, then Ingersoll's picked them up so we could play games and entertain. Parker and Alissa both attached themselves to one of the girls. The sat on her lap and played with her while we talked and ate appetizers. Then the kids were in the play room eating and Parker got hurt. He was crying, so I went to get him, he walked past me, looked at Blake then kept looking. I pointed to Heather and he ran to her and cuddled with her for like 15 minutes. It was so cute. I think we found a new babysitter.

Christmas Eve we joined Hatch's and some other families for a big dinner at a town hall. We ate, had a white elephant gift exchange and the kids acted out the nativity. We had so much fun and are so grateful to have such great friends here in England. Our ward is truly our family.