Christmas Visitors

On Tuesday, December 17th Cindy and Erica arrived to visit for Christmas!!! The kids were beyond excited!!! Blake had taken the week of work, so after he went to the temple Tuesday morning he picked them up on his way home. I spent the morning finishing up house work, so I could play and not worry about it for the next couple weeks.

It was so funny when I was finishing mopping the floor Blake called and said he just picked them up and they would be home in about an hour. Then about 15 minutes later I heard the door open and heard a women's voice. I figured they were tricking me and were really home already. I walked down our hall and there was a couple with a little girl walking in the door. They said, "Is this the school?"

I said, "No." They felt so bad. I told them the school was just up the road. They said they saw the "Welcome" sign in the window and thought it was the school. Awkward for them. I thought it was funny:)

Then Cindy and Erika arrived! 

After we chatted for a few minutes and played with Parker and Kelsi we went to get Remi, Broden and Alissa from school. They were so excited!!! I don't think Remi and Alissa let go of Cindy and Erika the whole time they were here:)

Wednesday morning we woke up, took the kids to school, then headed to London. Blake played stay at home dad with Parker and we took Kelsi with us. We spent the day watching the Changing of the guard, doing the big bus tour, walking around Picadilly Circus, having "lunch", taking a boat tour, walking around the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar square and then the Hyde Park Christmas Market. It was a long day, but tons of fun!!!

Our yummy lunch! We got a sandwich to split between the 3 of us, then each got a yummy dessert! 

Thursday morning we woke up and headed to the temple. I went and did initiatory, then Cindy and Erika went and did baptisms. It was such a beautiful, sunny day. The temple grounds are so pretty and peaceful!

Friday morning Blake and I left early and went on a "date" to the dental clinic so he could give me my Christmas present. Then we hurried home and to the church down the road from our house for Remi's Christmas program. Cindy and Erika played mom and dad and got the kids all ready for school and took them to school then took Kelsi and Parker down to the church. Remi did great in her program. She was a reindeer and they sang songs and said poems.

After her program we came back to the house and spent the day adding to Blake's baked goods he had already done. While we were in London and at the temple he made gingersnaps, dough for peanut butter cookies, fudge, english toffee and peanut brittle!!! He even did it with Parker, while doing pick up from school, then watching 3 extra kiddos in the evening. AND the house was spotless when we got home. What a man!!! 

On Friday we made sugar cookies, finished the peanut butter cookies, cooked the gingersnap dough and made more english toffee. It was all delish!

Parker enjoying eating the sprinkles off the table

Some of the finished products!

Alissa's finished favorites. After the ones she ate. She didnt' realize we were decorating them to give to other people. She thought they were just her after school snack. So I think she ate like 5 or 6:) oops!

 Our plates to deliver to people we visit and home teach. There is no way this would have all gotten done if Blake hadn't been on top of things. He was such a good "stay at home mommy" while I was playing with Cindy and Erika! He and the kids had so much fun together.

That night, late, Blake went to get Eric at the airport. They finally got home about 2 in the morning.

Saturday morning we woke up and Cindy, Eric, Erika and I went and picked up Michael. Eric and I met him playing volleyball over the summer. He told us he was a half mormon, so to make a long story short Cindy and I decided she should come out here(on a mission) and baptize him and they should get married!!! Totally just a joke, but he is from Italy and so he was coming to teach us how to cook real Italian Spaghetti. So, we all went to the store to get the ingredients, then home to chop veggies and cook real yummy spaghetti. It was sooo good. Then Michael and Cindy made us crepes with Nutella for dessert. After that we headed to the gym for some volleyball and walleyball to work it all off:)

 Sitting down to our yummy meal. Wish we would have gotten a picture of everyone. Blake, Cindy, the kids and I all had on our Italy Sweatshirts! It was pretty sweet.

 Concentrating so hard on the crepes.

Parker definitely enjoyed his spaghetti. I don't know how his shirt stayed so white.

Yummy Nutella crepes!