The lights at Temple Square

I love going to see the lights at temple square but this year was amazing.  This is how it always should be when we go to see the lights.  The weather was awesome.  The kids ended up taking their coats off and just wore jackets.  It was perfect.  

 The lights were so pretty this year.  They added little bits of yellow in the red lights and it made it look so pretty.  

 I love my girlies

We have so much. fun being together 

 It is nice to come inside and take a moment to reflect on the Savior.  I love this statue of Christ.

Back in the day when there was a ZCMI.  They would do the most amazing candy windows.  I use to get so excited as a kid to go and see their windows.  For the longest time there hasn't been any windows dressed up for Christmas.  I was so excited to see that Macy's brought back the candy windows.  I was not disappointed either.  They did an amazing job.  The kids were pretty impressed too.  

 So awesome.

 I always love coming to temple square with this man.  After all it is where our happily ever after started. 

 We are so blessed to live by such a magical place.  Seriously, the best lights in the world. 

 In the last few years they have redesigned the nativity in the middle of Temple Square.  It is so realistic now. As I was watching I got emotional thinking about this very special day.  This is by far my most favorite part of the Temple Square experience.  

 After we headed over to City Creek to go and see the big man himself.  Elsie was so excited to see Santa.  When we got there Santa was gone for the evening.  We felt so bad because Miss Elsie's heart was broken. I felt so bad for this little lady.  

 After some snuggles and talking Elsie was able to find some comfort in knowing we would see him another time.  She had to tell him that she really wanted roller blades and a sleeping beauty wig for Christmas.

Jeron has been trying for years to make this a tradition that we do every other year.  I hate to say it but he is out of luck.  I wouldn't feel like it was Christmas without going to see the lights on Temple Square.  This is one tradition he won't be able to mess with.

Goofy Girl

She is one goofy little lady.  She thought this was a lot of fun.  

 I cant get enough of her.  She is so silly sometimes.  I love this smile on her sweet little face.  

Daddy's little Ute

This little lady has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.  So much so that when she is wearing a Utah hat he still thinks she is adorable.  I am thinking it just might be Emry that turns him into a Ute fan after all.

 Seriously, how can you not what to be a UTE when you look so cute in their stuff.  

Monson Family Bowling

Every year we try to get together and go bowling. It is starting to become a tradition and it is always nice to see everyone. I miss my cousins and it is nice to get to spend some time bowling. I have got skills and apparently my Aunt Julie does too. We both threw the ball behind us instead of in front of us. Hmmm. In my defense I did just have a greasy pizza.  The kids had a great time.  They were pretty awesome bowlers, like their mom.

There really isn't a better time.  I mean really, when you get to wear shoes that other people wear you know that you are in for a real treat.  The kids thought it was a blast though, and that is all that matters.

Thanksgiving with the Snow Family

You know it is going to be a good day when this is what you wake up too.  They are all too cute for words.

One of the down points to the morning was Elsie asked me to curl her hair, in the craziness of the day she grabbed the curling wand by the barrel.  It isn't a normal curling iron.  It heats up really hot.  It burned her poor little hand pretty good.  It was not the kind of thing that was going to make this day go any smoother.  My cute neighbor ran over some lavender oil and we put it on.  It hurt really bad at first and then it took the pain away and she was pain free from then on.  Amazing stuff.

This post might be picture overload but I went through and deleted a ton already.  These are the ones I just had to use.  We had such a wonderful time this Thanksgiving.  Having at our house was a lot of fun for us.

Earlier in the month Jeron suggested that we have Thanksgiving at our house.  I felt a little overwhelmed but then thought about how great it would be to have everyone here and also I would get to use my china.  I never get to use my china.  I had also been wanting to play Minute To Win It with a big group and this was my chance.  I don't think that when Jeron suggested that we have it here that he really realized all the work that goes into it.  He was a bit overwhelmed with all that I wanted to do.  We did have a lot of bumps along the way but lessons learned for the next time.

The turkey was a big chore and I will do it differently next time.  My parents have a cooker that is amazing.  I will never slow cook a turkey again.  It is a ton of work and it made the turkey really dry.  I like moist turkeys. Plus, I woke up two hours after Jeron  had left for football and the oven was off.  I repeat OFF!  Do you know how freaking awful that was.  I was dying.  If the turkey is ruined the dinner is ruined.  There isn't any going back without a turkey.  It turns out Jeron saw the oven on.  JJ had a dream that the oven was on fire so we think JJ must have turned it off in between Jeron leaving and me waking up.  I was so nervous to serve it but we felt it might be okay.  Turns out it was.

 We had three days of prep time not including all the other days of getting stuff.  I had the table set the day before so the kids were banished from the main level.  All in all it was a lot of work but all worth it.

The adult table

 This is by far the table that I was most excited about.   I loved the kids table.  I saw this on Pinterest years ago and knew I had to do it.   

 When everyone came we were a bit behind but they were all very gracious and just pitched in and helped.  Elsie loves her older cousins.  She gets good quality time with them and they are so sweet with her.  Taylor is getting so old. I remember when she was just Elsie's age.  Time flies. 

Mother and daughter looking so lovely.  

Jeron the turkey surgeon carving away on the bird.

Isn't she a pretty bird.

Grandpa keeping a watchful eye on this rookie.

Father and Daughter

Getting in to get a taste.  Grandpa was the official taster.

Court letting Kylie know how it is.

He is just so excited he can't stand it. I think he was chanting Turkey, Turkey, Turkey...

We even got Grandma B for the festivities.  It is always nice to have her there.  She is a very wonderful woman.

This has to be one of my favorite pics of the day.  Elsie is captivated by her older cousins.  Every ounce of attention she gets she loves.

I love that Elsie is coloring at the table.  I was hoping to get a lot of art work.  It was fun to see how excited the littles were about their own table.  

Jeff enjoying the kids table as much as the kids.  hahaha  Poor little Mac wasn't feeling well.  Emry and him were both sickos. 

This is the mature kids table.  I can't believe how "grown up" these kids are getting.  My kids are not far behind them.  Kind of makes me sad and excited all in the same breath.  

After we ate dinner we played Minute To Win It.  I think it was a lot of fun.  Everyone was great to participate in my madness   Thank  you for indulging me. 

We played the stack cupping.  Jeron looks like he is losing but he kicked my trash.

Grandpa Gene loves his grandkids.  Megan and Chris came and it was great to have them.  

Taylor and JJ played the tissue pull.  Taylor was so stressed out . It was comical to watch her just stress about it.  JJ and Emma had a blast.  

blowing up balloons and using the air to push a cup off of the table proved a lot harder for some than others. Grandma Jan happened to win this one.  

Maybe it is because Gene was such an awesome coach.

Ellie shook her hips for the jiggle bell bop.  She had to shake the balls out of a kleenex box.

 One of my favorites of the night was Merry Kissmas.  You had to hang a Christmas ornament on the string without using your hands.  

I don't think Emma and Tara ever thought they would be this close.  

Taylor and Courtney were hilarious because they kept yelling at each other.  Siblings.  They were a crack up to watch.  If I remember right they both got cuts on their faces.  Talk about getting into it.  

More Christmas Tree  cup stacking.

and more...

Like I said it was a hit.

The mom and daughter competition.

Chris and Jeron played and I really thought it would be a COMPETITION but apparently Jeron just wasn't that use to the idea of stacking cups.  Chris smoked him.  In fact Chris smoked everyone he played all night long.  

This was more Jeron's speed.  He smoked his old man.

We were able to get a group shot.  Jeff and Mac had already left but the rest of the gang is here.  I sure do love these people.  Thanks for a very fun Thanksgiving.

After everyone had left and we had all cleaned up the kids were all lying aroung Emry and I got this adorable picture.

 We had a great time but these two need to go to bed STAT