Before Christmas there was . . .

Before I can go into Christmas Morning details

I have to update on what we did to get ready for Christmas.

We made our annual Fremont trip to visit Nana and Papa Kennan!

We ate at BANCHEROS, a tradition my kids will never let us stop doing.

(and as a side note I believe I should win mother of the year for taking my almost 2 year old daughter to a 7 course meal - I stopped looking at my watch after we had been there for over an hour and we had eaten soup, salad, an appetizer plate, spaghetti with meatballs and raviolis and we hadn't even gotten to our entree or dessert)

Here is Kale about to try ANCHOVIES. . .

And here is Kristopher's attempt!

Then it's off to see the Oakland Temple Lights!

It never disappoints!

This girl was dragging Papa all over the temple grounds!

We made our (I think) 3rd attempt at getting a Family Christmas Card Picture

I then thought I would at least settle for a mother daughter picture. . .

Ahhh Success!

(why do I look so tired?)

COOKIE BAKING DAY WITH THE SHERLOCKS

Marissa is so great and gives me all her hand me downs from her girls and it just so happened that Kara and Elise wore the same outfit!

They could be sisters huh?

I always told Marissa that if I didn't have a girl of my own I was going to claim Elise!

Here we have the present exchange!

And then we moved on to cookie decorating!

There's Kristopher, Kyla, Elise, Kale, Olivia and Kasey!

Oh yeah - did I forget to mention that my little brother Kasey is spending Christmas and New Years with us this year?

Here's my little brother who towers over me!

I realized that he is the age that I was when Karalyn was his age!

Oh and Kara got in on the decorating action.

She was trying to feed me the sprinkles.

It wasn't so funny when I tried to feed her the sprinkles!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT DOVEWOOD COURT

We took Kasey to go see the Christmas light displays around town one night.

(anyone notice the oversized sweatshirt my daughter is wearing? I was so good to set all the coats, hats, gloves and scarves out on the living room floor according to child before we left the house, but because I can't buckle Karalyn up in her coat I put her in the car with every intention of going back inside to get her coat, hat, and gloves, but I got sidetracked and they were left sitting on the living room floor. Fortunately I have a 9 year old son who has a wardrobe of clothing in the back seat of the van - so oversized sweatshirt it was!)

NEIGHBORHOOD GIFT DELIVERY

Last year we started a tradition where we take each house on our court a little gift. There are 14 houses on our court and not all of them even know who we are. I figure if we keep doing it year after year they will eventually know who we are right?

Whew!