Misc catch up pictures from this week

 

Jer is amazing.  Our dog is getting old and definitely has arthritis.  We have a basic dog house with a basic heat lamp in in during the winter.  He did research and has come up with a design that traps heat and is a little larger for her to move around in.  The kids have helped off and on with this one.  Another way to learn some skills. 

The stump got taken out this week too.  I was weird and wanted a picture of the kids on it before they took it all the way out. 

This is Ada's list of Brandon Sanderson swear words for Jer.

Sam's attempt to put away washed sheets, towels and blankets.  This made Jer laugh so hard.

Seth got the front runner train for Christmas.  He LOVES it.  More than I thought he would.  Jer knows his boy.

Evelyn has been picking up random books in the house and reading them.  I love it, but it means that I'm always looking for the house library under her bed.  This year she found, read and loved The Forgotten Carols book.  I always want to go to the musical with the kids but I'm always put off by the $20 ticket price tag.  This year, because of Covid, they made a movie of it and local theaters were showing it for the couple of weeks before Christmas.  The Scera bought someone's old film and offered $5 tickets.  I bought tickets for the day after Christmas and it was basically us, my Mom and 2 other people that showed up.  It was cheesy and fun.  Evelyn loved it, Seth and Sam liked some of the songs but didn't like sitting through the "moral of the story" parts of it.  Overall, I think it went well.  Definitely $5 tickets are better.

Ada and Aubrey.

Talent show

 

Michelle wanted to sing 'O Holy Night'.  Luckily I had the music and it worked out.  She has a sweet little voice. 

Seth, Thea and Vivien did a "dance".  Then Seth told a couple of jokes and didn't forget any of the punch lines.  I was glad he did it.  He was starting to get shy but did one.... then he wasn't scared anymore and added a couple more jokes to the mix.

Ada, Sam and I sang the Coventry Carol and I couldn't be prouder.  It required them to learn a part that was not the melody and sing it without me leading them.  They did it all in about two weeks and sounded marvelous.  Evelyn did some of her ballet dance while we sang.

Aubrey is very talented with hands on things.  She made Vivien a doll out of yarn, did her own cute hair and then did Adas'. 

The Nativity

 

This year we did the Nativity slightly differently.  We watched the Christmas special from The Chosen, then each of the kids got a piece of the Nativity to place on the table while Jordan read the Christmas Story.  

Hongie with Grandpa.

My Dad bore his testimony of the importance of Jesus Christ as our Savior and as the central figure in our lives.  Evelyn is a tender hearted girl and had to snuggle with him.

Seth selfie

Sharon's girls didn't want to just leave the Nativity on the table.  They set it up over and over and over....

Sam was feeling the spirit but didn't know quite how to react to it.  It was sweet to watch him trying to figure it out.

Buddies.

Jordan reading the Nativity.

Evelyn and Michelle buddies.

Playing at Grandparents house

The kids had fun playing with cousins and hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox's house.  And yes, it was 50 or so degrees outside.  The last couple of years we haven't had snow that sticks around until about January.

Thea wanted to be outside with Ada so badly.  We let her going out for a bit and then invited her in to play dragons with Seth.

Sam got a new Legend of Zelda piano book and very enthusiastically has played through a lot of them.

Dragon game with Vivien and Thea.  I love that all of my kids have cousins their ages to play with.  Cousins are awesome.

Jer had the idea that for a stocking stuffer he would buy a few Magic the Gathering cards for each of their decks.  The kids spent and hour redoing their decks and then snagged Uncle Seth to play with them when he came later in the day. 

We got the Throw Burrito game.  It's so funny.  It was a little too hectic with all the cousins so we'll try again with just our family, but it seems like it will be a fun one.