Robertson Family Christmas Party

Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa Robertson hosted our Robertson family Christmas party.  This year we had the Tarkingtons, the Hansens, me and my friend Cristina.  We had a fun waffle and fruit dinner, played with the kids, Grandpa read a Christmas story, a sing a long, and Aubrey came up with a game for all the kids.  It was so fun.  

Aubrey's Christmas game. (She had us guessing what song it was from the first letters of the words from the first line.)

Grandpa's story time.  There were 15 grandkids there.  I think this is my favorite Robertson tradition.

Evelyn has a hard time sitting and listening, so I gave her my camera and let her take pictures as Grandpa read.  She came out with some real gems. I love it.  Pretty much every picture from here down was Evelyn.  It was cute, all the grandkids took turns playing songs for us to listen to or sing to.  Aubrey and Joe each played a hand on the hymns and we all sang.  The Hansens left because they have to give Walter a medicine every night at the same time, so the Tarkingtons and us just played a couple of games and chatted.  Marg read out of Way of Kings while a couple of them played a game.  I haven't read that one in a while and I'm just remembering a lot of it as she read.

Ada and Evelyn got their Grandma dolls this year.  Maisy did too, so they had a fun doll party.  Maisy and Ada got the same dolls.  They decided to pretend that they were twins.

This had me cracking up.  I don't usually let the kids use my phone when we're with cousins, but the kids have all been learning languages with Duolingo.  These two wanted to "friend" each other on it.  I let Sam have it, they friended each other and raced each other to see who could do their language exercises first.  It was hilarious and I just let it go on.

Wilcox Family Christmas party

With my parents serving in Washington, Sharon hosted us for a Wilcox Family Christmas Party.  It was pleasant and fun.  The kids played well, the adults played well and it was so fun together.  Sharon made graham cracker houses that the kids got to decorate.  It was so fun and they were very creative.  I kept forgetting to help Seth get frosting for his candy, Jeremy rescued me and jumped in. 

Sharon also came up a bean bag toss game that changed 3 times to do white elephant gifts.  The kids had a blast.

This nugget loved trying out all the things before anyone played the games.  She was adorable when it was her turn.  She'd just toss them and not really pay attention to where she tossed them.

This one caught my parents.  Brad set up a skype call so that they could participate with everything.  It was cute, you'd have one kid go talk to them, then the next kid would go as the other wandered off.  It was so fun.  It might not have been 100% action packed for them, but it was fun to have them "there".

This had me cracking up.  Seth has actually grown a lot in the last couple of months.  He's a very active and very large kid.  When he jumps at you, it feels like someone tossed a large stone in your lap that's wiggly and doesn't like to listen when you say stop.  In the picture, see how Jer is so nonchalant?  Yeah, that's because this is a very normal part of sitting with Seth.  Jer once described him as flubber…. continual movement.  (Until he's at Grandma Robertson's house that has the Disney Chanel... then he really will sit like a rock for 6 hours). 

Piano recital

Despite being 10 minutes late and being the first on the program, these guys did spectacular at their piano recital!  They all three played their songs from memory, no having to start again or long pauses.  I'm very proud of them.  

Look at these babies

These are her cousins, but this baby that's screaming is my favorite.  I took her parents engagement pictures years ago, now they have a little boy and this little girl with such thick and beautiful hair.

Windswept

BYU has an exhibit by Patrick Doughurty. He does nature and earth installtions inside and out. At BYU it was inside. The smell alone was heavenly. This is my favorite kind of at. Controlled nature. Right next to his exhibit was one out of clay. Between the clay and the branches it smelled like the best kind of garden. There is also a Pulitzer Prize photography exhibit downstairs. I'm not sure I should have taken the kids, there were lots of opportunities to talk about war, conflict, Book of Mormon timeline, and why our heavenly father needs us to be kind. There were some very positive emotional things like taking down the Berlin Wall, rescuing a baby from a well , Etc. But there were very hard ones to see too. Like victims of War, bombings, and humans being downright awful. Sam was particularly moved. He kept saying I don't want to see any more mom these are all too sad. And I admit that most of the made me cry. He gave me the chance to talk to them why it was important to help people that were refugees and vets.