before the year is over...

I will post about Christmas. I will post about Christmas. I will post about Christmas. and by Christmas, of course, I mean the whole season, having generally neglected the topic previously. So here goes - the non-inclusive, not yet featured holiday highlights in review:

I LOVE decorating our Christmas tree, even using all of the funny and random ornaments that we have. they all mean something to me and I ALWAYS think it is the most beautiful tree ever. the kids love helping, although Romney mostly just runs back and forth from the tree looking for the little hook he just lost.
Lainey's spanish school Christmas program. so much fun, and so funny.


gingerbread FRENZY, the rise and fall. besides being so much fun to make, thanks to my amazing and fun friend, this was the single greatest motivating factor through most of the month. "do you want a piece of candy off the gingerbread house? go clean your room!" it worked like a charm.
girl's outing and Lainey's first experience of The Nutcracker, followed by an increase (if you can believe it) in dancing at our house. notice Lainey's dancing face in the movie:

fabulous family time, including having the very fun and endlessly energetic uncle david (or, "the tiger," as he's known at our house) home from provo:

first attempt at making caramels without la mama (look how david's hand is blurry - never stopped stirring, even for a pic. he's good, he's very good.):

snow, snow, snow, and skiing, skiing, skiing! best Christmas present ever. Lainey informed us this year that one of our family traditions would be skiing on Christmas. great news! sometimes, it's really great having Lainey be the boss of our family. so ski we did. Romney even got to break out of the backpack for a couple of runs. that's him in the cape: