The Happiest Season of All

Our Christmas break was quiet and peaceful and refreshing. Watson is magical right now with everything. Although we didn't get to have Chandler home until the 27th, he was a pleasure about practically everything. (Not what I expect from a teenager, but fantastic anyway.) Christmas Eve was at Grandma Nettie's with a few cousins. Christmas Day brought lots of surprises for everyone, including me. Watson got all three things on his list for Santa. It really was magical.

The boys always get new PJ's on Christmas Eve.

Watson was great about waiting for us to finally get out of bed, around 7 am.

The Skylanders game was the main theme of Christmas this year.

Of course there was a new Lego set too.

Scott surprised me by picking out a cute coat and some beautiful diamond earrings.

There were a few surprises for Scott, including a new watch. His biggest present was the finished prototype of his latest bike, Carv Skibike.

We spent Christmas afternoon and evening at Grandma Nettie's with all of the cousins. Good food and family really make it feel like Christmas.

Excited is a bit of an understatement of how we feel when Chandler comes home. Watson is his shadow as much as possible.

Scott and Chandler got passes to play at Ifly in Ogden over the break. Chandler also got a new long board to ride down the hills in the back of our house.

We had a great holiday, in every way. I'm so grateful for our little family and especially for the chances we continue to get to make memories together.

What the?

Watson is in his second year of preschool right now. There are 19 kids in his little class at Summit Academy. One little girl has made a big impression on him. He came home and wanted to write a "love letter" to Olivia. What? I couldn't believe what he said! But, he was determined. He drew this sweet picture and gave it to her the next day.

Apparently, she liked him too. He brought home a little love letter of his own a few days later. Should I be worried? He seems a little young to feel romance...

Carr Christmas Traditions

December and Christmas celebrations seemed to come really quick this year. Our days and nights filled up pretty fast with a lot of different activities. We kicked it off by attending Riverton City's Christmas celebration. We decorated sugar cookies, sang Christmas Carols, saw Santa and got hot chocolate. We also attended the Stake Live Nativity. Scott was able to help out with setting up the scenery this year. Even though the wait was long and the weather was cold, we enjoyed time together and felt the Spirit as we "walked through Bethlehem."

December 1st brought our helpful elf, Mr. Jim, back to us. He surprised Watson with some new socks and sported his own new green shoes. Watson loved looking for him each day and only got one warning about being naughty.

Watson and I spent a sunny day at Gardner Village for the Elf Scavenger Hunt. He can never find his name on the naughty/nice list! He was a little braver this year to stand next to a few and loved seeing what they were up to.

Mr. Jim stayed busy each night finding new ways to play or hide.

We got to decorate our gingerbread house with all kinds of treats and snacks. Although Watson was ready to eat it all as we went along, most of stayed intact for a couple of weeks.

We decorated our traditional sugar cookies and delivered them to little old ladies. We visited the retirement center by our old house and the residents were happy to see Watson. He seems to be getting a little more shy as he gets older...

Of course we made it to Temple Square to see the lights. The weather was remarkably pleasant and the lights were incredibly beautiful. I love to see the temple, in all seasons. I love to feel the Spirit, especially when I'm with my family there.

We tried to go the the Larry H. Miller Christmas Carole Sing Along, per tradition. Unfortunately, a stomach bug hit me pretty hard and I couldn't be anywhere but home for a solid three days. We'll make it next year. 
We did make it, however, to another live nativity/musical performance at Liberty Park. The weather was perfect this year and I feel so grateful for the people willing to make such a special event possible.

Santa, Santa, Santa

Watson started his Christmas Season off with more than one visit to see the Man in Red. We saw him ice skating and at the Riverton Christmas Celebration and at our Ward Christmas party. His list was always the same. He claimed to be a good boy. Other than spurts of sassiness every now and then, Watson made our Christmas time magical. I am pretty confident to say 5 is the perfect age.

Watson practiced his handwriting by writing his own Santa letter this year. He was extremely patient and persistent with the job. I love his pictures of Santa and an elf.

Happy Birthday--Big 40

Happy happy birthday to our Scott dear! We celebrated as a family this big turning of 40. He got his traditional tower of presents and picked Chinese food for dinner. We also had German Chocolate cupcakes with my family. We are so lucky to have him as our husband and dad. He is the best! His creativity and passion are unrivaled and it seems he always has a good story to tell. Watson and Sparky adore being with him every moment. Happy Birthday Honey! We love you more than we can really express....

The Gang's All Here, Mostly

Thanksgiving was really late this year. It seemed to make November a VERY long month. I was especially grateful this year to be in a new kitchen. There is a lot of room to spread out my baking supplies. And, I even had a friend over to make pies together. It was pretty close to the perfect set up.  I think my stuff tasted extra yummy this year. Of course, my mom always does an amazing job of Thanksgiving meal making. Her stuffing is the best. I have taken it with me when I traveled out of town for the holiday. The veggies are always good and Challey has been bringing awesome dinner rolls lately. Aside from the food, it's fun to get together as a family. We do spend a lot of time together but Thanksgiving was especially pleasant this year because almost all of us were together. We missed Chandler--but did our best to enjoy our time together.

Of course we did our annual BINGO game. Somehow it is a mix of white elephant and BINGO. It's always funny to see what the most popular item is. I think it was a pair of socks this year....

I love Thanksgiving. It's a great time to slow down for a moment and really reflect on the blessings of the year. I'm grateful we are healthy and happy and am excited for good things to come.
Over Thanksgiving break we also visited the Hill Air force Base Aerospace Museum. It was amazing to see these giant airplanes and helicopters all over the place. It was also amazing to hear stories about the men and women who used them to fight for freedom for me and so many others. I think it was a perfect activity to express gratitude.

Pictures courtesy of Watson.

Skate with the Elves

Working with Coldwell Banker has some little perks every now and then. This year they invited us to a little ice skating event. Watson absolutely loved this! He even skated a little on his own. Scott was out of town so it was just the two of us. We laughed so hard as we slipped all over the rink. Watson was so brave and determined to skate. It was a fun experience all the way around.

The first visit with Santa went well. Watson knew his Christmas list perfectly--Slobbertooth Skylander, LEGO Batman and Flash set, and the Skylander game. No crying child here!

Dr. Who?

I'm not sure what is happening, but my little guy is becoming overly mature quickly. In my humble opinion. Why is he driving home from church? I'm not sure. Luckily, we live in the "country" so this training for young'uns is "normal."

Watson has also developed a bit of a fascination to Dr. Who, thanks to my 11 year old nephew Stratton. He decided to dress up like one of the many characters all by himself. Three days in a row. I plan to buy some suspenders and another bow tie in the next few weeks. I guess to support his imagination? He does crack me up sometimes! It was good luck we had the Sonic Screwdriver from Chandler's interest a few years ago. Watson is all set.

R&R, Scott Style

Scott took advantage of the unusually dry and warm weather to extend his biking season. He and a few friends hit the trails on "I" street behind the Avenues in Salt Lake. He enjoys the adrenaline rush but I'm always grateful he comes home in one piece. I never really know what risks he's taking until I see the pictures posted on Facebook. That's probably a good thing.

Oh Halloween, How We Love You!

Halloween week was busy. We had to find a costume for Watson. He couldn't decide on who to be this year. It started with Ash Ketchum from Pokeman. Then he wanted to be Harley Quin from Batman (Yes, that's a girl character. But, she wears black and red--that's more important.) Then it was Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Really, I think he chose the last because the costume was most available. I think he makes a cute ninja turtle! 

Also, our sweet and dear and amazing friend Vickie Anderson passed away. Oh how we love her. And miss her. The timing was fitting although far too soon for anyone who knows her. She was finished with her mission on earth and Heavenly Father called her home. We will always remember her kindness and sincerity and love.

From Halloween 2013, Vickie is in the middle.

Watson had a very, very short parade at school. (I missed it because I was 2 minutes late.) And a little Halloween Party. One of the treats was a wizard's wand. I think that mom was genius. 

After Vickie's viewing Halloween evening, Scott took Watson trick or treating with Stratton and the other Smiths. He got quite the haul. Sidekick Turtle (Sparky) hung out with me to hand out treats. We kept down the fort but ran out of candy.

Watson's favorite candy this year were suckers. He made sure to not keep any candy he didn't like. 

We had a late night feast of mummy pizza and salad. It was a fun night for all!