December and Christmas

Isn't December the BEST?! Especially with kids. Andy is at the prime age to enjoy every second of it all. It was the funnest month!

Our FHE gingerbread house masterpiece. Even Max got into it!

I know, I know. It's the most pathetic tree you've ever seen. I think Cam and I got it for $20 on black friday our first Christmas. This year was its last; it started out with half the lights out, and by the time Christmas came around it didn't even have any working lights! :) Andy loved it all the same and took this picture because he was so proud of our tree.

A fun pajama party for our ward Christmas Party. I'm loving the hat/scarf combo on Cameron.

I got to help with Andy's preschool Christmas Party. I brought "Roll a Reindeer" and Andy loved it so much, we got to play it lots and lots more times at home before Christmas.

This is a little out of order, but we went bowling the day after Christmas with Cam's family. It was SO fun. Andy loved it. And it was Max's first time, and he thought it was the greatest thing ever. Love these boys of ours!

I'm afraid I was a horrible picture taker on Christmas Day, and this is the only one I got of Andy. This is Andy playing with Max's new blue track. Some of Andy's presents were a scooter (from Santa), a globe, a "How To Train Your Dragon" blanket and coloring book and figurines (Toothless and Hiccup are his latest obsession), and lots of books.

My one picture of Max on Christmas Day! Typical of him, he skipped the toys and went straight for his stocking candy. :) Some of his presents: his blue track, another car race track, books, and lots more I'm forgetting.

We had the funnest Christmas Eve party at my Aunt Anne's house! Here we are doing the traditional Christmas chimes. Andy was a fine. And check out Max snuggling Grandpa Mark, whom he adores.

Cute Andy decided to wrap up some of our current toys and put them under the tree.

Christmas Cookies with Grandma and Rachel! We delivered them to some of his friends, which he was very excited about. I hope his friends enjoyed the mounds of red sprinkles on top of each cookie. :) We took Andy to the dollar store again this year to pick out presents for everyone. Hilarious as always. Some highlights: He got Ben a plunger. He got Christine a mop. He got Cameron pop rocks. He gave my dad some finger paints, since he likes to paint. (so sweet!) He gave Abby a hula hoop. He gave my mom a dish scrubber. He gave Max a harmonica. As always, super cute. I love seeing how his sweet brain works.

Andy's preschool sang at the Heritage Place and put on the cutest program for the residents there. Andy even got a little solo part! He's totally a perform and loved being up there at the front and totally got into it. I got to accompany them on a few songs.

It was really neat that his preschool program happened to be at the Heritage Place, because that's where my grandparents had just moved to a couple weeks before! 

We celebrated Andy's half-birthday at school. We brought chocolate chip-m&m cookies at Andy's request.

We had such a fun time seeing the lights downtown!

We held the annual gingerbread man decorating contest again! Andy's gingerbread man. I guess it was too tempting to not eat it. 

Some of the entries.

And the rest of the entires. Fun star wars theme this year!

Everyone hard at work

We had a fun morning eating breakfast with Santa at Station Park.

Santa even arrived for the breakfast on a helicopter! Which practically blew us all over when it landed. But the boys loved it!

We had a great visit at the Festival of Trees. Cameron's first time!

Andy asked us to take his picture with lots and lots of trees.

Cute Andy visiting with Santa at my parents' ward party, telling him he wanted a scooter. Max was there but wouldn't get within a few feet of Santa.