It's the most wonderful time of the Year!

We have been so busy the last couple of weeks with Christmas Festivities. This truly is our family's favorite time of the year. The kids have been bouncing off the walls and counting down the days until Christmas. I believe we're at T-minus 2 days and 3 hours until Christmas. Here's a sneak peek at all the fun we've been having. If only Christmas could last all year!

Christmas would not be Christmas at our house without homemade sugar cookies. This is our yearly tradition that the kids absolutely love. Cody wins the prize this year for eating the most frosting. He kept saying "I'm sooo hungry" as he was eating it by the spoonful.

Lauren built this snowman all by herself. She was so proud! With all the snow we have been getting the kids have loved playing out in it.

While our cousins were in town for our grandma's funeral we went to temple square to see the lights. It was so fun and so cold!! Cody cried the whole night because he wanted to get out of the stroller and run around (like that would be a good idea??)

I'm so glad that Connor hasn't outgrown sitting on Santa's lap. Our awesome neighbors have a big Christmas party each year and Santa visits their playhouse in the backyard. We look forward to this every year. Cody would not have a thing to do with him.

One night for family night a bunch of our friends got together to go caroling. We had so much fun! The kids had jingle bells that they would ring. They also wore reindeer ears. Connor even sported a blinking Rudolph nose. We piled into the back of our trucks and went all around the neighborhoods singing. We definitely brightened the holidays for a lot of families. We had donuts and hot chocolate by the fire afterwards.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

a tribute

My dear, sweet grandma Jensen passed away last week. She was 88 years old. What a blessing it was for her to pass from this life to the next. She had suffered for a while and is now at peace and is reunited with my grandpa. I was able to be there just minutes after she passed and I cannot explain the wonderful peace and calm that I felt. Those special moments and time with her were my 'tender mercies' of comfort.
This week we celebrated her life and honored her for all that she accomplished in her 88 years. I was very close with my grandma and have so many great memories of her. She would buy me texas donuts at ZCMI, send cards each year on my birthday addressed to Mrs. Tony Allred, grab my cheeks and kiss me each time I visited and she always made sure I was flooded with knick-knacky gifts at Christmas. But more than doing things for me, I remember my grandma for the things she taught me. By example she taught me to work hard, be frugal, be honest, to love the gospel and my Savior, to be resourceful, creative, strong and generous. She taught me to always do my best, to face adversity with optimism and to always be grateful for my blessings. I could go on and on about the amazing and wonderful woman my grandma was. She left a great legacy that I feel so grateful to be a part of. As life now goes on I will think of her often and I know that thinking of her will give me strength through my life's journey. I love and miss you grandma!