Christmas Holidays 2016

Was planning on doing one christmas post but didn't have all the pictures uploads and it was getting long.  So here is the second post... I really just want to post video and pictures of Tulips babies (2 weeks ago!) and I know you are not supposed to play catch up but with just one post behind... I figured I will do it.

Emily's birthday cake! We had a trifle bar as Emily requests every year which is why the cake is partly cut up :)  Didn't take any pictures of us at Rancho de Chimayo this year.

Bethanie brought some music for people to try... I love our family.  I will only post a couple videos of the playing.. or lack there of :)

Practicing...


How many people does it take to do a quartet?

More practicing...


I love the faces...  And see my new Christmas chair?

And a little legato.. so pretty! (The chair I got for Christmas is the one Andrew gets into).


We spent some time at the Bradbury science museum.

Alec liked the puzzles... no really, he did!

So did Hannah :)

Watching the show..

We also went to Tsankawi to do a little hiking and see the caves...

Always beautiful.

Lots and lots of shards...

And a selfie or 2.  Didn't get any pictures of the caves of course..

Went ice skating too!

It was a little strange cuz only the young people and Jenny and I wanted to go... weird.

I took the dogs on a walk and Jacob came along cuz he didn't want to go to Santa Fe with the others.
Hero Shot!

Then I took the dogs down the red dot trail for fun..

They don't get the selfie thing..

They just like to have pictures taken of themselves..

We had a fun New years eve with lots of drinks (behind Jenny)..

And of course... food!

And that's all the pictures she took.  sigh.  I'm getting worse in my old age at snapping pictures!

December and Christmas - 2016

I really was going to post in January but obviously that didn't happen.  Things move along too swiftly at Nice Smart Acre.  Now that I want to post videos of Tulips kids I better get this post out.

Emily made a bunch of bread again from Lucy... even cinnamon swirl.

I have been crocheting edging on the edges of handkerchiefs (now that all the temples have been dedicated and we don't need hosanna cloths anymore). Then I embroidered initials on them... freehand after looking at fonts on the internet.

Rather proud of myself...

Although after doing the first N part of the M I thought maybe I'd give it to somebody whose name starts with an N instead of an M :)

There is a ton of stuff going on at Temple Square during the holidays so Aaron had us go up there one afternoon/evening.  We listened to a men's group sing in the Joseph Smith Memorial building and then a children's group.

It was fun.  Jared, Amy, Gage and a couple foster kids came with us too!

Moms been doing some house purging of stuff and brought us a bunch of quart canning jars (anyone else need some more?) so I decided to try that dry canning beans method in the pressure canner.  It was fun!  Aaron used the beans in broth in soup and they were way good.

Oh, and we also canned a couple batches of cream of turkey soup too using up the rest of the Thanksgiving turkey broth.  Turned out great.

The Choir sang the week before Christmas...

Note to self, have the choir come early to go over the music, even if it is just for 5 minutes!  I said we weren't going to cuz we had to practice after church again since they were singing ON Christmas as well.  Still learning here.  That's what they get when they call lay choir directors.

On the way to NM for the holidays (so thankful for the nice weather this time!), Daisy moseyed onto Aaron's lap.  Best seat in the car!

Lighting farolitos Christmas eve.  I didn't take a lot of pictures this year of Christmas... was having too much fun :)

They wouldn't stay lit because of the wind..

But we all tried..

Bethanie showing off the ones by the house that were a bit protected.

All the kids love helping to light then.

Some with lighters :)

Others with candles.

Everyone has to help!

That way it gets done before it gets too dark.

I wanted a picture of caroling to send to everyone so I did it at the Packs house... seemed appropriate :)

Aaron and his Christmas eve present... Wise men if I ever saw one!

Waiting on the stairs Christmas morning..

Always some shenanigans...

Almost everyone!  The dogs try to participate..

My view...

Aaron got an alto recorder from Emily!

Daisy helped (I need to remember to record longways!)


And I got sunshine in a jar!  I love Solar stuff :)

Hmm... guess I was planning this to be two posts...