Christmas Festivities

Each year we come up with a list of things we'd like to do and see before Christmas.  This year, there were a lot of new and exciting things for us in a new city.  Despite Matt's busy schedule, we were able to spend some good time together as we prepared for Christmas.

One day I found my nativity set heading up the stairs.  

We sat around the fire when it got chilly outside...like 60 degrees chilly...brrrr!!  : )

We even visited the zoo to check on the polar bears during the day.

We set up our Christmas tree, and the boys preceded to re-decorate a zillion times before Christmas day.

Graham was a little confused about the purpose of the stockings.  He didn't quite understand that they'd be filled with treats and that they weren't for wearing.

The San Diego Zoo has Jungle Bells that the boys loved.  Regrettably, we never went to the zoo lights in Phoenix, mostly because they closed the zoo and then reopened for the lights, but you also had to pay another admission to get in.  The San Diego zoo didn't have an extra fee, and we already have passes, so it was perfect.  They boys loved it, especially Graham.  The night we went the zoo was nearly empty, and we got to see many of the animals that would normally be sleeping during the day. 

Santa was even at the zoo, and there wasn't anyone in line to see him!  The boys did really well with Santa, and Graham was beyond thrilled that he got a candy cane.  

We made ate our annual gingerbread house.  Mason was super silly.  He was eating the house as fast as we were decorating it.  It got to the point that we were just throwing on as much stuff as we could just to make sure something stuck to the house and didn't get eaten.

Graham was quite proud of his creation.

One afternoon we made some Christmas play dough. It quickly turned into snowballs as Graham was throwing it all over the house.

The boys got to open one present early.  My parents sent them the cutest little nativity set, so mine didn't have the climb the stairs anymore.

The set included a little red basket of food, which Graham insisted was the picnic and needed to be in the stable with Mary and baby Jesus.  Sorry, Joseph, no stable for you today.

We also went to the San Diego Temple to see the lights.  The lights there aren't quite as numerous as the Salt Lake or Mesa temples, but they are still beautiful.  It was surprisingly cold that night, and as you can see we were ill-prepared.  That and Mason refused to wear his shoes or stay in the blanket.