How we spent Christmas 2009

Ice skating at the Pearland Town Center

The Houston Ballet Nutcracker on Christmas Eve

Quote of the Nutcracker: Seconds after the curtain closed Ty leaned over to Kyle and said, " Dad do you think there's some football on at home?" Classic. Now, don't let either Kyle or Ty tell you they didn't enjoy the Nutcracker. Because they did. At least as long as they knew there wasn't any football on! For the record let me remind you that going to the Nutcracker is a tradition of Kyle's family and he, Kyle, insists that we go. I, of course, love it. Our kids love it too. Even Reese, who other than loosing her snack to the lady in front of us after tossing it absent mindedly, thoroughly enjoyed the entire show.

The all traditional Christmas PJ's!

Christmas Day caroling at a Rest Home

My personal holiday favorite was having the kids play/sing Christmas songs and hand out chocolates at a local Elderly Home on Christmas day. Both Jaden and Ty voiced that going to the rest home was their second favorite thing that happened to them on Christmas day. Of course, their first favorite thing was their most coveted gift.

We have enjoyed doing this in years past whenever we have stayed in town for the holiday. This year it was quite a production. An overjoyed Nurses Aid made an announcement on the intercom letting residents know that: "a little girl would be playing Christmas songs and a little boy would be handing out chocolates in the grand room." About 20 residents came!

Jaden fabulously ran through her Christmas repertoire for over thirty minutes. While Ty handed out candy. Reese managed to entertain by dancing around the room with a mouth full of chocolate. Kyle forgot his hymn book that he planned to play Silent Night out of. So we made him sing a solo. Kidding. But even Jaden remembered her piano books!

Ty is also pictured above playing one song that he worked extra hard on to have learned the week of Christmas in hopes that he could play at the rest home. While Ty played one of the sweet ladies kept repeating, "Would you look at that, his feet don't even touch the floor. Do you see that? His feet don't touch the floor!" But that didn't get under Ty's skin. He did a swell job playing Up on the House Top.

An early Christmas gift

A long awaited playground came the week before Christmas from mom and dad. Jaden and Ty begged to sleep in it. And they sure can, once it warms up and once they convince Kyle to join them.

Reese's reaction after being told it was time to go inside. Check out those chuncky legs!

Christmas Program

Jaden and member friends her age performed this beautiful lyrical dance

at our ward Christmas program. Video below.

Jaden starts out second from the left in front. She is also one of the two girls leaping toward the end of the song. Reese isn't shown but you can sure hear her cough in the background. She's not sick. That's how she coughs.