New Years Week

 We did all kinds of fun things during the week of New Years. 

On Dec 26, we went to the St Paul Science Museum! 

Tanner learned a lot about wind and flight at this exhibit.

Dallin had fun pressing the buttons on this exhibit.

The museum had a big room filled with cardboard boxes. They had all kinds of tools to use so that we could build whatever we wanted. Tanner and I spent an hour in that room, Jeremy thought we would never come out! 

I'm wearing an apron that I made out of ribbed cardboard! Dallin made an airplane by putting colored tape and marker on a piece of cardboard that was in the shape of a wing. He and I were proud of his work.

We found a robot.

Jeremy helped Tanner build a gun, but Tanner was pretty disappointed with it because it was only two dimensional.

So I jumped in and helped create a really cool 3 dimensional gun for killing bad guys. The barrel was in the shape of a triangular prism.

We also built this trap for Dallin in another exhibit. And we got to watch a humpback whale video in the huge Imax theatre. What a fun day at the museum!

On Sunday afternoon, the boys did some band practice with their new equipment.

(Notice Dallin in his Chinese Sunday clothes, cuz it was Sunday before New Year. I also wore my Chinese/Vietnamese clothes, so we were matching! And yes, I know that Chinese New Year is not our new year)

I love how when they play the piano, they look over their shoulder to sync up with the drummer.

These guys had so much fun!

Jeremy took one of the drums away to fix the leg on it, and Dallin decided to pretend the drum was still there. Result: lots of giggles!

Our friend came over to play on Tuesday. She helped keep the boys busy so I could get work done around the house. They made a "store" in the basement.

They performed a little play about shopping in the store, and then they took a bow!

On Weds, Dec 30, I braved the cold and took the boys sledding for the first time by myself.  With all my back pain issues, this was a big deal for me to even attempt the trip. It turned out to be great because the boys only lasted 15 minutes, which means we only went down the hill literally 3 times. Haha.

So deep! Over 8 inches of really wet snow.

Dallin's hands got cold really quickly, so he wanted to go home after the first time down the hill.

Tanner could have stayed there for a long time.

Pretty blue and yellow eyes against the white air. This picture doesn't do it justice.

The day before New Year's Eve, we went out to eat at the Chinese Buffet. Jeremy's side of the family does this for New Years, too. Very yummy!

On New Year's Eve, Tanner dressed himself. I like this look!

He completed a puzzle that his friend sent him with a secret message on the back!

We went ice skating as a family. We gave the boys hockey skates for Christmas, so this was their chance to try them out.

That little boy by the wall with the look of desperation is Tanner. I think he would have had a better time if he had worn his snow pants, poor kid shoulda listened to his mother.

But despite it being scary and hard and confusing, Tanner kept at it.

Dallin was all giggles and smiles the entire time. He LOVED it.

When Dallin would fall (which was every 15-20 seconds), he'd giggle and say "Try again" or "whoopsie daisy" and get right back up without any complaining.

Jeremy figured out it's easy to put Dallin in between his legs, hold onto his armpits and push him along. 

Getting brave!

Tanner tried different ways of standing and skating. Eventually at the very end, I helped him stand between my legs and he did really well with it. I can't wait to have him try again soon! Although Tanner said that he never wants to skate again until he's six.

On New Year's Eve, we went to the Benning's house for a party. Lots of yummy food and fun games. Tanner and his friend liked playing the game SET, which involves a lot of critical thinking skills.

On New Year's Day, I found the boys getting some work done in the Man-cave.

Jeremy has our old TV in the man cave, so the boys laid down and watched a show on their pillow beds while Jeremy worked out.

That night, we went to the Albert Lea Education Center for an activity with church. We got to go ROCK climbing and run around the big gym.

The boys really liked the rope swing. Jeremy climbed the walls a couple times, and we got Dallin to try on a harness. I meant to climb, but I got too busy visiting with friends.

Dang, my husband is buff.

Needless to say, we had a very eventful New Years Week!!

A Very Happy Christmas

We had a very Merry Christmas! 

This was our third Christmas in Minnesota, hard to believe. We really enjoyed our Christmas Sunday service at church, lots of great music, stories and lessons, but I didn't stress about getting a picture of us in our Sunday best because I knew I had this super cute one of us by the Hormel tree. 

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we had fun continuing some of the traditions we have kept from both mine and Jeremy's families, and continuing some new traditions that we started since living here. 

On Christmas Eve, Jeremy and Tanner started making the birthday cake for Jesus, all from scratch!

Here is a project that Tanner made at school. He goofed around with it while we made dinner.

We had a delicious steak dinner. This is a tradition that Jeremy and I started. Jeremy grilled the steak outside on the grill in the snow. We also ate green beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli salad, raspberry jam with bread, and we guzzled a bunch of eggnog. Well really, Tanner and Dallin guzzled the eggnog.

We miss being with relatives during the holidays, but I gotta say it's nice to have dinner with just the four of us. No pressure to clean the house or look well dressed or be somewhere on time and hope the kids will be well behaved. We just get to do things at our own pace and wear pajamas the whole time. Also, I feel like Christmas has become a great time for us to forget about all the cares that distract us, and just really cherish our two beautiful boys. We had so much fun focusing 100% on them this Christmas Eve.

While I was trying to get a pic of Jeremy, my camera switched to selfie, and I saw our tree behind me. I couldn't help but take a picture, I just love eating in the same room as our tree! 

After dinner we had cookies and Erin Grush's homemade pumpkin pie with pumpkins grown in her garden, SO yummy! Then we finished making the birthday cake. It was Tanner's idea to put a nativity scene on top of the cake. (Last year, our cake was a star, and the year before that, the entire cake was in the shape of a manger with Jesus). Tanner made Joseph, and he helped with Jesus and the stable. 

After that, we secretly stuffed each other's stockings. Tanner was so excited about giving gifts this year. When Jeremy took him Christmas shopping a week earlier, Tanner was went crazy shopping for others. Almost everything he saw in the store, he thought about someone that might need it. So on Christmas Eve, he was excited to put the things that he got for me and Dallin in our stockings. Another cute thing about Tanner with gifts- he kept asking when Christmas was. I would tell him how many days left and he would get excited and say "Oh my gosh! Only two days?? I have so much giving to do! I have so many gifts I need to get for people!!"

After we filled each other's stockings with surprises for the next day, we filled a stalking for Jesus. We sat at the table and each wrote/drew about a kind act that we could do to make Jesus happy. This is something we did in my family for several years. It took Tanner a little while to come up with an act of service instead of an object, but he eventually settled on something simple. Jeremy and I made cards for Jesus, too. For Dallin's gift to Jesus, we witnessed a little Christmas miracle... 

After suggesting a few ideas to him, Dallin agreed that his gift to Jesus would be to say a prayer. We were hopeful about this because Dallin has been going through a long phase where he is not interested in saying prayers. He will fold his arms and stay reverent while other people pray, but when we invite him to say a prayer, he refuses. It's kind of weird because he used to say prayers fairly often. We've tried offering to help him and tried getting him to help us, but to no avail. Tanner has especially been concerned about it and has prayed that Dallin will someday want to pray again, haha. We tell Tanner not to worry, Dallin will pray when he is ready.

So anyway, Dallin agreed that for his gift to Jesus he will say a prayer. We didn't make any details to this commitment such as when or where, just that he would someday say one. I drew a picture of Dallin praying on his card to Jesus, and Dallin scribbled diligently all over it. He folded it up very deliberately and stuffed it in Jesus' stocking. We then sat by the tree and read scriptures and a beautiful children's book about Christ's birth, almost forgetting about Dallin's gift to Jesus. (We talked about dressing up and playing Nativity, but we all decided we were too tired, and maybe would try the next day if we wanted to).

The boys were really engaged in the story and scripture reading. The Spirit was strong, and I knew the boys were feeling joy and God's love for them. Then, it was time for family prayer. Jeremy remembered Dallin's gift to Jesus. He asked Dallin if he would say the prayer. Dallin said YES. We were all pleasantly surprised. Tanner said "Huh? He said yes?!" We quickly bowed our heads so that Dallin wouldn't change his mind. Tanner whispered under his breath, "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy about this!" Then, Dallin said the sweetest prayer, all by himself. "Hev Fader, Thank you for day... Chwistmas... Thank you for stars and Chwistmas trees and orments and Chwistmas wights... Jesus Chwist, Amen." 

We quietly said Amen, and then we praised Dallin and thanked him for his beautiful prayer. We gave him high fives, and you could tell he was really pleased with himself. Tanner was so excited that he gave Dallin a big hug, almost strangling him! There were so many adorable and precious things that happened in those few minutes. We were all so happy, we could hardly handle it!! We were very grateful to our Heavenly Father that night for our beautiful children.

On Christmas morning, the boys slept in(!) and came into our room and cuddled with us for about 45 minutes. Finally, I said "shouldn't we go see all our surprises downstairs?" And Tanner said "Oh! I almost forgot!!" Haha. I think this was the perfect way to get woken up on Christmas morning, your kids just want to cuddle with you, they don't even remember they're getting presents. We made the boys wait at the top of the stairs until we had the cameras ready.

They were really excited about the drum set that we got for them!

Tanner wanted his Teddy to open up a gift that Tanner wrapped for him. So sweet, he wanted to do this before opening up his own presents.

We got lots of fun surprises! Jeremy managed to sneak a bike for me into the family room without me noticing! And the boys got these neat tablets!

Below are some marble toys the boys got! Can you see in the background where Tanner left some eggnog, cookies and carrot for Santa on the ground in front of the fireplace? He wanted to see what would happen. Since he knows that Santa is pretend, Tanner told Daddy to be Santa and eat the treats and that I should be the reindeer and eat the carrots. He said I could not be Mrs. Clause because she stays at the North Pole, haha. That morning, he was glad to see that we followed his directions.

Great Grandma Robertson made this hat and scarf for Tanner. He loved that it was multiple colors like he had hoped for.

 

After opening gifts, we made a very delicious brunch to carry on the yummy Christmas breakfast that we always had with Grandma Ginny and the Zavorals. My eggs benedict were delicious. The secret is to use eggnog instead of milk! Jeremy made some amazing red skinned potatoes. We also had homemade crepes, lots of berries, and bacon! 

The rest of the day was spent playing with all our new toys. 

For dinner that night, we ate ham, funeral potatoes, green beans, and salad to remind us of the yummy dinner that the Davidsons eat each Christmas Eve together. We try not to think about all the fun games they play together cuz we know we are missing out on a lot of fun. It was nice to be able to Skype for a long time with the entire Zavoral Clan all at once, including Elder Matt Zavoral. It was a very relaxing and joyful Christmas for our little family. We are very blessed to have so many friends and family that love us. I can't say enough of how grateful I am for my wonderful husband and beautiful sons. 

The source of my peace and happiness this season truly came from my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm so glad to celebrate His birth and His life this time of year. It's because of Him that no matter where we are in life, we can rejoice and be happy at Christmas!