In Downtown...

Maybe we've been living right.

Aside from a horrific start to this evening, (traffic was insane) we made it to temple square just AFTER the Mormon Tabernacle Choir started their Christmas performance.   And guess what that meant?  A nearly EMPTY temple square since everyone had clambered in to listen to Christmas music.

It was GORGEOUS.

Just enough snow to blanket everything in white and make things sparkle a wee bit more.

The dudes all trudged through the grounds like champs with little rosy cheeks smiling up beneath winter hats.  Which is a love language all in and of itself -- Beanies for life, babes.

And they saw things they claimed they "have never seen before" largely because the pathways were clear of crowds and they could get up close to the various nativities and the reflection pond.  It was a little bit of late night Christmas magic.

I feel overwhelming lucky to have these boys -- especially RyGar -- in my life.  And it still amazes me every day that we have another one on the way.  I hope they each know how very much they are loved by their Dad and I.  How long we begged their maker for the chance to be their Mama & Daddy-o and how blessed we feel that these choice sons of God came to our home.  I hope they focus on living like their elder brother, Jesus Christ.  I hope they laugh incessantly for the rest of their lives together.  I can certainly attest, there is something magical about the bond of brotherhood.

Feeling especially grateful for my Eternal family this season.  And for the gift of Motherhood as we celebrate Christ's birth during this Christmas.

I know they won't always be small and up for a trip with their parents to every Christmasy site.  Our house won't always be full of little ones in matching buffalo check pajamas... but I am forever grateful for this very special & magical window.

And for these little Christmasy moments full of serenity.

And to All a Good Night.

XO

Christmas Cookies...

We got 'dem Christmas Cookies made!

I just feel like it isn't really Christmas until I've made and ingested sugar cookies for three meals straight.  Way to go self-control.

This year my helpers were ALL about it.  I've never seen them get quite so into it - both literally and figuratively.  Kael even declared that when he is older he is going to own a bakery and bake all kinds of "super good things" for people to buy for lots of money.  I was told I can run the register.  :)

If you want the softest, chewiest, yummiest sugar cookies to ever touch your tongue - the recipe is right here.  

If you want frosting to tickle your tastebuds - use lemon and almond extract -- a little secret I learned from my Mom.  

If you want some of our cookies - just think twice because although we're healthy as horses over here - we're also pretty "hands on" and there was a significant amount of dough and frosting being sampled.

And let's just talk about the Christmas miracle of all miracles...

These bakers in boy form all volunteered to clean up.

I daresay they're catching on to all this "Naughty & Nice" talk surrounding the holidays.

Go team Gardner Guys!

Of Snowmen & Santa...

Before this past weekend blurs into the current one may I bring to "le blog" the magic of Snowmen and Santa.  I won't even apologize for color coordinating everything - even their outwear because look, Grandma & Grandpa were feeling the theme too: red & black with buffalo check all over.  

And so, without further ado, the building of two little snowmen with Grandma & Grandpa.

And the pure joy that is loading that second ball of snowy ice atop another.

Disclaimer:  Kael is not smoking but rather eating what is probably his third sucker of the morning at the ripe old hour of, oh, ten am?  He's like a junior Elf -- He sticks to the four main food groups:  Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corns & Syrup and Grandma is his biggest enabler.

The application of every snowman's eyes is actually deceivingly tricky and requires your best concentration face as demonstrated by Dax.  Dang rocks that don't really stay in.

And the finished product.  We called them Grandma & Grandpa so it was only fitting that Grandpa donned some hunter orange.  And if we could have we would have put some chocolate in his pie hole because, whelp, if the shoe fits.  :)

And then we were off to see SANTA!  And dude, they totally know that guy!

He was the real deal... so darn sweet and took all the time in the world to listen to the deepest desires of their little hearts.  "Swoonworthy Santa" seems appropriate, really.

Dax was a little nervous for some reason but carried on like a big man and then quickly wished Santa a Merry Christmas and climbed down in record time.

And Kael & Santa got into a deep discussion about pocket knives but my six-year-old finished with flair, "Whatever kind you bring me will be good, Santa."

I think their little lists are so cute this year:

Kael wants a BB Gun, a Pocket Knife, and Baseball Stuff including more cards for his collection.

Dax wants a BB Gun, a Pocket Knife and a Remote Control BB-8 from Star Wars... (which spurned a recent frantic search since he called it a "Rolly Ball" in his letter to Santa and there was some mass confusion.)  Holy Blood Pressure.

Ace wants a new Bike, a Pocket Knife and a computer.

That there is a group of well-rounded fellers I'd say.

We tried and mostly failed to take a post-church selfie.  The boys were SO good at church Grandma told them they could go karate chop the snowmen - and we didn't have to tell them twice.

Poor little Grandma & Grandpa Snowman.  ;)

And now it's a winter wonderland at our house.  My grateful little heart is bursting at the seams with love for glowing lights and Christmas music and coordinating holiday pajamas and my people who are working like little elves to spread Christmas cheer to friends and neighbors.

Man let's just do it - Christmas Forever!  Please & Thank You.  

Not the Last Christmas Post You'll See...

I traveled home this weekend with my boys.  Mostly because my home, with my parents and the way they "do Christmas" feels most like Christmas to me.  I do almost identical work in my own home as I deck the halls and play music and uphold tradition like a Mama Bear; so I'm sure it all feels familiar to them, but something about being at my girlhood home makes me feel confident that the magic of Christmas will relay right through me and on to them.

It's a strange bridge to stand in the middle of.  Being the little girl of someone and feeling that sense of "There's my mom," and "That's my dad," and beaming as they cook you pancake breakfasts and take you to a Saturday matinee as if you never missed a day of being a daughter at home all your life.  And the flip side of the coin: Being the mama of your own little ones at your own home -- with a babe kicking you from the inside out -- and creating mama magic for them.  I believe they call it nostalgia.  I felt it this weekend.  I hope my people did too.

We started with a long awaited Gingerbread kit.

The boys did all the work themselves.  My mom and I looked on and laughed silently at their faces of concentration and dedicated effort.  A million gold stars, gents. 

And look at that.  It's so fun to let them just go at it and see their faces full of pride upon completion. 

I'm sure with a house full of boys, my years of having them WANT to do gingerbread houses are numbered, so I'll take every single request to do so seriously and I'll light the tree in the background for just the right ambiance.  It's the least a girl can do.  :)

My home town also holds a light parade.  I would be lying if I told you it was anything extravagant... it's not.  But we brew up hot chocolate and bundle up in coats and hats and hit main street to suck up a little more Christmas marrow out of life.

When I first saw this photo I thought Dax was lovingly looking up at me...

Nope - just a firework that went off at that moment.  Silly me.  :)

This year the boys were really into yelling greetings at those folks who were atop the floats and displays.  Which all started out well and good until we progressed from the innocent, "MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!" to the,

"MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!"

Thanks Home Alone for that little killer one liner.

These may or may not be the faces of the culprits.  :)

 Anyway, their favorite displays were "Dusty Crop Hopper" and of course, Santa!

Boy did they yell their friendliest greetings of good cheer for the big man... Or as my Mama said, 

"My how their tunes have changed."  

Somehow they ended on an angelic note -- *I'm totally Team Santa* 

And I snuck this little gem of a Christmas picture later that night, while visions of sugar plums must have been dancing through their little heads.  

And last night, as we finished loading in luggage and hugging our Ryno, I sent off a quick text to my Mom and Dad... "We made it safe and sound.  We're home."