SANTA!!!

My kids were the perfect age for Christmas this year! They were all so into it and were SO excited about everything... especially Santa. We got our letters written early since Santa likes to load up his sleigh really early to be ready for the big day. Here are their lists. I love them!
Logan's -
"dear Santa Claus I have been a very good boy for Chrismas I want.
1. Kinect SPorts year 2
2. Cars 2 escape at Sea (That is a lego set...)
3. Star Wars III genral grievous Starfighter
how are your reindeer
Logan"

I love how he numbered his list! It is just so Logan's personality. I also told the kids they shouldn't just write to ask for something, but should ask Santa something or tell him something. That is why he added the "How are your reindeer?"

Here is Rylee's list. She insisted on writing it herself. She LOVES to write! She spends so much time every day writing and asking me "What letter is next?" She writes notes and cards to everyone all the time. She did a great job on her list, too. It said...
"DeaR SantA ClAus
i hAve Been a gooD giRL. (I love the backwards g's and the way she dots her i's) CAN You give ME a easY BAKe OVeN ARieL SQUINKieS AND A PInK LeAPSteR. Hoyw ARR yoUR ReINDeeR? Rylee"
I love how her writing changes so much through the letter and the mix of lowercase and capital letters. I also love that she copied Logan's question to Santa. They really are always wondering about the reindeer though.

Rylee is so sweet and wanted to be sure that Avery got what she wanted for Christmas, too, so she wrote a letter to Santa for her. Every time I asked Avery what she wanted for Christmas, she said, "CANDY!" I would ask if she wanted any toys, and she would always say "Jus candy". As the month went on, she decided she could ask for both and if anyone asked her what Santa was going to bring, she would say "toys and candy". It was pretty cute! Here is what Rylee decided her list should say:
"DeaR SaNtA CLAUS
i hAve BeeN A GOOD BABY I WANt CANDY ABBY toy Love AveRy"
I love how Rylee makes her Y's!


Dec 5 - For Family Home Evening and our countdown activity for the 5th, we attended our little City's tree lighting ceremony. It was FREEZING so we almost didn't go, but I am glad that we did. It was fun! Most of the people there were from our ward, so we had a good time and the kids saw lots of friends. We sang a few Christmas songs and then they lit up the tree and Santa came in on a FIRE TRUCK! The kids thought that part was SO cool! Avery talked about it for weeks! She would say it so cute and excited. It was a little funny because the tree they lit was TINY! I don't know what I expected.... more like Rockefeller Center I guess, but this tree was like 4 feet tall. I'm sure if they keep the tradition it will be really big in 20 years, but it just seemed a little funny to have a big ceremony to light such a little tree. It was a fun night though. This picture is the kids with the tree in the background. They were way too cold and had too many friends to play with to cooperate for a picture!
After Santa came, we were able to go inside the city building and the kids could see Santa and they had some treats. I was so glad that part was indoors. Here is Rylee talking to Santa. (She had to keep her hat on because her hair was a mess underneath!)
Logan and Santa - He is a pro at this by now!
Avery was REALLY nervous, but she ended up doing OK with Santa. Especially when she found out there was a candy cane involved!

Dec 8th - Our kids got to see Santa again at the ward Christmas party. It was really different than any ward Christmas party I had been to. Because our ward is SO big, we couldn't do dinner, so they had the local ice cream place come and serve ice cream. The kids could take their ice cream and dip it in all different colors of candy coating and add sprinkles and all kinds of stuff. They loved it! Rylee and her BLUE ice creamAvery with her purple ice cream. Logan was already off running around with his friends so I didn't get a picture of him.

Then, Santa made an appearance. It was a little funny because his suit wasn't the greatest and some of the kids were saying "he wasn't the REAL Santa. Just someone's Grandpa or something because his suit isn't like the real Santa's." He didn't wear boots, but regular church shoes with some boot type things on his suit that were supposed to make his shoes look like boots. It wasn't fooling the kids! That was the first thing they spotted... "He doesn't even have real boots. Just Sunday shoes." It was a little funny, but it didn't stop my kids from sitting on his lap and turning in their Christmas lists! Rylee and Santa
Logan talking with Santa Logan and Santa
This one wouldn't go NEAR Santa. I think she could see through that fake suit, too. She wanted nothing to do with him. Not even for the candy! But, she did find some more ice cream....
She loves that ice cream! And I love that messy face!

Seeing Santa so many times meant we didn't have to make the trip to the mall. We even saw him again at the Webber family party. The only bad part about not going to the mall is the pictures are never as good....