Christmas Appreciation Post

So this post is basically going to cover Dec 1-25th. Get ready...GO
Setting up the tree:

(I thought I was going to fall off the ladder. Dad ASSURED me that I wouldn't.)

(Decorating the tree is hard work!)

(Our finished product!)

Our annual trip to Temple Square for the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert: This year's special guests were Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn. She's one of the loveliest, classiest ladies I've ever seen. And Nathan Gunn's voice was DIVINE. The Conference Center was beautiful and everyone's performance was heart-warming.

(Mikelle and I had a few adventures in the Church Museum before the performance.)

(I still look like a sister missionary! Yay!)

(Standing behind the podium made my knees knock. Can YOU picture me speaking in front of 20,000+ people?)

Doesn't it look AMAZING? Dad was the top row, 2nd over from the women. Can you see him there?)

Grandma Eames came and spent a few days with us. We had a blast! From hot chocolate at night to taking crazy photos at Gardner Village:

BOWLING! Woot! I don't know what happened to our family this year but we were on FIRE! WE only play once a year and EVERYONE was killing at the game! I broke 100 on BOTH games! That's only been a goal of mine FOREVER! It was so fun!

Every Christmas Eve we have our Bethlehem dinner which is where we spread a blanket on the floor in front of the Christmas tree and eat Jerusalem-y foods like herb bread, cheese, fish, dates, olives, etc. Then of course we read the Christmas story from the Bible and then drove around and saw the Alpine luminaries, stayed up WAY late watching "Elf". Ha ha! I LOVE that movie! (Hence the reference to my blog title.) And I somehow don't have ANY pictures of Christmas Eve. How did THAT happen?

Christmas MORNING was a little different. Mum decided that we should wait until AFTER church to open presents (also so Lu and D could be there since we were sharing them with his family.) So the reason we all look so cute in the pictures where we're opening our presents is because we'd already got all ready and been to church:

This is us watching "Music and the Spoken Word" Christmas morning. Dad got the morning off.

Mikelle made me this present. It's an earring hanger-thingy. All my earrings have been sitting in a shoe box downstairs. It was worth the 2 days she banished me to the basement while she finished painting and decorating it.

It was a great Christmas. There was a theme running. I LOVE my Doctor Who gifts! A TARDIS mug and an Adipose plushy.

When I opened the Adipose plushy I just about died. It was one of those gifts where you didn't even know you wanted. It's so squishy! Also, some other friends were there and didn't understand what the big deal was.
Them: What is it?
Me: (Laughing so hard I can barely talk) It's fat.
Them: We can see that. What is it?
Me: No...it's literally fat.
Them: You're really weird.
So here's a link explaining what Adipose really is: Shameless Doctor Who plug.

Whew! And that's most of December! I have a few other post ideas but am out of time. Love to you all! Happy New Year and I'll see you very soon!