I feel like December is just a play month… It's great!  Mike's around a lot and not stressed about work stuff and we're able to just be together as a family.  Here's some of what we've been up to:

Christmas Eve breakfast with Mike's Sunday School class.  What a fun bunch of kids!  We couldn't adore our ward any more than we already do! 

Too many mornings at Duncan Donuts this December….    

Shopping with friends for Sub for Santa type gifts... 

Helping kids wrap Sub for Santa type gifts…  

Readers theater in Morgan's class.  She was grumpy the elf and did a fabulous job.  She said mom was her inspiration - gee, thanks a lot.

Lots of out to lunch/dinner outings.  I love having the big kids home from school!

Santa came to our ward Christmas party.  I was helping with all the food and wasn't able to make sure all the kids sat with Santa… I wish they all would have after seeing how amazing the pictures turned out.  Isn't that the best Santa you've ever seen…  He's adorable!  

We haven't had too much snow yet this winter, but we've had enough to pull the kids behind the 4 wheeler a couple of times…   I don't know who likes it more, the kids or daddy.   

Downtown to see the lights at temple square… Luckily for us, Mike has access keys to most of the office buildings in City Creek, so we got to go explore and view the lights from windows overlooking temple square.  It was much warmer this way and the boys were happy they didn't need to change out of their shorts.  Will especially loved all the elevator rides.     

December so far...

Even though December is the craziest time of the year, I love it!  

I don't like that we need babysitters so often and that we have a million things to do and buy (like everyone!), but I really love the little things…

For the 12 days before Christmas, we decided to read a Christmas book each night together.  My goal is to build up my Christmas library so we can read a book for the entire month of December.  The kids love when it's their turn to pick a book and carefully look each one over before choosing.  

Then all the kids pile on daddy and we read.  I swear they giggle through most of the story and don't hear much of it, but it's going to be a great tradition!  

William really makes it feel like Christmas around our house.  Miles jumps up every morning to find where he moved to (a few times he didn't move… William must have been too tired a couple of times… oops).  Then Miles tries to figure out how he got from one place to another.  It's pretty cute!  

This particular day he found William listening to some music, and we learned that Williams likes his music loud! 

I esp liked William yesterday… After a night of puking, I think he heard me mention to Mike that I was finally ready to eat something and that Pancakes sounded really good…  Next thing I knew, there were hot pancakes in the kitchen…  Oh that William, he's so thoughtful.

Being sick with little viruses always makes me so thankful for our family's overall good health.  We are so blessed to have healthy bodies!  

Morgan is getting older (dang it)…  She's always out with friends doing big girl things.  Kate took her to the symphony and Morgan LOVED it.  Her face is looking so much like a young woman and not a little girl anymore.    

Hanging out downtown…  What a great December so far! 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It hasn't felt like Christmas is coming at all to me this year…. Until the last couple days.

Here's why I've been seeing things in an all new light (and that light is twinkling and tinted red and green! :) 

Christmas parties have begun.  We started December by going with friends to a local Christmas celebration at The Square.  The kids got popcorn and hot chocolate to sip on.   

We went on carriage rides…  *We still have no idea who the little girl is sitting next to Will.   Apparently she climbed on with our group and nobody noticed we had one that didn't belong until we got back.   Maybe that's a sign that we have too many kids :) 

We had lots of cookies and treats for dinner that night.   

Then we went to see Santa.  He was my favorite Santa we've ever seen.  He was cracking jokes and having a great time.  I'm not sure how Miles feels about Santa and what he believes, but he seems to have hope in Santa which I love!  

Morgan's face tells you exactly how she feels about Santa.  Little Miss Smarty Pants.  We lost her a couple years ago.  She's too practical for her own good.

This is Will's reaction to seeing Santa…  It took me 15 minutes to convince him to go into the same room as Santa, but he finally came around.  He wouldn't sit on his lap, but we're taking baby steps :) 

Whenever Meg saw Santa she'd say, "hold you" and make me pick her up.  She wasn't happy to see Santa either.  How cute are her little feet in this picture - oh my gosh!!  

The little guys wouldn't sit on his lap, but they agreed to a picture if I promised to hold them.

Winter has finally come to stay.  Snow always makes it feel like Christmas time.  

Meggie isn't okay with watching from the window this year.  She's a girl that wants to be a part of the action.  

I love putting up the Christmas decorations.  This year I got to put out my new bear nativity that I found when we went to Yellowstone this summer…  I know I'm a dork, but I LOVE it!

Just look at how cute they are, especially that Papa Bear Joseph with his walking stick.

As soon as I saw that baby bear Jesus I just had to have it.  Don't judge me!

And my favorite thing about Christmas time - WILLIAM IS BACK!  

Grandma & Grandpa Dehner Visit!!

Last week Mike's parents flew out to spend the week of Thanksgiving with us.  It was so great to have them here!  The kids were in heaven having Grandma and Grandpa here around the clock!  

Shawn did a lot of yummy cooking.

They read quite of few books :)

We celebrated Shawn's birthday!

We went to see the Jazz play.  

Even Meggie came along.  She did really good and had fun running around.  She was the cutest thing in town with her piggy tails and jersey.  I had so many strangers tell me how cute she was - and I agree.  She's cute!  

Miles broke his wrist after an unfortunate incident that involved him falling out of his bunk bed while fast asleep in the middle of the night (thanks to his mom's brilliant idea of taking the safety rail off…  I feel terrible…)  

Grandma played beauty parlor with the girls.

We had a tasty Thanksgiving feast.  The kids loved the adorable place cards Grandma and Grandpa made that told them where to sit.

We went bowling…  I was reminded of the fact that all Dehner's are great bowlers and that I am not :)

Then the kids and I made our traditional gingerbread house.  We were rushed and didn't finish, but we love our little house.

The kids love to plug it in and look at it.  I'm surprised Meg hasn't tried eating any of the candy.  I told her no the first day and she hasn't tried since.  (I love having a girl - they are perfect little angels :)

Thanks for coming to visit Kurt and Shawn!  We know it was loud and crazy at times, but we appreciate you being patient with us.  We love you!!