Santa Lucia and other Christmas festive-ness.

Back on December 13th we had cinnamon rolls, homemade ones.  I made a crown too when I couldn't stand the thought that I had made homemade cinnamon rolls for Lucia Day and then had nothing for my oldest daughter whose glory and privilege it is to be Lucia, didn't have something to wear on her head.  If I was smart, I would have asked my parents to send me the real deal like my sister did...but I am not and I didn't so we had this lovely little number.  It works.  It was made with a love for the holiday, a love for the culture and a love for my daughter who loves this kind of thing.  Isn't she a pretty Lucia? (PS I still would like the real deal because I love felt as much as the next girl but a real crown that really lights up is pretty awesome too...and this baptism dress won't fit Haley forever.)

 I have been doing lots of cooking and baking....and eating.  And Hazel, being the lucky at-home-all-by-herself-during-the-day kind of daughter, got to lick lots of beaters.

 Clark and I (but mostly Clark) worked on the most awesome Christmas present ever.

 He is amazing and talented and I love him.  I will tell you what that most awesome Christmas present ever is in just a sec.  I have to tell you about the other stuff first.

 We celebrated our "Faux Spo" Christmas.  Since we are going back to the homeland for the holidays and had extreme guilt over leaving Spencer and Sho for our first Christmas here we celebrated early.  "Christmas Eve" was Friday night and "Christmas morning" was Saturday.  All the appropriate food was served.

Here are Clark and I breaking in the new most awesome Christmas gift ever the night before we gave it to the girls.  I think we are going to have fun with this.

 Sho drew the intro on the second most awesome Christmas gift ever. What kid doesn't LOVE a chalkboard? We had one growing up and it was a total fave.

 Tada!!! Introducing, the Funky Butterflies of Washington, DC.  Funky Butterflies was the name the girls gave their Wii Rock Band name a couple of years ago and it has stuck.  They are the Funky Butterflies...they  travel, just in case you were wondering.  They can do concerts anywhere.  So Clark built them a stage and we got them a karaoke machine and they were in love and have spent every spare second down in the basement.  We had to give it to them early because obviously, this wouldn't have fit in the good ole mini van.  I wish I could show you the video of Hazel as the back up dancer.  But I am kind of glad that I am not going to share it.  So funny, so kind of inappropriate for the internet.

 These people.  Do you know how much I love them and how helpful and fun they are and how wonderful it is to live near family again? It is.

 We went and saw the lights at the temple.  They are amazing and incredible.  And it was cold.  And Abby was miserable but you know what? She didn't complain.  She was just quietly cold and hungry but didn't say a thing and it made me love her and appreciate being there with my family.

 I love these people.

Merry Christmas everyone and happy holidays and just really, Happy Everything!