Christmas Celebrations

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We were able to spend time with family and loved ones and celebrate the birth of our Savior. We started our celebrating early in the month by visiting the festival of lights via a hay ride on the trailor. It was freezing, but we were bundled up and under a pile of blankets. Deacon and Scott wimped out and sat inside the warm truck for a little while, but they joined us soon after, so Carly and Whitney could warm up. After seeing the lights we all warmed up by drinking hot chocolate and eating brownies and Shawn and Whitney's house.

Some of the lights:

Freezing our faces off:

Me with Kimberly:

Grandma:

Kimberly and Jake:

Haylee and Carter:

Corbin:

Shawn, Carly, Whitney, and Adrian:

Our Ward had a wonderful Christmas party this year. It was called "A Night in Bethlehem". Our cultural hall was all decked out to look just like Bethlehem. We all dressed in clothes we thought they might wear (they wore sheets wrapped around themselves right?) We ate dates, nuts, olives, hummus, dried fruit, pita sandwiches, and other yummy food sitting on blankets on the floor. There were lots of things going on around us like wood carving and pottery. We were visited by prophets who told us a Messiah was coming. We saw a mother and father looking for a place to rest and have their baby. We heard angels singing and saw wisemen looking for the new child. It was a spiritual night and reminded us of why we are celebrating.

The Nativity:


Deacon and Scott:

Bethlehem people and shops:

The Moake family:

Christmas Eve is just as exciting to me as Christmas Day. This year was very different without my brother Garrett. We missed his enthusiasm and love for the season. We visited his grave and decorated it with candles and a wreath. We sang Silent Night and talked about our sweet brother for awhile.



Some of my family came to our house afterwards for our tradition of homemade pizza. We enjoyed visiting and eating. Deacon loved showing off and playing with grandpa.


Christmas morning we enjoyed watching Deacon open his presents:


I guess I should say present, because after he opened the first one he didn't want to open any more he just wanted to play with that one.
We went to Grandma and Grandpa Hurst's house next and opened more presents and watched them and Kimberly and Gatlin open their presents. We ate breakfast and then went home for a nap. Later on we were back for a big Christmas dinner with everyone. Deacon loves running around with his cousins and getting into grandma's things. He has a special fondness for this decorative bicycle and insists riding it whenever he sees it.
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are blessed this coming year!
Love, The Neilson Family