December catch up

In all of the hoopla and exhaustion of the past few months I really got behind on this blog!

But this really is our family journal and we love looking back at it so here we go with a week of catching up.  Better do it now before this baby comes!

I got part of our December posted in December, but here's the rest.  

Brett learned how to ride his bike without training wheels.  Keith had taken the training wheels off a week or two before this and Brett wasn't really getting it, but then one day he was outside with Keith and said, "Hey Dad, look at me!"  And there he was cruising around all by himself!  Good job Brett!

One of Camille's funny faces.  She's not short on personality!

Neither is he for that matter!

We took the boys to the East Valley Millennial Choir and Orchestra Christmas concert.

They sat still through most of the first half of the show and were super wiggly the rest of the time.  We were glad to be on the end of the very back row!

When the choir would sing really loud and powerful the boys would sit on the edge of their seats and their faces would light up.  I hope that's the feeling they remember from the concert and not the end when Brett announced to everyone around us that he was so glad it was over and he wanted to leave! Ha!

We took them to dinner at Texas Roadhouse after that.  It really was a fun date with our boys.  

Keith's sister's stake hosted a nativity tour at a local stake center.  The whole building was beautifully decorated for Christmas and there were rooms full of all sorts of nativities.  It was amazing!  There was also a live music performance each night.  I'll have to remember to check to see if they do this next Christmas.  Keith's mom had over 20 of her nativities displayed here.

A calm moment watching the train go around the tree.

A couple of Keith's sisters were in town and his parents took us all to Krazy Air.  Everyone had so much fun!  I think it would be fun to go back on a date night with Keith after this baby comes.

Making paintbrush Christmas cookies with my mom.

They turned out so cute and were super delicious!

We also made gingerbread houses one night at Keith's parent's house.

Here's the cute cast of our Jackson family Christmas Eve Nativity.

 We have to get a close up of Brett with that beard!  Ha!  Isn't he adorable?

 Getting ready to open their Christmas Eve slippers from Keith and me.

 Santa's milk and cookies, and a carrot for the reindeer, were left with care by the fire.

 Our elf, Tebow, looked on one last time before he went back to the North Pole.

Santa came!

Keith surprised me with a new bike!

Brett put his tractor to use by hauling our breakfast into the dining room.

 Camille must have been really hungry on Christmas morning because her first servings were cleared off her plate before we all sat down!

 This year we had scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, strawberries, cinnamon muffins, and fresh squeezed orange juice.  There must always be fresh squeezed orange juice!

 Walkie talkies were a hit with the boys!

 On Christmas night we had a yummy dinner at my parents house, along with my brother's family.  Camille looked so cute in her little black coat and her owl backpack that we'd given her for Christmas.

 I spied little Brett looking at one of our Jesus ornaments and quickly grabbed my camera.

 To finish off the month, and the year, we huddled in blankets in the back of our van on the driveway and watched Keith and our next door neighbor light fireworks.  

Happy New Year!