Our Week BEFORE Christmas...

"What Christmas Means To Me"

Our BIG event we've been working on was our Higher Ground Christmas Recital, put on by our Summit Company Dancers. It turned out great! I will post more pictures on the HG website sometime this week.

This is Kaylee and Caroline

Me and one of my dearest friends, Lilli Hiatt. (dang camera!)

My mom worked the sound booth and Holli came in JUST in time! She was studying abroad in England. So happy to have her home for the holidays!!!

Then the next morning, dress rehearsal for the Christian Dance Company. My mom and I helped put the little girls number together. Gracie was so much younger then all of them, but we still gave her a small part...she did good, but mostly, she was just excited to be a part of it!

First Row: Paige Sorensen, Gracie Glover, Ariana Moreno

Second Row: Emma Thompson, Zoie White, Jessica Ray

Back Row: Hattie White, Caitlin Crandell, Ashlyn Thompson

Sunday, we celebrated Holli's 21st b-day!

Dad made enchiladas...yummy!

Isn't she lovely?

We played Cranium...this is brock acting out "Chick Magnet"

We've been running around like crazy trying to get all of our Christmas shopping done! Things crept up on me too fast this year! Tricia and Chase got in town on Saturday evening!!! Tonight we had our HALE family Christmas party.

After dinner, we started off with our gag gift exchange.

AWESOME!!!

For our "normal" family gift exchange, we decided to do homemade gifts/acts of service.

I'm so frustrated that this picture turned out blurry because it really was cool. Ethan ( and I) made Skyler a blanket. One side has flames and the other is blue with the words ROCK STAR on it. Ryal made a similar blanket for Mason, and they both strung necklaces for them that say "W.W.J.D?" Interpretation: "What would Jesus Do?"

My mom gave Ryal a "promise to take him to the library", and then she bought him this book. He LOVES to read!

This shirt doesn't look homemade, but Kylie made it...does that count?

Kaylee made Tricia a bag with a Fluer de Leis on the back and pictures on the front.

Tricia's classic pose!

Some people LOVED their gifts...

PINKALICIOUS!

Some people ate their gifts...

Some people wore their gifts...

Afterward, Skyler played Christmas songs on his guitar and we sang along...

Then my dad carried on the tradition of reading us an inspirational story before we left...

Have a Merry Christmas!!!