Home...with the little people.

After Thanksgiving and a few more days in Nashville to get packed up...Steph and the little people flew back to Vegas with me.   This gave Jake a couple weeks to study and take his finals and not worry about neglecting his family.   They were in Vegas having fun with Grammy and Pa.

The first order of business was to get ready for Christmas.

 

 I don't enjoy assembling our tree...so I was  glad Steph was ready to tackle the job.

Ethnie was happy to help by decorating the little trees

 There is always a string or two that works fine

...until you get them on the tree. 

 

So frustrating.

 Ta-da...Ethnie's trees are done.

 Duke wants to help too.

 Now to put the ornaments on the big tree.

 This year we went simple...apples, birds and red berries. 

 Nothing the little hands couldn't hold or play with.

But Duke decided that the red berries looked tasty

 

...so they moved up out of reach on the tree.

 .

So much good help.

 Luckily Eli  found his way to our house

It must have been a very tiring trip from Santa's workshop.

After a few days Simon joined him.

 Both Pa and Ethnie were so glad to be back together

so they resume their ritual cookies and milk before bedtime .

Hmmmm...good.

Steph's Blog of this activity.

Nashville

 Ten days after arriving home from Dallas I flew off to Nashville to spend some time with Jake, Steph and th0se little people.  I arrived just in time for Steph's birthday.

On her big day we went to Costco for lunch
...we take birthday celebrations very seriously.
When we arrived home this HUGE poinsettia plant was by the door.
 
  Happy Birthday from their Home Teacher that they hadn't met yet.

Wow...nice Home Teacher!

  For her birthday she wanted the whole family to go to the ICE exhibit .
 And so we did.

It was an the "Night Before Christmas" story done in ice.

 Very fun. Very beautiful and Very cold.   9° F cold.

 

 

 

But the best was at the very end.

 The Nativity done in crystal ice.

 From ICE we walked over to the Gaylord Hotel

 to try to get a family picture in front of the Christmas tree.

But someone was having issue with the camera flash

 or any photography at that point.

T'was the moment...happy memory.

 

 Once the little people were snug in their beds
 we brought out the birthday cheese cake.

Happy 25th Birthday Steph.

  For  more details see Steph's blog

 

Christmas Eve at our house

  One of  Ethnie's  favorite activities 

was taking all the apples she could reach off our tree 

and lining them up on the piano bench.

 Oh the joy of organized apples!

 At Tivoli Square

 We'd just come out of  Charming Charlie 

with some amazing Christmas Eve deals.

How could our men say no on Christmas Eve.  

So everyone was happy.

Train ride at Tivoli Square.

 

 While the little people napped 

we set to work creating our traditional graham cracker masterpieces.

 

 

 Creative people can create quite a mess!

 

 

   Our  finished creations.

 

 

 Playing with Mr. Potato Head grampa fell asleep on the floor 

so Ethnie made sure he had everything you need for a good nap...

Ellie the Elephant and silky blanket.

.

 Our Christmas Eve Dinner

 

 

 It was a wonderful Christmas Eve.