Let the Holidays Begin!

This is Michael and his Senior Ball date, Maggie Plothow. She plays on the Orem High girls basketball team and because of a tournament the day of Senior Ball, they had their day date a couple of weeks early. They made apple pie and delivered one of them to Brother Judd, a seminary teacher at Orem High. He gave his classes a pie challenge, that is to make pies and deliver them to people as an activity. So, they took one to him. We ate the other one. What a fun date!

Here is the completed pie to deliver!

Michael is one of the swim team captains and each night prior to a meet, they have a get together, bonding I guess. Here they are at our house to watch a movie and eat pizza.

And finally, Thanksgiving. Here are some of the girls posing in the kitchen.

Oranee asked me to make a cornucopia this year. I made one a lot of years ago and have been harassed about being Martha Stewart ever since. It's a big joke because we all know that Nelson's sisters are really the creative project people in the family. It turned out really great this year! It was our vegie tray.

Katie played show tunes and drew a crowd for a sing along. Phantom and Les Miserables were the top picks.

Here is the crowd gathered for dinner. Jordan's friend Josh was there, luckily, and volunteered to be the photographer so we could all be in the picture. It was delish, as always, who doesn't love food?

The next day we went bowling. The girls had their own lane.

The boys had a lane with Grandpa and then the rest of us together in the last lane. My kids say we need to go more. David said he had never been in his whole life. I guess it has been a while if he doesn't even remember.

Michael and Katie chatting between play.

Caroline and David getting ready to play.

For mutual last week, the youth went caroling and stopped at our house to entertain us. Great job everybody! Thanks for thinking of us, it was great of you to come!

Our ward Christmas breakfast party was last week and Santa came and everything! Here's David getting a candy cane. He has been a good boy this year!

After a two week break in between the day date and the date, here are Maggie and Michael dressed up for Star Wars Christmas, Senior Ball. Maggie's hair had come out by the time we got a picture. She was Princess Leia (perfect long brown hair for giant side buns) and Michael was Han Solo. They had a fun time and their group came here for brownies and to watch Thumb Wars after the dance.

Snow!!!! Finally!!!! I was beginning to wonder if we were going to go straight into tulip weather soon but no, winter came. And, it keeps coming. We haven't had too much snow but it sure is pretty.

Lisa and Kib invited all of us over for family night last night. We had pizza and then had a gingerbread house building, uh, creating, contest? It was so cool. Of course it was girls vs. boys. I will reveal the results later...

The girls working hard...We had time to brainstorm before we were allowed to start and then one hour to create.

How awesome is our "house"?!?! Our theme is Lake Powell. Maybe it can only be appreciated if you have spent the last 15, 16 years with your family there. We made a froggy land, complete with the frogs escaping, sand castles, a water-skier dodging the trees sticking out of the water, the slide off of the back, floating in inner tubes at the back, swimming, wet towels hanging off of the deck railing, and of course the giant mountain with the flag on top - the ultimate boy scouts challenge (the girls participate and the moms stay at the bottom fretting, praying, cursing the men for putting our children in harms way, etc.).

Here we are with our creation.

Here are the boys and their "house". They built a tribute to the armed forces, complete with Santa armed with a machine gun, flaming candles for guns, an American flag, troops and ...What's that red puddle that everyone is pointing at?...

Ho Ho Ho H'Osama.....or Peace on Earth. I admit, a little gruesome for Christmas but hey, it was the boys' house, not ours. It may have been a bit biased because Lisa decided the winner, but the girls won! The boys have won for the last couple of years so I guess it's about time. She said she just had a problem with Santa armed with a machine gun, sorry boys.

We end today with a swim meet against Westlake/Lehi. They were tough teams to beat but in the end Orem won, both girls and boys. Orem boys are 12-0 this season!! Sweet!