December Fun!

December is a crazy month but it's also one of the very best times of the year! It's so fun to make memories in celebrating this special Christ-centered season. 

The month kicked off with a Christmas party for Mitch and a few friends. We made North Pole cupcakes and some gingerbread cookies. The cupcakes were completely divine.

Tyler and Karter playing Christmas bingo with their newly-created Rudolph reindeer hats.

Friends at the Christmas party- Molly, Rushton, Karter, Tyler.  We also made a pom-pom ornament, and decorated a ice cream cone Christmas tree.

Family picture taken at our ward Christmas party.

This Santa is legit that showed up at our Ward Christmas party.  He was also very interested in each and every child. We probably waited about 45 min. to see him and there were only about seven kids in front of me and Mitch.

Our Santa Lucia breakfast- cinnamon rolls, sausage, fruit, and hot chocolate. Yum!

Grandma hosted a grandkid Christmas party where they decorated Gingerbread men, had a fishing pond, and made an adorable present for parents.

Mitchell at his preschool Christmas program.

His face is perfect for how he acted the entire program.  I don't get this kid.  He practices the songs so good and then when the time comes, he's as stoic as they come.

Rushton and Mitch. Best buds at preschool.

A little dinner entertainment at the Blue Lemon restaurant across from Temple Square. Crazy busy.  We were so lucky to snag a good table.

Seeing the lights at Temple Square.  Mitch, for the first time ever I think said, "Mom, you should take a picture of me right here." So cute.

We all stayed pretty warm- except Luke's feet.  Cold as ice and I didn't discover how cold they were til we got home- more than an hour drive.  Poor buddy.  Sorry! I'm glad you survived!

Decorating sugar cookies for Santa! All my love and patience was tested as Mitchell dumped sprinkles on each cookie!

First Stitches

Todd and Mitchell went sledding the day after Christmas. I stayed behind with Luke because we were both feeling pretty sick.  As the story goes, they had been having a great time on a pretty steep hill not too far up the road. We have two sleds- a toboggan style one and a disk saucer.  Mitch had gone down the hill by himself on the toboggan style sled a few times.  He wanted to try the saucer by himself.  Well, that's when disaster happened.  The sled turned him backwards and Mitch found himself flying off the saucer.  He gashed his cheek open.  Todd took him immediately to the InstaCare that isn't too far away. Mitch was very brave the whole time they were cleaning him up, through the numbing shots, and through the 8 stitches he received.
I just learned of a terrible sledding accident another 4 year old of friends of ours had on a disk saucer. I am led to believe that disk saucers may be a little advanced for 4 year olds.  I think they require a level of balance that we don't really think about.  That's my theory.
I'm a little worried about what lies in store (sorry if I didn't use the verb "lay" correctly- that one always got me) for this kid.  He's already had a black eye (from birth), a broken arm (age 2.5) and now first stitches (age 4).  I sure hope he makes it through whatever bangs and bumps life hands him in the future! 
Mitch now has his stitches out and the cheek has healed up nicely. He'll definitely have a scar- hopefully not the rest of his life! The scar is on the same side as his forceps scar so I guess we know which side of his face is better for pictures.  Just kidding, he's adorable, scars and all.